According to the European Union (EU), the organization does not plan to enforce a ban on cocoa from Ghana because of child labour concerns.
According to the European Union, instead of a ban on Ghana’s commodity, it will rather work closely with the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), and other stakeholders to establish the best definition of child labour.
Head of the EU Delegation in Ghana, Ms Diana Acconcia, who called on the Council of State in Accra on Wednesday, said that the EU was open to further conversations on the subject.
In addition to being the world’s largest importer of cocoa, the EU alone accounts for more than half of all cocoa imports. To meet its goals of fighting climate change and eliminating child labour, the union has enlisted Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, the two leading producers of cocoa, to work together to halt deforestation and eliminate child labour on cocoa farms.
According to Ms Acconcia, who spoke on the COVID-19 pandemic, Ghana is a top priority country in which to benefit from the COVAX vaccine supply should the EU decide to provide the vaccine to other nations in need of it.
She added that the union was in the process of considering various approaches, and that when they completed their deliberation, a decision would be made about which countries to give the vaccine to, using the COVAX arrangement.
Ms Acconcia also used the opportunity to commend government of Ghana for the effort in managing the pandemic, while recognizing Ghana’s democratic credentials on the continent hence tasking the country to take the lead in assisting in the crisis in the sub-region.
