G/A Regional Child Protection Committee inaugurated
A 30-member Greater Accra Regional Child Protection Committee has been inaugurated in Accra.
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The inauguration of the committee forms part of strategies for the implementation of the Child and Family Welfare Policy which was launched by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection in July last year.
The policy provides a comprehensive set of objectives and strategies which include “establishing a well-structured and coordinated child and family welfare system that promotes the well-being of children, prevents abuse and protects children from harm.”
The committee is made up of the Regional Coordinating Director, the Regional Planning Officer and a representative each from the Departments of Children, Social Development, Community Development, the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Ghana Health Service (GHS).
Other members are from the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU), the Attorney General’s (AG) Department, the Department of Births and Deaths, the Ghana Prisons Service (GPS) and the Population Council.
The rest are the National Youth Authority, Legal Aid Scheme, Judicial Service, as well as representations from civil society organisations (CSOs), non-governmental organisations (NGOs), faith-based Organisations (FBOs), traditional authority and the media.
Promoting children’s well-being
The Greater Accra Regional Economic Planning Officer, Mr George Ackah, who inaugurated the committee on behalf of the Regional Co-ordinating Director, Mr Ernest Nyagbe, called on members of the committee to work assiduously to promote the well-being of children in the region.
He said the committee, which will be part of the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC), would serve as the child protection coordinating and policy making body.
He added that as part of the activities of the committee, it would oversee all metropolitan, municipal and district child protection activities to ensure that children within the region were given a protective environment to grow.
Giving a brief overview of the work of the committee, the Greater Accra Regional Director of the Department of Children, Mr Peter Akyea, said the institutional arrangement outlined in the Child and Family Welfare Policy prescribed specific roles for key ministries and other public institutions and key non-governmental organisations.
He said the setting up of the committee would help facilitate coordination to avoid the duplication and fragmentation of committees and working groups.
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