Accra May 7, GNA - Mrs. Marilyn Amponsah-Annan, Acting Executive Secretary of the Ghana National Commission on Children (GNCC), on Friday said although efforts were being made to address challenges against children, most of them are still being abused.

She mentioned parental neglect, child trafficking, rape and defilement as some of the child abuse.

"Children are the future prospect of every nation therefore, efforts should be intensified to remove all bottlenecks militating against their future welfare", she added.

Mrs. Amponsah-Annan was addressing a day's Inter-Agency Workshop organised by the GNCC and sponsored by the Government in Accra. The 25 participants were drawn from the Women and Juvenile Unit (WAJU) of the Ghana Police Service, Department of Social Welfare, Department of Community Development and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).

The Workshop, under the theme: "An Inter-Agency Building Workshop with GNCC Partners", was to examine and discuss the provisions of the Children's ACT, that relate to child-care, maintenance and protection. The maiden workshop is to enable the participants share their knowledge, experiences and equip themselves with appropriate skills to enable them to become proactive in their activities towards protecting children.

Mrs Amponsah-Annan said important statutes and policies taken by Governments over the years to address the protection of children and facilitate their welfare was the enactment of the Children's ACT, 1998, ACT 560.

She said the ACT unequivocally stipulated Care and Protection for children, and further enjoined District Assemblies to design projects for the welfare of children.

Mrs. Amponsah-Annan said the participants had gallant roles to play in child care, maintenance, custody, protection and development.

She therefore, urged them to develop their capabilities and effectively pool their efforts together to change the challenging situations confronting them in their strides to develop child responsive society.