African Children’s Charter 91 Article 38: Bureau 1. The Committee shall establish its own Rules of Procedure. 2. The Committee shall elect its officers for a period of two years. 3. Seven Committee members shall form the quorum. 4. In case of an equality of votes, the Chairman shall have a casting vote. 5. The working languages of the Committee shall be the official languages of the OAU. Article 39: Vacancy If a member of the Committee vacates his or her office for any reason other than the normal expiration of a term, the state which nominated that member shall appoint another member from among its nationals to serve for the remainder of the term - subject to the approval of the Assembly. Article 40: Secretariat The Secretary-General of the Organization of African Unity shall appoint a Secretary for the Committee. Article 41: Privileges and immunities In discharging their duties, members of the Committee shall enjoy the privileges and immunities provided for in the General Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the Organization of African Unity. CHAPTER THREE: Mandate and Procedure of the Committee Article 42: Mandate The functions of the Committee shall be: (a) To promote and protect the rights enshrined in this Charter and in particular to: (i) collect and document information, commission inter-disciplinary assessment of situations on African problems in the fields of the rights and welfare of the child, organise meetings, encourage national and local institutions concerned with the rights and welfare of the child, and where necessary give its views and make recommendations to governments; (ii) formulate and lay down principles and rules aimed at protecting the rights and welfare of children in Africa; (iii) co-operate with other African, international and regional institutions and organisations concerned with the promotion and protection of the rights and welfare of the child; (b) To monitor the implementation and ensure protection of the rights enshrined in this Charter; (c) To interpret the provisions of the present Charter at the request of a state party, an institution of the Organization of African Unity or any other person or institution recognised by the Organization of African Unity, or any state party; (d) Perform such other tasks as may be entrusted to it by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government, Secretary-General of the OAU and any other organs of the OAU, or the United Nations. Article 43: Reporting procedure 1. Every state party to the present Charter shall undertake to submit to the Committee through the Secretary-General of the Organization of African Unity, reports on the measures they have adopted which give effect to the provisions of this Charter and on the progress made in the enjoyment of these rights: