Children in West Africa are as likely to be raped, trafficked, beaten or abused and less likely to go to school, receive proper healthcare or be properly nourished, compared to 15 years ago, despite binding legislation meant to improve children’s situation.

The findings were announced at a 6-8 November meeting to assess progress by governments towards implementing the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The conference was held in the Burkina Faso capital, Ouagadougou.

“We went through the reports countries submit on their progress every year and realised quickly that nothing really has been done – very few things have improved in the region over the last 15 years,” said Stefanie Conrad at the NGO Plan International in Dakar, which participated in the Ouagadougou meeting.

The Convention, created in 1989, declares that children everywhere have the right to survive; to develop to the fullest; to be protected from harmful influences, abuse and exploitation; and to participate fully in family, cultural and social life.

To be more effective states were urged at the meeting to pump at least 20 percent of their national budgets into education. “Unfortunately experience shows that commitments taken by governments when they ratify international treaties does not always translate into reality and concrete actions”, the meeting’s final communiqué said.

Governments were asked again to specifically tackle child trafficking and labour, which Plan International says has quadrupled in the last 30 years.

“There was a strong commitment from participants to move things forward, but results will depend entirely on their ability to convince decision-makers at home of the need to adhere to the commitments made,” Conrad said.

“Political will at the highest level of government is needed as they are the only ones with the power to advance things with regard to budget allocation,” she added. “Often they use the excuse that they don’t have money but that is not true as other things get done. The problem is prioritisation.”