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RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHAR #0132/01 0440948
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 130948Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY ACCRA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8883
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 06 ACCRA 000132 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DOL/ILAB FOR LEYLA STROTKAMP, RACHEL RIGBY AND TINA MCCARTER 
STATE FOR DRL/ILCSR (SARAH MORGAN) AND G/TIP (LUIS CDEBACA) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM ELAB EIND ETRD KTIP GH
SUBJECT: GHANA: INFORMATION ON CHILD LABOR AND FORCED LABOR 
 
¶1. Per reftel instructions, Post submits the following information 
on forced labor and exploitive child labor in the production of 
goods, as well as current information on the elimination of the 
worst forms of child labor (WFCL) in Ghana. POC for this report is 
Raymond Stephens (StephensRW@state.gov). 
 
--------------- 
Tasking 1/TVPRA 
--------------- 
 
Post has no new information to report. Post is unaware of any 
additional goods that need to be included on the TVPRA list. 
 
------------- 
Tasking 2/TDA 
------------- 
 
2A)  Prevalence/Sectoral Distribution of Exploitive Child Labor 
------------------------------------- 
¶1. Children in Ghana are reported to be involved in exploitive labor 
in the sectors of street vending, prostitution, kayayei (head 
porters), trokosi (cultural practice of ritual servitude), and 
street begging. 
 
¶2. The GOG published the Weighted Data on Cocoa Labor Survey in 
Ghana (Scale-up survey from 2007/2008). 
 
------------------------ 
2B) Laws and Regulations 
------------------------ 
 
¶1. There were no new laws or regulations enacted with regard to 
exploitive child labor in 2009. 
 
¶2. Based on the standards provided in reftel instructions, Ghana's 
legal and regulatory framework is adequate for addressing exploitive 
child labor. It is important to note, however, that the penalties 
for violating child labor laws will deter some but not all 
violations, since the underlying causes of child labor, especially 
poverty, continue to exist. Moreover, the government's capacity to 
enforce child labor laws is generally limited in Ghana. Because many 
children work for relatives, their work is frequently not seen as 
criminal but rather an attempt to contribute to family income. 
 
-------------------------------------- 
2C) Section I: Hazardous Child Labor & 
Section II: Forced Child Labor 
--------------------------------------- 
Note: The answers to questions about hazardous child labor apply 
equally to forced child labor. 
 
¶1. Three sectors within The Ministry of Employment and Social 
Welfare (MESW), formerly the Ministry of Manpower Youth and 
Employment, are responsible for enforcing child labor laws: the 
Labor Department; the Department of Social Welfare; and the National 
Program for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labor in 
Cocoa (NPECLC). 
The Human Trafficking Unit of the Ministry of Women's and Children's 
Affairs (MOWAC) also enforces child labor laws. The Human 
Trafficking Unit of the Ghana Police Service (GPS) works closely 
with other sectors of the GPS such as the Domestic Violence and 
Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU). Furthermore, local labor officers and 
social services subcommittees are responsible for conducting 
workplace inspections and for investigating allegations of 
violations in the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies. 
¶2. A multi-sectoral National Steering Committee (NSC) on Child Labor 
was founded in 2000. The Child Labor Unit serves as its secretariat 
and meets three times a year to share information. The NSC is 
supported by eight subcommittees that cover technical issues, 
policy, education and social mobilization, education and skills 
training, cocoa, mining and quarrying, fisheries, and other child 
labor sectors. 
 
Cocoa subcommittees of the NSC, chaired by the Ghana Cocoa Board 
(COCOBOD), meet regularly to share information relating to hazardous 
and forced child labor in the cocoa sector. The subcommittee met ten 
times in 2009. Furthermore, a National Partners Forum was founded in 
2007 for the effective coordination of interventions towards the 
elimination of child labor. It meets three times a year. At the 
District Level, Child Protection/Labor Committees have been 
established in 93 cocoa producing districts under NPECLC to 
coordinate and share information on child labor interventions in 
their respective districts. 
 
¶3. According to the MESW, the GOG did not receive any complaints of 
hazardous or forced child labor violations in 2009. 
 
¶4. While the government funded salaries for 85 inspectors and some 
basic office functions, the GOG was unable to provide an exact 
 
ACCRA 00000132  002 OF 006 
 
 
budget. Inspectors complain that they lack sufficient office 
facilities, transportation, fuel and other necessities to carry out 
inspections. 
 
¶5. There are currently 85 dedicated labor inspectors in Ghana. The 
government had plans to recruit additional inspectors; however, no 
new inspectors were hired in 2009. According to the Child Labor Unit 
of MESW, District Child Protection/Labor Committees have been 
established in 655 child-labor-endemic communities within 60 
districts in Ghana. The purpose of these committees is to monitor, 
prevent and withdraw children from the WFCL in the cocoa and other 
sectors. 
 
¶6. The government conducted 86 inspections. According to the MESW, 
Community Child Protection Committees (CPC) performed daily 
monitoring in 415 cocoa growing communities. 
 
¶7. The GOG collaborated with International Labor Organization (ILO) 
on a 4-year USD 4.75 million DOL-funded Project of Support to the 
Ghana Timebound Program. Upon its completion in 2009, 6,094 children 
had been withdrawn from WFCL, 10,017 children were prevented from 
entering WFCL, and 11,079 children were enrolled in formal schools 
and vocational training institutions. In addition, the MESW states 
that there are currently 6,300 children being supported in public 
schools to keep them from engaging in WFCL. 
 
¶8. None 
 
¶9. N/A 
 
¶10. N/A 
 
¶11. N/A 
 
¶12. N/A 
 
¶13. N/A 
 
¶14. International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) and Future Resources 
Development (FURDEV) organized training programs for police, 
prosecutors, Judges of the Appeals Court and the High Court, 
Magistrates of the Circuit Courts, and Judiciary staffs of some 
regions.  Seventy-two people were trained in 2009. 
 
According to the MESW, 400 Labor Officers, traditional leaders, and 
Social Welfare Officers received training on child labor and 
existing child protection laws. The training taught the districts 
and communities how to recognize and combat the WFCL in the cocoa 
sector. In districts where training occurred, there was a noted 
increase in school enrollments and attendance. Furthermore, due to 
the increased knowledge base on child labor issues, there is more 
regular community-based child surveillance as well as the 
establishment of community rules to fight child trafficking. 
 
Impact of the training includes the following: 
 
-- Institution of district and community structures to combat the 
worst forms of child labor in the cocoa sector. 
--Increased school attendance and enrollment 
--Continuous monitoring of children 
--Increased knowledge-base on child labor issues 
--Attitudinal change of community members through sensitization 
--Establishment of community rules to fight child trafficking 
 
-------------------------------- 
2D) Section I: Child Trafficking 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶1. Several agencies are dedicated to the enforcement of trafficking. 
The government has a Human Trafficking Secretariat within MOWAC, 
which is responsible for coordinating human trafficking issues in 
Ghana. It oversees policy formation, police review, implementation, 
advocacy, monitoring and evaluation of trafficking cases. The 
Secretariat also is responsible for ensuring proper data collection 
and conducts research into trafficking issues and activities. 
 
On August 25, President John Atta Mills appointed members to the 
Human Trafficking Management Board (HTMB) because the previous board 
was disbanded when Mills' predecessor left office. The HTMB is an 
inter-sectoral board chaired by the Minister for Women and 
Children's Affairs and is comprised of police, immigration 
officials, health and education ministries and NGOs. In addition, 
the GOG asked representatives from the International Organization 
for Migration (IOM) and UNICEF to sit on the Board as official 
observers. The Board advises the Minister on trafficking policy and 
promotes strategies to prevent trafficking and the rehabilitation 
and re-integration of trafficking victims. 
 
The Ghana Police Service (GPS) maintains an Anti-Human Trafficking 
 
ACCRA 00000132  003 OF 006 
 
 
Unit (AHTU) in the Criminal Investigation Division (CID). In 2009 
the government established regional Anti-Human Trafficking Units in 
the Western, Central, and Ashanti Regions to manage cases more 
effectively at the regional and district levels. In November, the 
GPS opened the first anti-trafficking unit in Takoradi outside of 
the capital. In December, the GPS opened the anti-trafficking unit 
in Kumasi, Ghana's second largest city. The Cape Coast 
anti-trafficking unit opened on January 20, 2010. 
 
As part of the International Cocoa Initiative's (ICI) 
community-based approach, Community Child Protection Committees 
(CCPCs), traditional rulers, and children were educated on child 
trafficking to enable them to identify trafficked children that 
appeared in their communities.  They report any observations to the 
District Department of Social Welfare which collaborates with the 
police for a thorough investigation. 
 
