Workshop to combat Child trafficking opens

Accra, July 10, GNA - The International Labour Organization (ILO) is liaising with stakeholders to combat trafficking in children for exploitative employment considered as one of the worst forms of child labour in West Africa and Central Africa, Mr Mathew Dally, National Programme Coordinator of the ILO, said the programme to combat the trafficking of children for labour exploitation in West Africa and Central Africa (LUTRENA) was, therefore, instituted in 2001 to promote a comprehensive approach to combat child trafficking from both the demand and supply sides. Speaking at the opening of the Independent External Global Evaluation Stakeholders' Workshop of the LUTRENA Project in Ghana, Mr Dally said child trafficking was in contravention of both international and national laws and had to be abolished immediately. LUTRENA is a multi-donor funded programme sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labour; U.S. Department of State and the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA).

Mr Dally said it had identified the Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs, Ministry of Manpower, Youth and Employment and the Ministry of Justice among other institutions as those that played pivotal roles in implementing programmes against trafficking. He said it was the expectation of the ILO that a Human Trafficking Management Board would be set up and inaugurated sooner than later to further heighten the fight against child trafficking.

Mr Kwadwo Amoakwa, Chief Director of the Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs (MOWAC), said in a speech he read for the Minister that the Human Trafficking Act (Act 694) was operational and the Ministry was in the process of constituting the Management Board to advise it on policy matters under the Act.

He said the Ministry had met with stakeholders to develop a National Plan of Action on Trafficking, which when finalized would be presented to the Management Board for consideration.

Mr Amoakwa said the LUTRENA project had been successful in Ghana in dealing with the child trafficking menace in the country. He said the project remained relevant to the cause of combating child trafficking given the complex nature of the phenomenon.

Mr Jerome Heitz, Senior Programme Officer of the ILO, called on participants, who included the Ghana Immigration Service and Customs Excise and Preventive Service to take the workshop seriously. He said the recommendations would form part of the programmes to be implemented by the ILO against child trafficking. Materials for awareness creation including posters, compact discs and brochures were presented to MOWAC to help it in its programmes.