The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) says despite Ghana’s strong policies in putting an end to Child Labour in the country, one out of every ten children in the country is still engaged in the worst forms of labour.

According to Joseph Whittal, the Commissioner, the situation has worsened following the advent of the coronavirus and its attendant lockdowns and school closures.

This was disclosed by CHRAJ in a press release to mark this year’s World Day Against Child Labour.

It said a lot more need to be done despite June 12 being earmarked to resound the realities of child labour globally annually.

Speaking on the issue, Mr Whittal said, “the emergence of this global pandemic with the associated closure of schools and lockdowns, provoked a decline in the progress made in the fight against child labour. Child labour increased as most families were affected financially.”

The CHRAJ urged government to “tackle the root causes of Child Labour by implementing the NPA[National Plan of Action] objectives until the last child in Ghana is freed from child labour.”

The National Plan of Action was instituted in 2009 to help the government “take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking, and secure the prohibition of the worst forms of child labour, etc” as stipulated under Sustainable Development goal 8.

Areas of prime focus were mining, fishing and cocoa sectors.