Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ABIDJAN457
2009-07-27 06:31:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Abidjan
Cable title:
GOCI LAUNCHES REMEDIATION PROGRAM TO COMBAT CHILD
how-toVZCZCXRO6877 PP RUEHMA RUEHPA DE RUEHAB #0457 2080631 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 270631Z JUL 09 FM AMEMBASSY ABIDJAN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5284 INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC PRIORITY
UNCLAS ABIDJAN 000457
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ELAB ECON SOCI PGOV PREL IV
SUBJECT: GOCI LAUNCHES REMEDIATION PROGRAM TO COMBAT CHILD
LABOR IN THE COCOA SECTOR
REF: ABIDJAN 435
UNCLAS ABIDJAN 000457
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ELAB ECON SOCI PGOV PREL IV
SUBJECT: GOCI LAUNCHES REMEDIATION PROGRAM TO COMBAT CHILD
LABOR IN THE COCOA SECTOR
REF: ABIDJAN 435
1.(U) Summary: The Ivorian government launched its new
remediation program on July 22 in a ceremony that also
commemorated World Day Against Child Labor. The program will
target 31 cocoa-growing villages and is intended to help
change traditional practices by ensuring that each village
has a primary school, health clinic, and income generating
activities to supplement the income from cocoa. The Minister
for Civil Service and Labor announced that the government is
revising existing laws to strengthen the provisions dealing
with the worst forms of child labor and increase to 20 years
in prison the penalty that can be given to violators of the
law. End Summary
2. (U) Ambassador attended the GOCI's July 22 ceremony in
honor of World Child Labor Day at which a recently announced
remediation program (see ref A) designed to reduce child
labor in the cocoa sector was also launched. A brochure
distributed to attendees describes the remediation program as
consisting of 1) programs to sensitize parents to the dangers
associated with child labor and immediately end the
involvement of children in dangerous chores; 2) sensitization
of parents to the importance of education and sending
children to school; 3) supporting parents in the effort to
change traditional practices by providing schools, clinics
and incoming generating activities to supplement their income
from cocoa.
3. (U) Held under the auspices of the Prime Minister, the
ceremony was notable for the clear and repetitive message
delivered by government officials to the local population:
children must go to school and cannot be allowed to do
certain kinds of work. Speaking on behalf of the Prime
Minister, Minister of Family and Social Affairs Jeanne
Peuhmond reiterated the government's opposition to the misuse
of children for strenuous work, and reaffirmed the
government's determination to eradicate this phenomenon. She
told parents that the appropriate place for their children is
in school, not in the fields, and urged them to give their
children - especially girls - a chance to learn and succeed
in life. Hubert Oulaye, the Minister for Civil Service and
Labor hit the same themes and named all 31 villages that will
benefit from the government's remediation program. He
acknowledged that a weak legal framework in Cote d'Ivoire had
contributed to the abuse of an outdated and wholly
insufficient labor code, and said the government was in the
process of revising appropriate laws to outlaw the worst
forms of child labor and increase the penalty for violation
of this law to up to 20 years in jail. Mme. Peuhmond
reiterated this intent in her remarks. Oulaye admitted,
however, that even with a change in the law, Cote d'Ivoire
will be hard pressed to reach the goal of eliminating the
worst forms of child labor by 2016. He called on all
concerned (including interested donors) to contribute fully
to the effort.
4. (U) The ceremony was held in Adoua village in the Aboisso
region, one of the oldest cocoa-growing areas in the country.
The prefect, who also heads the village committee to combat
child labor, stated in his remarks that the villagers had
contributed to the dismantling of several trafficking
networks, repatriated 13 minor children (with help from
German aid agency GTZ); returned 38 Ivorian children to their
families, and documented 124 additional minor children as
regular workers. This was the result of numerous public
sensitization programs and seminars. The prefect joked about
the fact that he had been successful despite never having
learned to speak French properly because he spent his
childhood working in the cocoa fields -- but he called on
parents to accept that the world had changed.
5. (U) Comment: The ceremony was an impressive one in that
the government's message was clear and was delivered in a
manner that came across as both genuine and serious. Post
will seek to obtain the revised law that the Ministers
referred to and will keep Department posted on any major
developments on this front.
NESBITT
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ELAB ECON SOCI PGOV PREL IV
SUBJECT: GOCI LAUNCHES REMEDIATION PROGRAM TO COMBAT CHILD
LABOR IN THE COCOA SECTOR
REF: ABIDJAN 435
1.(U) Summary: The Ivorian government launched its new
remediation program on July 22 in a ceremony that also
commemorated World Day Against Child Labor. The program will
target 31 cocoa-growing villages and is intended to help
change traditional practices by ensuring that each village
has a primary school, health clinic, and income generating
activities to supplement the income from cocoa. The Minister
for Civil Service and Labor announced that the government is
revising existing laws to strengthen the provisions dealing
with the worst forms of child labor and increase to 20 years
in prison the penalty that can be given to violators of the
law. End Summary
2. (U) Ambassador attended the GOCI's July 22 ceremony in
honor of World Child Labor Day at which a recently announced
remediation program (see ref A) designed to reduce child
labor in the cocoa sector was also launched. A brochure
distributed to attendees describes the remediation program as
consisting of 1) programs to sensitize parents to the dangers
associated with child labor and immediately end the
involvement of children in dangerous chores; 2) sensitization
of parents to the importance of education and sending
children to school; 3) supporting parents in the effort to
change traditional practices by providing schools, clinics
and incoming generating activities to supplement their income
from cocoa.
3. (U) Held under the auspices of the Prime Minister, the
ceremony was notable for the clear and repetitive message
delivered by government officials to the local population:
children must go to school and cannot be allowed to do
certain kinds of work. Speaking on behalf of the Prime
Minister, Minister of Family and Social Affairs Jeanne
Peuhmond reiterated the government's opposition to the misuse
of children for strenuous work, and reaffirmed the
government's determination to eradicate this phenomenon. She
told parents that the appropriate place for their children is
in school, not in the fields, and urged them to give their
children - especially girls - a chance to learn and succeed
in life. Hubert Oulaye, the Minister for Civil Service and
Labor hit the same themes and named all 31 villages that will
benefit from the government's remediation program. He
acknowledged that a weak legal framework in Cote d'Ivoire had
contributed to the abuse of an outdated and wholly
insufficient labor code, and said the government was in the
process of revising appropriate laws to outlaw the worst
forms of child labor and increase the penalty for violation
of this law to up to 20 years in jail. Mme. Peuhmond
reiterated this intent in her remarks. Oulaye admitted,
however, that even with a change in the law, Cote d'Ivoire
will be hard pressed to reach the goal of eliminating the
worst forms of child labor by 2016. He called on all
concerned (including interested donors) to contribute fully
to the effort.
4. (U) The ceremony was held in Adoua village in the Aboisso
region, one of the oldest cocoa-growing areas in the country.
The prefect, who also heads the village committee to combat
child labor, stated in his remarks that the villagers had
contributed to the dismantling of several trafficking
networks, repatriated 13 minor children (with help from
German aid agency GTZ); returned 38 Ivorian children to their
families, and documented 124 additional minor children as
regular workers. This was the result of numerous public
sensitization programs and seminars. The prefect joked about
the fact that he had been successful despite never having
learned to speak French properly because he spent his
childhood working in the cocoa fields -- but he called on
parents to accept that the world had changed.
5. (U) Comment: The ceremony was an impressive one in that
the government's message was clear and was delivered in a
manner that came across as both genuine and serious. Post
will seek to obtain the revised law that the Ministers
referred to and will keep Department posted on any major
developments on this front.
NESBITT