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 Ignatius Baffour Awuah
Ignatius Baffour Awuah

Labour Ministry to launch Phase II Action Plan on child labour

The Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations (MELR) is to launch the phase two of the National Plan of Action (NPA II) for the elimination of the worst forms of child labour this month.

The launch follows an approval of the NPA II by Cabinet in February 2018 following the successes chalked up in the implementation of the phase I of the NPA by the ministry and its stakeholders between 2009 and 2015.

The NPA II aims at consolidating gains made during the implementation of the NPA I and also replicate the good practices and lessons learnt over the years to effectively and efficiently coordinate the various interventions to eliminate all forms of child labour by reducing it to 10 per cent by 2021.

In a press statement issued and signed by the Head of Public Affairs at the MELR, Ms Charlotte Hanson, in Accra last Monday, it said the approval of the action plan underscored the government’s commitment to eliminate child labour.

Objectives

According to the statement, more than 11,000 children, representing one per cent of the total of 1.27 million children between the ages of four and 17, were withdrawn from child labour while others who were at risk were prevented during the NPA phase I implementation.

The NPA II, therefore, seeks to consolidate the gains made under the phase one, re-enforcing the linkages between the various child development policies, as well as help to continue to foster strong collaboration between partners and enhance the coordination of their actions.

“In particular, it will contribute to the realisation of the objectives of the Child and Family Welfare Policy (CFWP) by providing mechanisms for combating violence, abuse and exploitation of children,” it stated.

MOU

Prior to the launch of the Phase II, the statement indicated that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) had been signed between the MELR and 36 institutions for effective implementation of the action plan.

“The MoU expresses the cross-sectorial collaboration and partnership approach endorsed in the development of the NPA II. In addition, it is designed to cement the multi-sectorial functional linkages and the synergies anticipated in the implementation and delivery of output, objectives and the desired impact of the NPA II,” it added.

Agencies

The government, ministries, department and agencies (MDAs) involved in the implementation of the NPA II include the Labour Department, Child Labour Unit, Youth Employment Agency (YEA), Anti-Human Trafficking Unit, Ghana Police Service, Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) and Council for Indigenous Business Association (CIBA).

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