The International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) organised a 3-day training workshop for selected staff of the Minerals Commission of Ghana as part of the project, “Tackling Child and Forced Labour in Ghanaian Cocoa and Gold Mining”, funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad).
The Minerals Commission of Ghana is a key governmental body responsible for formulating and overseeing mineral sector policies and ensuring their effective implementation. Established under the Minerals Commission Law, it plays a pivotal role in regulating and managing the use of Ghana's mineral resources.
The training, which took place in Kumasi early March was designed to enhance the capacity of the Minerals Commission, to deepen their understanding of the concepts of child labour and forced labour, as well as ways to address them. One of the project's main goals is to enhance the capacity of public sector institutions and local authorities to identify, prevent, and combat child labour and forced labour. This involves strengthening the capabilities of social protection service providers and supply chain actors at the national level to implement best practices aimed at eradicating these harmful practices.
The training aimed to equip Minerals Commission officers with the necessary skills to raise awareness and safeguard the human rights of children and individuals subjected to child labour and forced labour within mining communities. The topics covered included the definitions of child labour and forced labour, child rights and responsibilities, parental duties, acceptable forms of child work, relevant laws and conventions related to child labour and forced labour, as well as risk mitigation strategies and grievance mechanisms.
Monalynn Anokye-Bempah, Head of Gender and International Affairs of the Minerals Commission of Ghana, noted that the training was excellent, because it delved into the practical concepts of child labour and forced labour specifically in the mining sector.
Asare Francis, a District Minerals Commission officer from Wa, emphasised the importance of regular training sessions to serve as refreshers and empower officers to act as ambassadors in sensitising mining communities about child labour and forced labour. He also highlighted the challenge of identifying forced labour and the need for better understanding in this area.