Ghana will soon come out with a Social Policy Framework based on the African Union and designed to be a reference point for agencies and departments working in the areas of social protection. Dr Ellen Bortei-Doku Aryeetey, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) said the framework would also help to streamline social development programmes implementation in the country. Dr Aryeetey made this known at a consultative meeting of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) on the theme: "Enhancing the Participating of CSOs in the fight to reduce poverty among the poor and vulnerable people in Africa through the implementation of the AU Social Policy Framework," in Accra on Tuesday. The meeting organised by the African Platform for Social Protection (APSP) seeks to create a medium for CSOs to contribute to the implementation strategy of the AU Social Policy Framework. She noted that monitoring and evaluation of social protection in the country is weak and much is needed to be done to reverse the situation. Dr Aryeetey observed that there are so many social protection programmes in the country including informal social support, formal contributory insurance schemes and formal non- contributory assistance schemes among other things. "Social Protection is firmly entrenched in the development dialogue of the country," she added. Dr Tavengwa Nhongo, Social Protection Consultant, said the AU Social Framework had 19 thematic areas with recommendations for implementation by CSOs across Africa. The areas include population and development, labour and employment, social protection, health, education, agriculture, food and nutrition, culture, adolescents and youth, aging, disability, gender, equality and women's empowerment, urban development, good governance, anti-corruption and rule of law. He expressed the need for a mechanism to support the implementation strategies of the social policy framework for African countries. Dr Nhongo noted that the input of CSOs would be significant in the implementation strategies for the framework to take off. The APSP is a network of organisations operating at national and regional levels with a commitment to promote and strengthen the social contracts between the states and the citizenry. Source: GNA