Decision on Communication No: 0012/Com/001/2019 In the matter between Legal and Human Rights Centre and Centre for Reproductive Rights (on behalf of Tanzanian girls) v United Republic of Tanzania I. Submission of Communication and Summary of Proceedings 1. The Secretariat of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (the Committee/ACERWC) received a Communication dated 17 June 2019 pursuant to article 44 of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (the Charter/ACRWC). The Communication is submitted by the Legal and Human Rights Centre and the Centre for Reproductive Rights (on behalf of Tanzanian girls) (the Complainants) against the United Republic of Tanzania (the Respondent State). Receiving the Communication, under Section III of the Committee’s Revised Guidelines for Consideration of Communication (the Revised Communications Guidelines), the Secretariat of the Committee conducted a preliminary review and registered the submission as Communication No: 0012/Com/001/2019. In line with the Revised Communications Guidelines, the Committee followed the subsequent proceeding in considering the Communication: - - - - The Communication was duly transmitted to the Respondent State on 25 June 2019, The Respondent State submitted its submission on the admissibility of the Communication on 01 October 2019, which the Committee rejected for procedural reasons; The Respondent State re-submitted its response on 27 August 2020, The Committee transferred the submission of the Respondent State to the Complainants. The Complainants submitted their observations on the response of the Respondent State on 31 August 2020. The Committee deliberated on the admissibility of the Communication on 01 September 2020, during its 35th Ordinary Session held virtually from 31 August to 08 September 2020 and declared the Communication admissible. The Admissibility Ruling was sent to the Parties on 03 November 2020 and the Respondent State was requested to submit its arguments on the merits. The Respondent State submitted its arguments on the Merit on 12 February 2021. The Complainants submitted their response to the arguments of the Respondent State on 30 March 2021. On 15 March 2021, the Committee received an amicus curiae application from the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Working Group on Discrimination against Women and Girls. The Committee approved the request, and the amicus curiae submitted its briefing on 15 June 2021. The Committee invited the parties for a hearing during its 37th Ordinary Session, which was later postponed to the 38th Ordinary Session on 22 November 2021, in JN 2