¶2. Exact figures are not available; however, the AHTU receives 
substantial funding from IOM and UNICEF. According to Police 
sources, resources are not sufficient. Investigators depend on 
police motor pool for transportation. 
 
¶3. In 2009, the AHTU created a website, www.ahtu.org, to promote 
trafficking awareness. The AHTU also maintains a hotline with three 
telephone lines for reporting trafficking violations but does not 
maintain records about the number of calls received. 
 
¶4. AHTU opened 21 investigations into cases of potential 
child-trafficking. 
 
¶5. AHTU rescued 124 children, 20 of whom were returned to their home 
country. 
 
¶6. Ghana Police made 21 arrests. 
 
¶7. The cases are on-going. 
 
¶8. Six people were convicted of trafficking. Another six cases are 
pending in court. 
 
¶9. The minimum sentence is five years. 
 
¶10. According to AHTU, actual time served ranges from 6 to 17 
years. 
 
¶11. According to AHTU, the average length of time taken to resolve a 
trafficking case is three months. 
 
¶12. INTERPOL, the ILO, IOM, and UNICEF conducted extensive training 
for law enforcement personnel. In addition, district level officials 
received training that resulted in the implementation of district 
and community structures to combat the worst forms of child labor 
and to detect incidents of child trafficking.  The training also led 
to the establishment of community rules to fight child labor and 
child trafficking. 
 
¶13. Ghana did not experience armed conflict involving the use of 
child soldiers. 
 
----------------------------------------- 
2D) Section II: Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶1. The commercial sexual exploitation of children has been 
identified by the government as one of the sectors to be addressed 
under the National Plan of Action (NPA) for the elimination of all 
forms of child labor in Ghana. The Department of Social Welfare, 
under the direction of the MESW, is responsible for eliminating the 
commercial sexual exploitation of children. The Domestic Violence 
Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU), a division of the GPS, is also 
responsible for this sector. However, DOVVSU does not compile 
statistics specifically about the commercial sexual exploitation of 
children and the use of children in illicit activities. All records 
are for the population at-large. 
 
The only statistic maintained by DOVVSU that encompasses children is 
defilement. In the first nine months of 2009, DOVVSU reported 858 
cases of defilement. 
 
---------------------------------------- 
2D) Section 3: Use of Children in Illicit Activities 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶1. Post has no specific information about the use of children in 
illicit activities 
 
------------------------------------- 
2E) Government Policies on Child Labor 
------------------------------------- 
 
ACCRA 00000132  004 OF 006 
 
 
 
¶1. Child Labor interventions were based on Part Five of the 
Children's Act (Act 560, 1998). In 2009, the government developed a 
National Plan of Action to Eliminate the WFCL in eight sectors 
including agriculture (including cocoa), fishing, and mining by 
¶2015. 
 
Some components of the NPA such as the National Program for the 
Elimination of the WFCL in Cocoa have been implemented. The key 
components to be addressed under the NPA include the following: 
 
--Enforcement of laws; 
--Broad-based sensitisation and mobilisation to promote attitudinal 
and behavioural change; 
--Protection of children's rights; 
--Pursuit of universal basic education and generalisation of 
post-basic education; 
--Withdrawal of children below 18 from the WFCL and protection of 
working children aged above 15 from exploitation and hazardous 
work; 
--Establishment of standard procedures and protocols for dealing 
with cases of child abuse and exploitation; 
--Development of institutional capacities at all levels to ensure 
the effective application of established procedures and protocols; 
and 
--Extension of social protection measures to provide safety nets for 
the most vulnerable households and children. 
 
¶2. Ghana incorporated child labor in the Ghana Poverty Reduction 
Strategy (GPRS) I, GPRS II, and Medium Term Development planning 
(MTEP). The aim of the policy is to accelerate the growth of the 
economy so that Ghana can achieve middle income status with a 
measurable planning period. 
 
The issue of exploitative child labor has influenced policies such 
as the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education, School Feeding 
Program, free uniforms policy, and free registration of needy 
children on the National Health Insurance Scheme. 
 
¶3. The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), a government agency within the 
Ministry of Finance, contributed the equivalent of USD $900,000 to 
eliminate the WFCL in cocoa. 
 
¶4. The GOG provided office space at the MESW for the implementation 
of the NPECLC. The government also provided office space, personnel, 
and office equipment at the Labor Department for the Child Labor 
Unit, Employment Information Branch, and Labor Inspectorate Unit. 
In addition, the government provided logistical support including 
computers and accessories, pen drives, motor-bikes and bicycles, to 
partner districts, NGOs, and communities. Finally, the government 
provided the commitment and leadership in the development and 
implementation of the plans with the support of some development 
partners. 
 
