Accra, Oct. 21, GNA - Mrs Frema Osei-Opare, Deputy Minister of Manpower Development, Youth and Employment, on Tuesday said government had inaugurated District and Child Protection Committees in 13 cocoa growing districts and 110 communities to plan activities to eliminate worst forms of child labour.

Mrs Osei-Opare said a community-based child labour monitoring system had also been developed to ensure that child surveillance was performed, and that children attended school at all times. The Deputy Minister said this when she donated to Child Rights International (CRI), an NGO, 500 dollars which was her contribution towards the award from the World Cocoa Foundation and the National Confectioners Association of the United States in recognition Ghana's efforts at eliminating child labour from the cocoa sector. Mrs Osei-Opare said government, in partnership with other stakeholders had instituted several remedial activities in 11 districts to better the lot of the children in cocoa-growing areas. She noted that with the measures taken so far, government was on course to ensuring that life was made better for children in cocoa producing areas in the country.

Mrs Osei-Opare cautioned the media to be circumspect in their reportage on the practice to ensure that no misleading information was put out to tarnish the image of the country. Mr Bright Appiah, Executive Director of CRI, commended government for the measures it had adopted to eliminate child labour activities at cocoa growing areas.

He said the CRI had trained children in three districts on their rights issues and how they could protect their own rights and responsibilities in their communities. Mr Appiah called on all to respect the rights of children especially at the cocoa growing areas to ensure they realised their full potential in life.