Mr. Frank Kwame Busumtwi, Birim Central Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), has said the effective elimination of the worst forms of child labour required immediate and comprehensive action.
Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on "Child Labour in Cocoa" at his office in Akim Oda on Friday the MCE stated that every parent had the right and responsibilities whether imposed by law or otherwise towards his child.
Mr. Busumtwi explained that these included the duty to protect the child from neglect, discrimination, violence, abuse, exposure to physical and moral hazards and oppression.
He called for more programmes aimed at reducing the incidence of the Worst Forms of Child Labour (WFCL) in cocoa production processes to the barest minimum by 2011, while contributing to elimination of the WFCL in cocoa from all sectors in the medium to long term.
The MCE expressed optimism that, while addressing the needs of their families: "We have to take into account the importance of free basic education and the need to remove the children concerned from all such works".
"We also have to provide for their rehabilitation and social integration", he added.
Mr. Busumtwi considered the need to adopt new instruments for the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, as the main priority for national and international action.