Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games: A Safeguarding Charter to Place Children at the Heart of the Games

On the occasion of the International Day of the African Child, the Organizing Committee for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games (COJOJ) officially launched its Charter for the Safeguarding of Children and Young People. This initiative reaffirms the organizers' commitment to guaranteeing a safe, inclusive, and protective environment for all children involved in the Olympic adventure.

Senegal continues its journey towards the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, the first Olympic event in history to be held on the African continent. As part of Olympic Week, the Organizing Committee for the Youth Olympic Games (COJOJ) chose the Kër AYO site to celebrate the International Day of the African Child and launch its Charter for the Safeguarding of Children and Young People.

Organised in partnership with UNICEF and ChildFund, the event brought together more than a thousand children for sporting, cultural and educational activities, in a festive atmosphere marked by the values of sharing, respect and inclusion.

Cécile Faye, a member of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games Organizing Committee, emphasized the particular responsibility incumbent upon the organizers as this global youth event approaches. "These Games are first and foremost the African and global Youth Games. They will welcome thousands of young athletes, but also many children who will participate in the educational and cultural programs organized alongside the competitions," she stressed.

According to her, this ambition requires strong guarantees regarding child protection. The Safeguarding Charter developed by the Organizing Committee for the Youth Olympic Games (COJOJ) thus reflects a firm commitment to respecting, promoting, and protecting children's rights, in accordance with the International Convention on the Rights of the Child, international safeguarding standards in sport, and the requirements of the International Olympic Committee.

"No child should be exposed to any form of violence, abuse, exploitation, harassment or neglect in connection with activities related to the Games," insisted Ms. Faye.

For UNICEF, a major partner of the event, this initiative is fully aligned with the promotion of children's rights. "This day, marked by the memory of the children of Soweto, reminds us of our collective responsibility: to protect every child, listen to their voice and make their future a priority," said Albert E. Ekani, UNICEF Deputy Representative in Senegal.

He praised the "Ayo Ak Xaleyi" ("Ayo with the children") concept, championed by the Organizing Committee for the Youth Olympic Games (COJOJ), which aims to make the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games much more than just a sporting competition. "The Games must be an opportunity for positive, visible, and lasting transformation for children and young people," he stated.