¶5. MESW is developing additional sector-specific programs using 
NPECLC as a model. In addition, more children are in school rather 
than working, and more people are aware of the dangers of child 
labor resulting in community and district actions against child 
labor.  Finally, the sensitization policies have led to an increase 
in media reports of child labor and trafficking. 
 
¶6. In August, President John Atta Mills appointed members to the 
Human Trafficking Management Board (HTMB) to replace the previous 
board that was disbanded when Mills' predecessor left office after 
the December 2008 election. It is an inter-sectoral board chaired by 
the Minister for Women and Children's Affairs and comprised of 
police, immigration officials, health and education ministries, and 
NGOs. In addition, the government has asked representatives from IOM 
and UNICEF to sit on the board as official observers. The Board 
advises the Minister on trafficking policy, and promotes strategies 
to prevent trafficking and the rehabilitation and re-integration of 
trafficking victims. 
 
¶7. The Ghanaian Parliament passed a bill to amend the definition of 
trafficking included in the 2005 Human Trafficking Act.  The 
amendment added the phrase "for the purpose of exploitation" to 
ensure that the Ghanaian definition of human trafficking is in 
accord with the definition in the Protocol of the United Nations 
Convention on Transnational Organized Crime. 
 
In addition, the amendment ensures that a person such as an 
employment agent who for a fee recruits others for work either 
within or outside the country does not commit an offense if that 
person offers incentives as an inducement for employment. 
Parliament recognized that the intention of the Act is not to make 
offenders out of persons doing legitimate business recruiting 
persons for normal employment. 
 
------------------------------------------- 
 
ACCRA 00000132  005 OF 006 
 
 
2F) Social Programs to Eliminate or Prevent Child Labor 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶1. Ghana implemented the NPECLC, which aims to eliminate the worst 
forms of child labor in the cocoa sector by 2011. NPECLC has the 
following seven strategic objectives: 
 
--Enhancement of the knowledge base about WFCL in cocoa 
--Strengthening of the legal framework for dealing with WFCL 
--Community mobilization for action against WFCL 
--Development and implementation of interventions to eliminate WFCL 
in cocoa 
--Promotion of universal basic education and human resource 
development 
--Development and implementation of interventions that reduce the 
need for child labor in cocoa 
--Development of institutional and technical capacities to address 
effectively child labor in the country. 
 
¶2. Child labor is specifically referred to in the Ghana Poverty 
Reduction Strategy that affects all public policy development. Child 
Labor has also been included in the National Social Protection 
Strategy and its flagship program the Livelihood Empowerment Against 
Poverty (LEAP) program. Child Labor is both a criteria and condition 
for the selection of districts and households to benefit from 
programs that include an increase in Capitation Grant from GH3.00 to 
GH4.50, distribution of free school uniforms, the School Feeding 
Program, and detaching children's registration under the National 
Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) from their parents' registration. 
 
¶3. COCOBOD contributed the equivalent of USD $900,000 to complement 
funding by donor partners and industry. In addition, in some cocoa 
growing districts, District Assemblies provided some funds 
(internally generated as well as from the consolidated fund) to 
activities to eliminate exploitative child labor. 
 
¶4. The GOG provided office space at the MESW for the NPECLC program 
and office equipment and accessories to districts and communities. 
 
In addition, all seven District Assemblies in cocoa growing 
districts supported interventions to eliminate exploitative child 
labor. The Assemblies accepted the community action plans as part of 
the district development plans. Some districts provided materials 
for to construct school buildings, teachers for newly-built schools, 
or other amenities determined by community members in their 
community action plans. 
¶5. The Government's activities have placed child labor on the 
national agenda with child labor mainstreamed into its development 
policy and programs. Society at large has been sensitized to 
understand the negative consequences of child labor, and society 
mobilized to take action against the problem 
 
School enrollment has increased as a result of the social programs 
to withdraw and mainstream children in school and the provision of 
certain social services including the Capitation Grants, School 
Feeding Program, and the distribution of free school uniforms and 
books. 
 
