Day of the African Child - Côte d’Ivoire takes action against child traffickingAbidjan, 16 June, 2007 – UNICEF calls for Western and Central African governments to respect their commitments to eradicate child trafficking in the region. The appeal was launched on the Day of the African Child, which this year focuses on condemning trafficking. At the Abuja Conference in July 2006, all West and Central African governments agreed to work together closely to fight against child and woman trafficking, both within and across their borders. Thus, at the initiative of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), a common Action Plan and a Multilateral Agreement against trafficking were validated and signed by 26 countries. This interregional cooperation is essential in the fight against a phenomenon of which the main causes include poverty. “Child trafficking is one of the most serious violations of human rights in the world and there is not one country in Western and Central Africa which can deny the problem”, says Youssouf Oomar, UNICEF’s Representative in Côte d’Ivoire. “I strongly recommend that the Government and all partners engaged in this fight push forward to ensure that the promises and commitments called for in Abuja are fully respected.” It is difficult to provide precise figures to illustrate the scope of the phenomenon, precisely because trafficking is illegal and operates in the underground. According to International Labor Organization (ILO) 2003 figures, 32 % of the 1,200,000 children trafficked worldwide are African. According to a 2005 ILO study, 2100 child workers in the informal sector in Abidjan, excluding those performing household tasks, are victims of child trafficking. From December 2006 to June 2007, more than 100 trafficked children were intercepted by Ivorian security forces and received assistance from the Social Protection Directorate with the support of UNICEF. Côte d’Ivoire is one of the main host countries for trafficked children in West Africa. Every day children are recruited, transported, transferred, harbored or taken into custody for future exploitation. These children are from Ghana, Togo, Benin, Mali and other countries in the sub-region, who have been brought to Côte d’Ivoire to be exploited; there are also many children who have been transferred from one region to another inside the country. These children are used as household servants, agricultural workers or in the informal sector. They suffer from extreme work conditions, are frequently violated and are obliged to live far from their families and communities. Generally they belong to the poorest and most vulnerable social strata. Since Abuja, countries such as Chad and Togo have adopted the Interregional Action Plan to their national context and Côte d’Ivoire and Gabon have taken measures to adapt internationally recognized standards for the care and protection of children. Awareness raising campaigns have been organized in countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, where trafficking had never been addressed before. “We appreciate the progress and UNICEF will continue to support governments and civil society organizations in this fight”, says Ms Guluma, Regional Director of UNICEF for West and Central Africa, “But we must recognize that much remains to be done in order to ensure that we fully implement the promises made in Abuja. We need to make a difference for women and children who are at risk of becoming victims of trafficking on our continent.” Violence and exploitation threaten the development of our children. In Côte d’Ivoire, the Ministry of Family, Women and Social Affairs, UNICEF and their partners work hand in hand with communities to eradicate child trafficking. Preoccupied by this serious violation of children’s rights, UNICEF supports Côte d’Ivoire in its fight against child trafficking. Côte d’Ivoire has ratified several international agreements intended to defend children against trafficking. UNICEF launches an appeal to Ivorian Armed Forces (Forces de Sécurité), transport companies, civil society organizations and communities to increase their vigilance. In order to efficiently counter what must be considered as a plague, all actors must consistently work together. UNICEF has also asked government authorities, international organizations and national and international NGOs, the national and international press and civil society organizations to take common action against child trafficking and for the respect and enforcement of children’s rights. Orange Côte d’Ivoire Télécom Foundation has already pledged its support. On Thursday and Friday June 14 and 15, a text message will be sent to the majority of pre-paid customers and on Saturday June 16, Day of the African Child, 25,000 post-paid customers will receive the same message. It reads: “The future of our country lies with our children. Let us fight against child trafficking. Let us help them, let us protect them.” “Together let us fight against child trafficking and build a world fit for children.” ### The Day of the African Child is celebrated on June 16 in recognition of the day when, in 1976, thousands of black school children in Soweto, South Africa, took to the streets to protest the inferior quality of their education and to demand their right to be taught in their own language. Hundreds of young boys and girls were shot; and in the two weeks of protest that followed, more than 100 people were killed and more than 1,000 were injured. About UNICEF
Chrystel Trazié-Menan, Communication Assistant, UNICEF Côte d’Ivoire.
|
