Workshop to present the work plan-Côte d’Ivoire: Towards an accelerated elimination of child labor in Africa

Abidjan, December 13, 2023 - The ACCEL Africa 2 workshop was a collaborative setting, bringing together key stakeholders to shape the implementation of the project. The recommendations and discussions highlight the importance of community engagement, flexibility in the face of challenges, and the need for effective coordination to achieve the ambitious goals of the ACCEL Africa Phase 2 project. The road to work elimination of children in Africa is paved with concerted efforts, sharing of good practices, and innovative solutions.

The workshop to present the work plan of the ACCEL Africa 2 project, held in Abidjan on December 13, 2023, marked an important step in the implementation of phase 2 of the project ACCEL Africa, funded by the Netherlands. Rolled out over five years in six African countries, this project aims to eliminate child labour, focusing on the cocoa and gold supply chains in Ivory Coast. Phase 2 aligns with international strategic objectives, integrating the gender issue in a transversal manner. The workshop was organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO) to present the work plan and mobilize key stakeholders. This meeting constitutes a strategic milestone towards achieving the ambitious objectives of phase 2 and towards a future without child labour in Africa.

The ACCEL Africa Phase 2 project, built on the successes of phase 1, aims to strengthen the political, legal and institutional framework, develop innovative solutions to tackle the root causes of child labour, and strengthen partnerships and knowledge sharing. The workshop welcomed Thirty-five (35) participants from government structures, employers' organizations and workers' organizations who took part in this meeting. This activity collects contributions from national stakeholders.

The ACCEL Africa workshop, dedicated to Phase 2 of the project in Côte d'Ivoire, focused on information and engagement of national stakeholders. Its main objective was to present the provisional work plan for Phase 2 of the ACCEL Africa project while collecting contributions from stakeholders. The three specific objectives of the workshop included the presentation of the priority areas of Phase 2, the establishment of a collaborative work plan and obtaining a consensus on the next steps of implementation. This approach highlighted the importance of inclusive dialogue and effective coordination for the successful implementation of the ACCEL Africa Phase 2 project.
It was a question of sharing actions undertaken during phase 1, emphasizing the successes of the project including the promotion of health and safety at work, social protection, documentation of good practices, and information sharing initiatives. knowledge.

But we also note inadequacies, notably the dialogue and coordination framework, the insufficiency of steering committee meetings, and the impact of COVID-19 on the rapid deployment of activities in the field.

In terms of recommendations, we underline the need to strengthen community communication on CMU, to enlist all actors in the supply chain taking into account gender, to collaborate with government institutions to facilitate professional integration young people, and to increase periodic meetings of actors in the coordination framework.

Participants raised questions regarding the integration of the social regime for self-employed workers, from the point of view of the CNPS, the need to extend the project to the sub-prefecture of Mbatto, and the diversification of committee members to avoid repetitions.

KOFFI Agenor, National Project Coordinator presented the foundations of ACCEL Africa – II, emphasizing its anchoring in the national legal framework and its objective of accelerating the elimination of child labour. The project will focus on the intervention areas of M’Batto and Nawa (Grand-Zatry), with funding of 30 million US dollars in the six target countries.

The intervention zones include 42 communities, with multifunctional committees. Urgent needs have been identified, such as maternity wards and health infrastructure, as well as poor support for young people who have dropped out of school in their integration process.

Participants were divided into groups to work on the pillars of the ILO: employment & income, social protection, PDFT (principles of fundamental rights at work), social dialogue. The work focused on developing tools, raising awareness among supply chain actors, organizing workers, and building capacity.

The ACCEL Africa 2 workshop was a collaborative setting, bringing together key stakeholders to shape the implementation of the project. The recommendations and discussions highlight the importance of community engagement, flexibility in the face of challenges, and the need for effective coordination to achieve the ambitious goals of the ACCEL Africa Phase 2 project. The road to work elimination of children in Africa is paved with concerted efforts, sharing of good practices, and innovative solutions. Côte d'Ivoire, as a major participant, is positioned to play a central role in this transformative mission.