A delegation of the Bahá'í International Community (BIC), made up of representatives from its Geneva and Addis Ababa Offices, took part in the 48th Ordinary Session of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC), held in Maseru from 13 to 20 October. During the session, the delegation held bilateral meetings with several ACERWC members on the ongoing persecution of the Bahá'ís in Egypt and its consequences for children and families.

A key moment of the session was the ACERWC’s review of Egypt’s implementation of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. "This review comes nearly eighteen years after Egypt's previous examination before the Committee," said Ahmed Mefreh, Executive Director of the Committee for Justice (CFJ), adding that "it is an important opportunity to move beyond the language of legislation and examine the actual conditions experienced by children, particularly those deprived of liberty or subjected to discrimination."

The review was of particular significance to the BIC, given the ongoing, systemic discrimination faced by Bahá'í children in Egypt. Because Egyptian authorities refuse to register Bahá'í marriages, Bahá'í parents are unable to legally establish the parentage of their children and therefore cannot obtain birth certificates for them. Without birth certificates, these children face a range of obstacles, including difficulty obtaining vaccinations, accessing health care and enrolling in school. This discrimination has been well documented and raised by numerous international bodies and United Nations mechanisms over the years, such as the Committee on the Rights of the Child, which in its 2024 concluding observations on Egypt expressed concern that children of religious minorities, including Bahá'ís, continue to face discrimination, and recommended removing the requirement to submit a marriage certificate for birth registration and ensuring that children of minority religious groups are free to manifest their religion.

During Egypt’s review, Hon. Dr. Satang Nabaneh, the ACERWC's Egypt Country Rapporteur, raised the situation of the Bahá'ís, asking the Egyptian delegation what measures it was taking to register Bahá'í children and ensure their access to health care and civil services. The delegation responded that the constitution guarantees registration for all children, but did not address the specific situation of Bahá'í children. 

Alongside the review, the BIC took part in a side event titled "Strengthening Access to Justice and Accountability for Children in Africa," hosted by the CFJ and the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms. The panel was joined by three members of the ACERWC: Hon. Sabrina Gahar, Chairperson; Hon. Joseph Sunday Sinnah, Special Rapporteur on Child Justice, and Dr. Satang Nabaneh.

Dr. Saba Haddad, a BIC Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, offered remarks on the situation facing Bahá'í children in Egypt: "Every child irrespective of their background must have the opportunity to learn, develop and contribute to society," said Dr. Haddad. She added: "These principles, affirmed in the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, must guide every encounter with public institutions."  

Dr. Haddad described the repeated efforts the Bahá'í community in Egypt has taken to resolve the systematic challenges that Bahá'í children and families are facing through legal channels, some on the advice of government officials, all without success. She noted that "Egypt's National Human Rights Strategy for 2021–2026 made no explicit mention of religious minorities or specific provision for protecting their children and families," and stressed that general commitments must become concrete measures that address the challenges that threaten the very existence of the Bahá'í community in Egypt. 

Dr. Haddad concluded by expressing the BIC's hope that engagement with the ACERWC will turn longstanding assurances into changes that Bahá'í children and families can truly experience in their daily lives, as Egyptian citizens equal before the law.