VZCZCXYZ0001
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAR #0933 1981649
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 161649Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY ACCRA
TO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
INFO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6764

UNCLAS ACCRA 000933 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS PHUM, OVIP, PGOV, PREL, ELAB, GH, ILAB, IV 
SUBJECT: COCOA AND CHILD LABOR: TULANE CONSULTATIVE MEETING 
IN ACCRA 
 
REF: ACCRA 00154 
 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY. Tulane University hosted in Accra July 15 the 
second annual consultative meeting on its research into child 
labor in the cocoa sector. The meeting was attended by 
Government of Ghana officials, led by Deputy Minister of 
Manpower, Youth and Employment, Akosua Frema Osei-Opare and 
other involved in the cocoa-child labor issue. Associate 
Deputy Undersecretary of Labor Lawrence Casey led the USG 
representatives. Deputy Minister Frema called for 
collaboration in eliminating the worst forms of child labor 
in the industry. Meeting participants constructively 
critiqued the Tulane research, in contrast to the 2007 
meeting when Ghanaians expressed suspicion about the study 
and the need for Tulane's involvement. In a post-meeting 
discussion, The Deputy Minister requested an August retreat 
to explore ways to work together on both the study and the 
broader issue of remediation.  The Tulane Study is a 
by-product of the Harkin-Engel Protocol on eliminating the 
worst forms of child labor in the cocoa industry. 
 
¶2. (U). Deputy Minister of Manpower, Youth and Employment 
Akousa Frema Osei-Opare, who leads the GOG efforts to combat 
child labor, opened the meeting by saying she thought that 
the involved parties were about to reach a more collaborative 
phase in the Tulane study process. She noted that it was 
important to review Tulane's work and for participants to 
offer constructive suggestions to improve the quality of the 
study. Associate Deputy Undersecretary Casey praised Deputy 
Minister Frema's leadership on this issue, citing the 
progress that Ghana was making on the issue of child labor in 
cocoa. Dr. William Bertrand, project leader and director of 
Tulane's Payson Center for International Development, 
stressed that no conclusions were to be drawn from the study, 
which is still in progress. He suggested that a technical 
working group be formed, including Ghanaian representatives, 
to participate in the review and  analysis of the data. 
Participants engaged in constructive technical discussions 
about survey methodology, data collection and analysis. 
 
¶3. (U). Associate Deputy Undersecretary Casey and staffers 
from the Department of Labor, along with POLOFF, used the 
days prior to the Tulane session to meet with Deputy Minister 
Frema and Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, 
Professor G. Gyan-Baffour. Associate Deputy Casey shared a 
data set of Tulane's field research with Frema, responding to 
earlier Ghanaian criticism that data sharing was not timely. 
Casey also paid courtesy calls on Deputy Chief Executive of 
the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) Charles Ntim, Ghana Trades 
Union Congress leaders, and International Cocoa Initiative 
representatives to learn about progress in remediation of 
child labor. Casey emphasized in each meeting the need to 
support efforts in remediation of child labor. 
 
¶4. (U) On July 7 the Government unveiled its "Cocoa Labor 
Survey in Ghana" for 2007/2008. This report mirrors the 
Tulane study in scope and methodology. The GOG commissioned 
the survey as part of the implementation of its National 
Program for the Elimination of the Worst Frms of Child Labor 
in Cocoa. Both studies show similar trends regarding the role 
of children in the cocoa industry, The studies found, for 
example, that approximately 90% of children in the cocoa 
growing districts are attending school. (Note: The near 
simultaneous release of the reports allows for comparisons of 
methodology and preliminary findings, and to the extent that 
the research points to similar findings it will further help 
reduce Ghanaian suspicion of the Tulane process. End Note.) 
 
¶5. (SBU). COMMENT. Led by Deputy Minister Frema, the tone of 
this year's consultative meeting showed a willingness to 
approach the issue constructively and with less suspicion 
than last year. It is notable that Frema has asked for an 
additional meeting with Tulane and others involved in order 
to improve collaboration and to begin planning for further 
phases. As recently as January, during CODEL Engel, Frema had 
referred to the Tulane study as "policing." Casey's emphasis 
on remediation appeared to be welcomed by the Ghanaians he 
met with and added to the constructive nature of the 
consultative meeting. Post believes that the meeting 
requested by Deputy Minister Frema not only offers an 
opportunity to support Tulane's work, but also is shows a 
greater willingness by the Ghanaians to participate--and 
potentially try to influence-- the Tulane process. 
 
 
 
 
BROWN