Caption: Minister for Gender Children and Social Protection, Cynthia Morrison, with dancehall artiste, Stonebwoy with children of the Happy kids school at the conference.
UNICEF Special Advisor to the Director of Communications, Nicolas Pron, has called for the ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The optional protocol when ratified will ensure measures are put in place to end the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.
“This would send a clear signal to all those engaged in such practices that this government has zero tolerance for such practices and the perpetrators will be brought to justice,” he said.
Mr. Pron made the call during the conference on the future of children in Ghana organised by UNICEF and the government of Ghana to mark the 30th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The conference begins a series of events, workshops and discussions about children and young people to mobilize all partners in assessing progress, identifying gaps and priority areas for accelerated efforts in the months and years to come.
Mr. Pron said the Ghanaian government has so far been persistent in providing more enabling environment for children, including encouraging parents to enroll their children into kindergarten at four years of age, launching the free SHS policy and mobilizing everyone in ending child abuse through its ‘Ghanaians Against Child Abuse Campaign.’
He however mentioned that many issues relating to child protection including child abuse, child labour and child marriages continue to impact negatively on children.
“Recent data has also revealed a decline in completion rates of primary school for boys and girls as well as exclusive breastfeeding rates. Sanitation continues to be an issue of concern, with nearly one in five people practising open defecation,” he added.
He said in order to see all children’s rights manifested, swift action must be taken to address these concerns. “In addition to the duty-bearers assuming their mantle of responsibility with enthusiasm, it is also important that right-holders and children seize hold of their opportunities,” he added.
In her remarks, the Minister for Gender Children and Social Protection, Cynthia Morrison, emphasised the need to prioritise the rights of children as a country.
UNICEF representative to Ghana, Anne-Claire Dufay, called on all to be champions of child’s rights in Ghana by providing a more equitable environment for children to develop to their full potential.
“Children and young people should also be given a chance to freely express their views so they can contribute to innovative solutions to some of the challenges,” she averred.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri