Coalition holds meeting on the rights and welfare of children

The Ghana NGOs Coalition on the Rights of the Child (GNCRC) has held a meeting with its stakeholders as a follow up on Ghana’s Convention report, which has not been submitted since 2004.

The report, talks about Government’s implementation of the Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC), a convention that sets out the basic rights of children and the obligations of governments to fulfill those rights.

Mr. Barima Akwasi Amankwah, Acting National Coordinator of GNCRC, briefing the media in Accra said, Ghana had ratified the African Charter on the rights and welfare of children since 2004, but has failed to submit its report.

He noted that Ghana was expected to submit the report in 2007, 2010 and 2013, however due to a number of reasons the reports were not submitted, so the need to follow up by discussing the challenges contributing to the problem.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr Amankwah explained that the GNCRC established in 1996, is an umbrella of NGOs working for the rights and welfare of children, with members across the country.

He said the coalition has been mandated to also present a complimentary report accompanying the state report, adding that, “this is why we are following up to ensure that all parties render their resources to enable us to present a good report”.

According to him, the coalition has been assured that the report is at the draft stage and will soon be ready for submission

Mr. Sidikou Moussa, President of the Union of West Africa Coalitions for Children (UWAC) described UWAC as a platform, which brings together 15 West African countries working on child protection and on the promotion of their rights.

He said, among its missions, is to serve as an interface between the national coalitions, such as the GNCRC, as well as at regional and international level, by harmonizing their interventions and advocacy work.

Mr. Moussa said out of the 54 African countries, 47 had ratified the African Charter, adding that, all the West African countries have ratified their reports.

He said unfortunately, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Benin, Gambia and Cape Verde were among the six West African countries, who have failed to submit their reports, as such, the UWAC wants to advocate in all these countries with the ministries in-charge of Gender, Families and Children as to why after the ratification, the reports have not been submitted.

The President said the submission of the report will enable the African Committee to identify the reality about issues concerning children in the country.

He said Ghana has up to the end of the 2015 deadline to submit its report, saying that, “Am happy that Ghana has already drafted a report, which includes 2005 to 2010, and even 2013”.

He tasked the media to be involved in the advocacy, to help activists, the CRC Forum, UWAC and the Committee of Experts, to urge decision makers to submit the report on time.

Miss Sikidou Aissatou, Member of African Experts for Welfare and Rights of Children, said the committee was established by the African Union, and one of its mandates is to follow up and monitor the African Charter on the rights and welfare of children.

She said the African Committee launched a campaign in January, which wants universal ratification for the African Charter and also a universal submission of initial and periodic reports from state parties.

She said if the six member countries fail to submit the report before the deadline, the committee will give full mandate to civil societies (national coalitions) to submit their reports, which will be used as a national report to analyse the rights of children.