The Network was formed in November 2004 at a meeting attended by Government and NGO representatives from various African countries as well as a representative from Nepal.

The representatives were from the following countries: Zambia, Kenya, Lesotho, Nepal, South Africa, Swaziland, Malawi and Uganda.

The participants at the meeting expressed unanimous support for a Network on Juvenile Justice and decided that there should not be a set structure but rather that the Network be organic and widened to include more countries. It was also decided that the Children's Rights Project at the Community Law Centre be the Network Secretariat for 2005.