National Partnership Forum to combat child labour in mining sector

The National Partners Forum (NPF) has been inaugurated to coordinate activities to combat child labour in the mining sector.

The forum is a high-level platform designed for stakehold­ers to convene, collaborate, and advocate for policy reforms and resource mobilisation in support of implementing the Child Labour Eradication Framework (CLEF) in Ghana.

The framework provides strat­egies and guidelines for eliminating child labour in the mining sector.

The Ghana Living Standards Survey Round 6 Child Labour Re­port estimates that about 5,677 chil­dren are working in artisanal gold mines in hazardous and sometimes life threatening conditions.

The NPF has representatives from organisations such as the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Minerals Commission, Ministry of Employment and La­bour Relations, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Environmental Protection Agen­cy, Ghana Chamber of Mines, Ministry of Education, Ghana Education Service, Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners, International Labour Organisation, Attorney General’s Office, and National House of Chiefs.

The Assistant Manager for Small-Scale and Industrial Min­ing at the Minerals Commission, Victor Atsu Amekor, emphasised the importance of a collaborative approach to eradicate child labour.

“Minerals Commission believes that addressing the menace of child labour in the mining sector requires sustained and collaborative efforts from all stakeholders. As a result, the commission remains committed to providing stewardship towards promoting good corporate gover­nance that involves the interest of all actors, strengthening institu­tional and community capacity for the eradication of child labour in mining,” Mr Victor stated.

The Acting Country Repre­sentative, Eric Amoako Agyare, of Solidaridad Ghana, said the formation of the NPF was a key recommendation from the CLEF, explaining that CLEF indicated that eliminating the worst forms of child labour in the mining sector required a collaborative approach to ensure that all efforts aligned to­wards a common goal and to learn from various initiatives.

He emphasised that the lack of strategic linkages among partner­ships addressing child labour in mining led to fragmentation and limits the potential for scaling up efforts.

Mr Agyare noted that the formation of the NPF would help improve efficiency in service delivery, enhance the quality of in­terventions, and reduce duplication of efforts.

He said the programme was under the RECLAIM Sustainabil­ity programme, being funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands and implemented by Solidaridad West Africa and TrustAfrica in Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire and Sierra Leone.

The Programme Manager for Gold Programmes at Solidaridad, Rosemary Addico, described the es­tablishment of the forum as pivotal to Solidaridad’s mission.

“Child labour not only robs children of their right to educa­tion and a safe childhood but also perpetuates cycles of poverty and exploitation within mining com­munities. At Solidaridad, we are committed to promoting respon­sible mining practices that are free from child labour, and this forum will play a vital role in bringing together stakeholders to address these critical issues collaboratively,” she indicated.

BY KINGSLEY ASARE

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