Cabinet has granted approval for memoranda on children for the Ministry of Gender Children and Social Protection as follows:

1.     Ratification of The 1993 Hague Convention on Inter-Country Adoptions

2.     Amendment of the Children’s Act

3.     Approval of Child And Family Welfare Policy and

4.     Approval for the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography to be Laid Before Parliament for Ratification

The ratification of the 1993 Hague Convention on inter-country adoption, will enable Ghana to better comply with the provisions on alternative care as provided for in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and thereby better protect the best interest of the child. It will also provide an opportunity for Ghana to regulate its laws on inter-country adoptions.

Cabinet’s approval for ratification of the Convention will enable Government to create a Central Authority for Adoption in Ghana to be responsible for the processing of all inter-country adoptions. Furthermore, Ghana’s accession to the 1993 Hague Convention on Inter-country Adoption, will make monitoring of children placed in inter-country adoption effective.

Ghana’s accession to the 1993 Hague Convention on inter-country adoption requires that the Children’s Act be amended. For this reason, Cabinet has approved a request from the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection to amend the Children’s Act.

The Child and Family Welfare Policy approved by Cabinet, seeks to establish a well-structured and coordinated Child and Family Welfare system that promotes the wellbeing of children, prevents abuse and protects children from harm. The overall goal of the Policy is to help formulate child and family welfare programmes and activities to more effectively prevent and protect children from all forms of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation.  The Policy is guided by national and internationally-recognized principles, as well as values, beliefs and practices specific to Ghana.

The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography has been approved to be laid before Parliament for ratification. The Optional Protocol criminalises the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.  The Optional Protocol, seeks to reinforce the protection of the rights of the child and thus guarantee such rights as relate to sexual and economic exploitation and from doing any work that will interfere with the child’s education or harmful to the health, moral or social development of child.

HON. NANA OYE LITHUR

MINISTER OF GENDER, CHILDREN AND SOCIAL PROTECTION