Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ACCRA933
2008-07-16 16:49:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Accra
Cable title:  

COCOA AND CHILD LABOR: TULANE CONSULTATIVE MEETING

Tags:  PHUM OVIP PGOV PREL ELAB GH ILAB IV 
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VZCZCXYZ0001
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAR #0933 1981649
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 161649Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY ACCRA
TO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
INFO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6764
UNCLAS ACCRA 000933 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS PHUM, OVIP, PGOV, PREL, ELAB, GH, ILAB, IV
SUBJECT: COCOA AND CHILD LABOR: TULANE CONSULTATIVE MEETING
IN ACCRA

REF: ACCRA 00154

UNCLAS ACCRA 000933

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS PHUM, OVIP, PGOV, PREL, ELAB, GH, ILAB, IV
SUBJECT: COCOA AND CHILD LABOR: TULANE CONSULTATIVE MEETING
IN ACCRA

REF: ACCRA 00154


1. (U) SUMMARY. Tulane University hosted in Accra July 15 the
second annual consultative meeting on its research into child
labor in the cocoa sector. The meeting was attended by
Government of Ghana officials, led by Deputy Minister of
Manpower, Youth and Employment, Akosua Frema Osei-Opare and
other involved in the cocoa-child labor issue. Associate
Deputy Undersecretary of Labor Lawrence Casey led the USG
representatives. Deputy Minister Frema called for
collaboration in eliminating the worst forms of child labor
in the industry. Meeting participants constructively
critiqued the Tulane research, in contrast to the 2007
meeting when Ghanaians expressed suspicion about the study
and the need for Tulane's involvement. In a post-meeting
discussion, The Deputy Minister requested an August retreat
to explore ways to work together on both the study and the
broader issue of remediation. The Tulane Study is a
by-product of the Harkin-Engel Protocol on eliminating the
worst forms of child labor in the cocoa industry.


2. (U). Deputy Minister of Manpower, Youth and Employment
Akousa Frema Osei-Opare, who leads the GOG efforts to combat
child labor, opened the meeting by saying she thought that
the involved parties were about to reach a more collaborative
phase in the Tulane study process. She noted that it was
important to review Tulane's work and for participants to
offer constructive suggestions to improve the quality of the
study. Associate Deputy Undersecretary Casey praised Deputy
Minister Frema's leadership on this issue, citing the
progress that Ghana was making on the issue of child labor in
cocoa. Dr. William Bertrand, project leader and director of
Tulane's Payson Center for International Development,
stressed that no conclusions were to be drawn from the study,
which is still in progress. He suggested that a technical
working group be formed, including Ghanaian representatives,
to participate in the review and analysis of the data.
Participants engaged in constructive technical discussions
about survey methodology, data collection and analysis.


3. (U). Associate Deputy Undersecretary Casey and staffers
from the Department of Labor, along with POLOFF, used the
days prior to the Tulane session to meet with Deputy Minister
Frema and Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning,
Professor G. Gyan-Baffour. Associate Deputy Casey shared a
data set of Tulane's field research with Frema, responding to
earlier Ghanaian criticism that data sharing was not timely.
Casey also paid courtesy calls on Deputy Chief Executive of
the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) Charles Ntim, Ghana Trades
Union Congress leaders, and International Cocoa Initiative
representatives to learn about progress in remediation of
child labor. Casey emphasized in each meeting the need to
support efforts in remediation of child labor.


4. (U) On July 7 the Government unveiled its "Cocoa Labor
Survey in Ghana" for 2007/2008. This report mirrors the
Tulane study in scope and methodology. The GOG commissioned
the survey as part of the implementation of its National
Program for the Elimination of the Worst Frms of Child Labor
in Cocoa. Both studies show similar trends regarding the role
of children in the cocoa industry, The studies found, for
example, that approximately 90% of children in the cocoa
growing districts are attending school. (Note: The near
simultaneous release of the reports allows for comparisons of
methodology and preliminary findings, and to the extent that
the research points to similar findings it will further help
reduce Ghanaian suspicion of the Tulane process. End Note.)


5. (SBU). COMMENT. Led by Deputy Minister Frema, the tone of
this year's consultative meeting showed a willingness to
approach the issue constructively and with less suspicion
than last year. It is notable that Frema has asked for an
additional meeting with Tulane and others involved in order
to improve collaboration and to begin planning for further
phases. As recently as January, during CODEL Engel, Frema had
referred to the Tulane study as "policing." Casey's emphasis
on remediation appeared to be welcomed by the Ghanaians he
met with and added to the constructive nature of the
consultative meeting. Post believes that the meeting
requested by Deputy Minister Frema not only offers an
opportunity to support Tulane's work, but also is shows a
greater willingness by the Ghanaians to participate--and
potentially try to influence-- the Tulane process.




BROWN