Government to review Children’s Act
Accra, Aug. 10, Ghanadot/GNA
– Government would review the 1998 Children’s Act (Act 560)
to assess the extent of its implementation and effectiveness
in order to chart a new course for the country’s children,
Mr Stephen Amoanor Kwao Minister of Employment and Social
Welfare, stated in Accra on Monday.
The Act was promulgated to reform and consolidate the law
relating to children, to provide for the rights of the
child, regulate child labour and apprenticeship, for
ancillary matters concerning children generally and to
provide for related matters.
Speaking at a four-day training workshop for District Child
Panel Members, Mr Kwao said the best interest of the child
should be paramount in any matter concerning a child.
The Child Panel is a non-judicial function by the District
Assemblies to mediate in criminal and civil matters, which
concern a child prescribed under the Act.
The membership of the Panel includes Chairman of the Social
Services Sub-Committee of a District Assembly, who shall be
the chairman; member of a women’s organisation; a
representative of the traditional council; and the district
social worker, who shall be the secretary.
The rest are a member of the Justice and Security
Sub-Committee of the District Assembly; and two other
citizens from the community of high moral character and
proven integrity, one of whom shall be an educationalist.
Mr Kwao tasked the Panel Members to ensure that the best
interest of the child was served as the primary
consideration by any court, person, institution or other
body in any matter concerned with a child.
“You are under obligation to ensure that no person
discriminates against a child on the grounds of gender,
race, age, religion, disability, health status, custom,
ethnic origin, rural or urban background, birth or other
status, socio–economic status or because the child is a
refugee,” he said.
He said the ruling National Democratic Congress’s position
on the child was non-negotiable, “as the child has a right
to name and nationality, right to grow up with parents,
parental duty and responsibility, right to parental property
and right to education and well-being”.
Other rights the child is entitled to are right social
activity, treatment of the disabled child, right of opinion,
protection from exploitative labour, protection from torture
and degrading treatment and right to refuse betrothal and
marriage.
He said the law also mandated the District Assembly to
protect the welfare and promote the rights of children
within its area of authority and ensure that within the
district, governmental agencies liaised with each other in
matters concerning children.
Mrs Margaret Kutuati, former Director of Department of
Social Welfare, who chaired the opening, commended the
government for initiating the process for the establishment
of the Child Panel System.
GNA
