Accra, June 26, GNA - The National Programme for the Elimination of Worst Forms of Child Labour in Cocoa (NPECLC) coordinated by the Ministry of Manpower, Youth and Employment has released two reports in relation to eliminating worst forms of child labour in cocoa. A press statement on Thursday said the two reports; the Cocoa Labour Survey in Ghana also called scale-up survey and the Hazardous Child Labour Activity Framework, (HAF) were reviewed at a separate key stakeholder meetings about three weeks ago.

It said the survey was conducted in the current 2007/2008 cocoa season as a scale up to a pilot survey conducted in 2006 covering 15 cocoa-growing administrative districts within the six cocoa-growing regions that accounted for 60%of cocoa production in Ghana. It said as part of a National Child Labour Activity Framework being developed for all sectors, HAF was also developed to clearly spell out hazardous conditions of cocoa related activities and determine which ones children should or not perform.

Over 1,700 households, 3,452 children aged between 5 and 17 and 1,391 adults were interviewed as well as 66 focus group discussions involving children and adults were conducted by a team of researchers drawn from the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness of the University of Ghana, Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana, Ghana Statistical Service, Employment Information Bureau, the University Ghana Medical School and Civil Society Organizations undertook the research which covered it said.

The survey examined specific economic and demographic information on the cocoa sector, child and adult working practices in addition to detailed description of legal frameworks and remediation activities to promote child welfare with analyses and recommendations to improve occupational health and family welfare within the cocoa communities in the country. It said the government was committed to eliminating worst forms of child labour in cocoa and other sectors as a sure means to achieve overall child development. The government commended COCOBOD for committing funds for the NPECLC to expand remediation activities to uncovered districts, the World Cocoa Foundation for supporting the survey and UNICEF and the Royal Danish Embassy for supporting remediation activities. Government also expressed appreciation to the support by district assemblies and civil society organizations working to ensure the practice is eliminated. 25 June, 08