Koforidua, Aug 12, GNA - The Director of the Department of Children of the Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs (MOWAC), Ms Mariama Yayah, has stressed the need for all stakeholders in the protection of children's right to step up their mandates to ensure the fulfilment of the United Nations on Children's charter.

She said the rights and protection of children as stipulated by the conventions of the UN called on all stakeholders in education, health and the law enforcement agencies to live up to their mandates and responsibilities.

Speaking at a regional stakeholders consultation workshop for compilation of Ghana's report to the UN on the state of children in Ghana in Koforidua on Thursday, she said issues of children's rights and protection were multi-faceted that one department could not guarantee the protection of their rights.

According to the Director, MOWAC was a coordinating body of all the stakeholders, including education, health, media, police and other relevant institutions to ensure that those institutions adhered to the laws and conventions regarding the rights of the child.

She said the stakeholder workshop in all the regions was to solicit for inputs in compiling a national report to the UN since Ghana had ratified the convention on children.

Madam Yayah admitted that although the right and protection of children seemed not to be the best, there had been headway since many children now know their rights and had been involved in many forums and seminars that involved them.

She called on the National Media Commission to help protect the privacy of children who are in conflict with the law since it formed part of their rights and protection.

Mrs Florence Ayisi Annor, a researcher with the MOWAC, said t child labour and its attendant risk of children selling under harsh conditions on the streets still prevailed.

She called for more collaboration between state agencies and communities in protecting the rights of children including that of education since many children of school going age still roamed about during school hours.