COCOBOD pledges support for initiative to eliminate child labour

Ghana Cocoa Board will continue to support initiatives aimed at eliminating the worst forms of child labour and forced adult labour in cocoa, COCOBOD Chief Executive Mr Tony Fofie, said on Tuesday.

Speaking at a Cocoa Verification Board meeting in Accra to consider the country reports of Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire, Mr Fofie said the contribution of cocoa to the economy, especially in revenue generation and employment could not be underestimated.

“There is therefore the compelling reason to bring ideas, financial and human resources together to fight child labour in Ghana,” he said.

The International Cocoa Verification Board is a multi-stakeholder body that was convened by Verite in December 2007 to ensure that ratification efforts to evaluate the occurrence of child labour or forced adult labour in cocoa producing areas in Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana are independently verified.

Independent verifiers are appointed to analyze critique and report on the robustness of the national surveys undertaken by the governments of Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire and to identify and remediate the worst forms of child labor and forced adult labour in the cocoa sector.

Mr Fofie lauded the long-standing commitment of government in the issue of child labour elimination through the establishment of the National Programme for the Elimination of Worst Forms of Child Labour in Cocoa by 2011.

“We are encouraged by existing national laws, ratifications by Parliament of international protocols and conventions to improve on our programmes and action plans,” he said and pledged COCOBOD's continuous active role to sustain the fight to deal with all child labour issues.

GNA