Achieving SDG Targets 8.7 & 8.8 Requires Integrated Approach – Stakeholders

Stakeholders in the child protection sector has called for a concerted and integrated approach to achieve targets 8.7 and 8.8 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which seeks to end all forms of child labour by 2025.

According to them, government and its partners requires a concerted and integrated approach towards eliminating child labour, promoting a culture of prevention and occupational safety and health (OSH) as well as to come out with sustainable measures to build on the progress made in past.

The call was made at a sustainability dialogue forum organised by International Cocoa Initiative (ICI), in- collaboration with the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations (MELR) in Accra.

The Sustainability Dialogue Forum which brought together: Non-Government Organisations (NGOs,) media, security agencies, COCOBOD, Ministry of Gender, Women and Children Protection, Civil Society Organisation (CSOs), International Labour Organisation (ILO), beneficially communities of ICI interventions, social partners and the Child Unit of MELR was amid at finding a common platform to harmonized efforts of individual Organisations

At the end of the forum, participants agreed that all drivers for sustainability must be led by the government so other stakeholders can follow suite.

Again, stakeholders have been tasked to include communities and local assemblies in the formation, planning and execution of projects and programmes for sustainability. It said issues of sustainability should be planned in such a way that communities and local assemblies can maintain the established structures for eliminating child labour with no or little donor assistance. 

“High involvement of beneficiary communities and local assemblies in child labour interventions is key to promote ownership and the willingness to sustain the progress made” It added.