The African Child Policy Forum

What The African Child Policy Forum does

The African Child Policy Forum (ACPF) is an independent Pan-African nonprofit think tank headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, founded over two decades ago and governed by an International Board of Trustees chaired by H.E. Elhadj As Sy. It is the continent's dedicated policy forum for child rights, producing evidence-based research and convening governments, multilaterals, and civil society to advance legal reform, child protection, and child wellbeing across Africa.

Its core products center on policy research, advocacy, and convening rather than commercial technology. The flagship African Report on Child Wellbeing and companion Child-Friendliness Index/Scoreboard provide comparative national assessments of government performance on children's rights. Four programmatic workstreams — the African Child Observatory, the Children and the Law Programme, the Child Development and Protection Programme, and the African Partnership to End Violence Against Children (APEVAC) — anchor the substantive mandate. Knowledge dissemination is delivered through the Resource Centre, the Child Law Resources database (clr.africanchildforum.org), and the biennial International Policy Conference (10th edition held in 2026 on adolescent rights), complemented by the Ghai-Larissa Award for child-rights contributions.

ACPF operates as a grant-funded advocacy institution. Resources are generated through institutional donors (including Sida, Oak Foundation, and Wellspring) and strategic/programmatic partners (UNICEF, Save the Children, Plan International, World Vision, Girls Not Brides, Lego Foundation, among others). Publications and resources are made freely available or at minimal cost, consistent with its nonprofit mandate to advance continent-wide child rights. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed; the organization runs with 11–50 staff from its Addis Ababa headquarters and operates across the African continent with no commercial product line.

Name

The African Child Policy Forum

Legal name

African Child Policy Forum (ACPF)

Website

https://africanchildforum.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The African Child Policy Forum (ACPF) is an independent Pan-African nonprofit think tank headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, that produces child-rights policy research, flagship reports, and continental convenings to support African governments, the African Union, and civil society.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Policy Research and Child Rights Advocacy

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Child and Youth Services (62411), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Child Protection & Child Rights (BPAGABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Child Rights & Protection (BPADAGAG), Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB), Early Childhood & Child Development Policy Research (EDADADAJ)

Keywords

• Child rights advocacy
• Policy research
• Human rights publications
• African governance
• Child protection programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Addis Ababa

HQ country

Ethiopia

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The African Child Policy Forum (ACPF) is an independent Pan-African policy forum that conducts research, produces flagship publications (such as the African Report on Child Wellbeing), and advocates for child-friendly laws and policies across Africa. It runs programmatic workstreams on child protection, child law, and ending violence against children, and convenes the biennial International Policy Conference and the Ghai-Larissa Award to advance evidence-based child rights advocacy across the continent.

Product overview

The African Child Policy Forum (ACPF) operates as a Pan-African research and advocacy organization rather than a technology product company. Its core offerings center on policy research, publications, and convening platforms: the African Report on Child Wellbeing (ARCW) as its flagship publication with companion scoreboard; four programmatic workstreams (African Child Observatory, Children and the Law, Child Development and Protection, and APEVAC partnership); the International Policy Conference as an annual convening; the Ghai-Larissa Award for excellence; and a comprehensive Resource Centre housing decades of research including the Child Law Resources database. These products form an integrated ecosystem supporting evidence-based child rights advocacy across Africa.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• African Report on Child Wellbeing (ARCW) ACPF's flagship periodic publication providing comprehensive analysis and scorecards on child wellbeing across African nations, including the Child Friendliness Index measuring government performance on children's rights. Targeted at governments, policymakers, civil society, and researchers.
• International Policy Conference (IPC) Biennial pan-African conference bringing together policymakers, researchers, and practitioners to discuss child rights issues. The 10th IPC focused on Adolescent Rights and Wellbeing in Africa.
• African Child Observatory A data-focused programme building evidence and knowledge on child rights issues across Africa through systematic data collection, analysis, and dissemination.
• Children and the Law Programme Programme focused on legal reform, harmonization of child laws across African regions, and improving child access to justice systems.
• Child Development and Protection Programme Programme addressing child protection issues including violence against children, harmful practices, and strengthening child protection systems.
• Resource Centre Online repository containing hundreds of reports, briefings, studies, country briefs, child law resources, data, and videos spanning two decades of ACPF work.
• Child Law Resources (CLR) Specialized database of child law resources including model laws, harmonization guides, and legal analysis tools for African jurisdictions.
• African Governments' Child-Friendliness Scoreboard Companion report to the African Report on Child Wellbeing providing scorecard assessments of African government performance on child rights commitments.
• Ghai-Larissa Award Award recognizing outstanding contributions to child rights in Africa, named after Professor Ghai and Larissa.
• African Partnership to End Violence Against Children (APEVAC) Continental partnership initiative focused on coordinating and accelerating efforts to end violence against children across Africa.

Quantifiable outcome

• Produced the African Report on Child Wellbeing (flagship publication)
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Children BelievecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• ChildFundcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Girls Not BridescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Lego FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Oak FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Plan InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Population CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Raising VoicescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Save the ChildrencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Together for GirlscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• UNICEFcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• World VisioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• African Union CommissionflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner
• African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner
• African Court on Human and People's Rights (AfCHPR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• African Commission on Human and People's Rights (ACHPR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Africa Wide Movement for Children (AMC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children (SRSG-VAC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict (SRSG-CAAC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria: Academic center of excellence on human rights in Africa that conducts research, capacity building, and convenes policy work. Comparable think tank-style model focused on rights and continental policy reform.

Broad incumbents

• Save the Children International (Africa Region): Major international child rights NGO with deep Africa operations, advocacy, and research capacity. Directly comparable mission; significantly larger implementing footprint and budget than ACPF.
• ChildFund International (Africa): International child-focused development and rights organization with significant Africa programming. ACPF lists ChildFund as a core strategic partner, indicating overlapping mission and constituency.
• World Vision International (Africa): Large child-focused humanitarian and development organization with major Africa presence. Overlaps with ACPF on child protection, sponsorship, and community development themes.
• Plan International (Africa Regional Hub): Global child rights and girls' rights organization with extensive Africa operations. Comparable advocacy and rights-based programming; ACPF is an active partner.
• UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO): UN agency with continental child rights mandate and significant Africa programmatic footprint. Overlaps with ACPF's mission and shares multiple strategic partnerships; much larger in scale and budget.

Others

• Together for Girls: Global partnership dedicated to ending violence against children, particularly sexual violence against girls. Listed as a core ACPF partner; comparable thematic focus on violence against children in Africa.

Direct peers

• Human Rights Watch (Africa Division): Research and advocacy organization with an Africa Division that conducts investigations and publishes reports on rights issues. Incoming ACPF Executive Director Dr. Bekele previously led HRW's Africa Division, illustrating direct methodological overlap.
• African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC): Continental treaty body established under the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. Directly comparable as a Pan-African child rights institution; ACPF is a flagship implementation partner of ACERWC.
• Amnesty International Africa: Global human rights research and advocacy organization with continental Africa operations. Comparable research-and-advocacy model; Dr. Bekele also served as Senior Advisor at Amnesty International.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/AfricanChildFrm
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@acpf2012
• Facebookfacebook.com/africanchildforum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-african-child-policy-forum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The African Child Policy Forum