Ghana Yet to Attain Set Goals on Rights of the Child

Though Ghana was the first to ratify the United Nation's convention on the rights of the child, it has not attained much in the goals set in the national action plan.

Mrs. Margaret Sackey, Executive Secretary, Ghana National Commission on Children (GNCC) briefing the press on the "situation analysis of children and women in Ghana 2000", cited lack of enforcement of the legislation to protect the child and harmful cultural practices as the main drawbacks.

The situation analysis is the latest research undertaken by GNCC and UNICEF on the condition of children nationwide.

The two institutions are calling on individual, companies, associations and organisations to form a national partnership in addressing issues affecting children.

The national partnership is to recognise its responsibilities as part of the society whose children are in crises.

Mrs Sackey said though some progress has been made 11 years after the world summit on children, the 27 goals set to improve the lives of children around the globe have not been met.

She called for advocacy, private sector participation and the enforcement of legislation by the district assemblies and the law enforcement agencies to enable the country achieve its goals.

"Private sector participation is very essential in joining hands with government to ensure that the rights of the child are fully implemented," she said.

Mrs. Sackey mentioned reduction in infant mortality, increased access to safe drinking water, immunisation, and breast-feeding as some of the progress made.

"In 1998 less than one per cent of mothers did exclusive breast-feeding but currently 97 per cent of all children are breast-fed during infancy," she said.

Mrs Sackey said the low quality of education and the high drop-out of girls in school, coupled with the high incidence of HIV /AIDS and the re-emergence of polio and guinea worm are some of the challenges facing the country in its attainment of the set goals.

Mr Stuart Sutton-Jones, UNICEF Consultant said any government acting alone could fundamentally change the threatening situation of children, adding " society as a whole needs to be involved to address these issues."

To address this, he said, the UN secretary General Kofi Annan is convening a UN special session on Children, from September 19 to 21 in New York.

"All heads of state and government have been invited as well as non-governmental organisations, civil society and children.

"Mr Carol Bellamy, Executive Director of UNICEF has personally invited President Kufuor to attend the event, "he said.

Dr Ramesh Shrestha, UNICEF Representative said the situation of children and women has not changed much since the last ten years not only in Ghana but the world over.

He said the problem has mainly been lack of commitment on the part of political leaders adding, "Leaders have to provide the basic needs of children which they have failed to do."

Dr. Shrestha said there is the need to mobilise forces to think and talk about children, forge relationships with NGOs to promote the concept of global movements initiated by Nelson Mandela and his wife Graca Machel.

"If we all do our part, by directly helping the children the world would be a different place for them," he said