In particular, NPECLC is an on-going program that ended its third 
phase of implementation in 2009. 2009 was an active year for 
eliminating the worst forms of child labor, particularly in the 
cocoa sector. As recognized best practice dictates, effectively 
combating child labor takes considerable time and as programs become 
more effective, better information on incidence can result in an 
increase in cases being reported. The government has programs in 
place, which if supported and continued, should eventually result in 
a sustainable decline in overall numbers of children engaged in the 
WFCL in multiple sectors. Ghana is well placed to capitalize on the 
investments and progress made in 2009. 
 
Some of the key achievements in 2009 include the following: 
 
--Completion, submission and acceptance of weighting reporton the 
Cocoa Labor Survey in Ghana. This marks the end of the full cycle of 
cocoa certification. 
 
--Remediation activities covered 36 additional Districts and415 
communities. Thirteen more NGOs were recruited to implement 
interventions to eliminate WFCL. In order to build their capacities 
to implement interventions, Districts and NGOs received funds and 
logistical support from the government, including 46 motorbikes, 
1000 bicycles, computers and accessories. 
 
--Currently about 6300 children are supported with basicschool needs 
such as school uniforms, footwear, apprenticeship fees, tools and 
exercise books for the 2009/2010 academic year. 
 
--Disseminated findings of the scale-up survey in 47 cocoa 
districts. 
 
ACCRA 00000132  006 OF 006 
 
 
 
--Developed a Communication Strategy and plan to disseminate the 
Hazardous Child Labor Activity Framework (HAF) for cocoa production. 
 
 
--Briefing meeting on WFCL with traditional rulers of Ashanti 
Regional Houses of Chiefs 
 
--Sensitized two strategic stakeholders - Metropolitan, Municipal 
and District Chief Executives(MMDCEs) from 47 cocoa growing 
districts. The MMDCEs at the end of the sensitization exercise, 
having realized the adverse implications of Child Labor on the 
economy of Ghana and the future of our children, issued a communiqu 
to fight the WFCL, and pledged to commit part of their internally 
generated funds to implement interventions to eliminate this social 
menace. 
 
--Parliamentary Select Committee on Employment, SocialWelfare and 
State Enterprises. The Committee also after the sensitization 
exercise pledged to join the crusade to fight WFCL, and have since 
undertaken a familiarization visit of three Districts. 
 
-- Collaborations with Key Institutions: 
 
 -- Collaboration with 47 District Assemblies in the development and 
implementation of District Action Plans against Child Labor in 
Cocoa 
 
 -- Collaboration with Ghana Education Service (GES) to increase 
remediation activities. 
 
 --Collaboration with Cocoa Research Institute to introduce labor 
saving techniques for cocoa farmers. 
 
 --Capacity building for 480 District Actors (DistriCT Assemblies, 
traditional authorities, law enforcement agencies and media). 
Provided 50 computers with accessories to District Assemblies and 
Departments. 
 
 -- Development of a Facilitator Manual on best practicesin 
remediation to improve upon coordination of various interventions at 
the community level. 
 
 -- Development of Community-based Child Labor Monitoring Systems in 
about 500 Cocoa growing districts. 
 
 --Development of draft Report on Rapid Assessment on Child 
Trafficking in Cocoa growing districts. 
 
 -- Monitoring visits to all 47 Districts and MunicipalAssemblies. 
----------------------- 
2G) Continual Progress: 
----------------------- 
 
Ghana continues to make progress in combating exploitive child 
labor. The eradication of child labor is now a factor in many major 
government social policies. The government is striving to ensure 
children are in school rather than working and has developed 
strategies to make school attendance an economically viable choice 
for families.  The government is particularly committed to 
eliminating the worst forms of child labor, especially in the cocoa 
sector, having now extended the child labor monitoring system into 
approximately 500 districts with plans to increase this to 1000 
communities in 2010. Ghana has also increased the resources 
allocated to anti-trafficking efforts. By opening regional offices 
of the Anti-trafficking Unit, the police service now has a physical 
presence in areas that record high incidences of trafficking. 
 
In 2009, the number of arrests, prosecutions, and convictions 
increased. During the reporting year, Ghana opened investigations in 
21 child trafficking cases. According to the 2008 report, Ghana 
convicted only one person for trafficking, but three people were 
convicted in 2009 and six more cases are pending. The sentences 
given to the traffickers ranged from 6 to 17 years, often well above 
the mandatory five years. Ghana conducted 25 rescues of 124 
children, including one group of 43 children. The Anti-Trafficking 
Unit works closely with their counterparts in neighboring countries 
and repatriated 20 children.