Bolgatanga, May 7, GNA - The first Regional Consultative Workshop aimed at gathering inputs from stakeholders in the Upper East Region as part of preparations to develop a national project document on the elimination of the worst forms of child labour in the country has taken place in Bolgatanga.

Apart from the documentation, it will also identify partners in government and civil society who have clearly defined roles in child labour issues to sensitise them to take ownership of relevant policies and programmes.

The Child Labour Unit of the Labour Department in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO/IPEC) organized the workshop. In an address, the Head, Child Labour Unit of the Department, Miss Elizabeth Hagan said even though the government signed a memorandum of understanding with the ILO/IPEC in the year 2000 on the elimination of child labour, yet the practice appears to be increasing with the current incidence of child trafficking.

Miss Hagan said for this reason, the government is inviting ILO/IPEC's assistance to implement a Time-Bound Programme (TBP) to facilitate the elimination of child labour.

She said consultative workshops are being held in all the regions, adding that the outcome of the deliberations will be fed into a national plan of action.

Participants at the workshop identified child trafficking, child prostitution and hawking as the worst forms of child labour in the country.