By Charles Sarpong Amponsah
The International Cocoa Initiative (ICI), has called for the effective implementation of laws and legislation on children to address the issue of child labour and forced labour, especially on cocoa plantations in Ghana.
Mr. Prince Gyamfi, Deputy Country Director for ICI, advocated this in Kumasi when the Foundation in collaboration with the Ghana Journalists Association, organised a training workshop for some selected journalists from across the country.
The training aimed at deepening journalists’ understanding of forced labour and child labour, as well as helping them develop skills in communicating the issue to the public.
The latest global estimates indicate that the number of children in child labour has risen to 160 million worldwide. Despite this, global progress has stalled since 2016.
As a result of these trends, Mr Gyamfi said it was important to effectively implement and create awareness of existing child and forced labour laws.
“Internationally, we have all the conventions and protocols to deal with the issue of child labour and forced labour. Locally, we also have all the necessary laws and legislation in relation to child labour and forced labour. Yes, our constitution talks about it, the Children’s Act talks about it, the Labour Act talks about it, the Human Trafficking Act talks about it, and all these laws we have here if we’re implementing the law effectively, and if we are creating awareness of the existence of these laws and their provisions, everybody would get to know that this issue of child labour and forced labour is against the law.”
The Programmes Coordinator bemoaned the lack of enforcement and support for institutions mandated to enforce these laws.
“And in fact, as we speak, we have the laws. What we need to do is enforce the laws, support the people or institutions that are mandated to enforce the law, support them with the capacity in terms of training to get understanding, and support them with the logistics as well to do what they are expected to do.”
According to him, this will discourage others from doing the same as a result.
“If they’re able to do that, as a nation, I hope we will go a long way to address the issue of child labour using even our laws. And then those who are perpetrators will be prosecuted, and then it will serve as a deterrent to others.”
