The Parliamentary Select Committee on Human Rights has committed to exercising its oversight responsibility to ensure that a proposed District Anti-Trafficking and Child Labour Fund is protected and used solely for its intended purpose.
The commitment followed a proposal presented by the Iustum Center for Democracy and Governance (ICEDEG Africa), a democracy, governance and public policy think tank, during the plenary session of this year’s National Justice Conference held in Accra.
Chairman of the Committee and Member of Parliament for Kumawu, Ernest Yaw Anim, assured participants that should the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs (MLGCRA) agree to incorporate the proposal into the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) formula, his committee, together with all Members of Parliament, would use every legal tool available to ensure the fund is protected and properly utilised.
District Anti-Trafficking And Child Labour Fund
Stakeholders at this year’s Conference proposed a District Anti-Trafficking and Child Labour Fund intended to finance interventions relating to human trafficking and child labour at the district level.
It is designed to operate independently of the National Human Trafficking Fund (HTF) established under the Human Trafficking Act, 2005 (Act 694) and managed by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection.
Under the proposal, a dedicated component of the DACF would be allocated to address trafficking and child labour, similar to the Disability Fund and the MPs’ Common Fund. The stakeholders initially proposed allocating five percent of the DACF but later agreed that one percent would be a more realistic starting point.
ICEDEG Africa’s Position
Speaking at the Conference, the Chairman of the Advisory Council of ICEDEG Africa, Nana Kwasi Asuman-Frimpong,.explained that the fund had become necessary due to the increasing sophistication of human trafficking networks.
He argued that human trafficking and child labour are fundamentally local challenges requiring local responses. According to him, just as districts allocate resources for disability, sanitation, education and health, dedicated funding should also be provided to combat trafficking and child labour.
He, however, expressed concern that some earmarked DACF allocations are often diverted or misapplied by Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies.
He cited reports suggesting that portions of the Disability Fund are either not disbursed on time or are spent on purposes unrelated to the welfare of persons with disabilities.
By contrast, he noted that the component of the DACF allocated to Members of Parliament, commonly referred to as the MPs’ Common Fund, is rarely misused because of the close oversight exercised by MPs.
Recommendations
ICEDEG Africa recommended that if the proposal is adopted, Members of Parliament should monitor the disbursement and utilisation of the fund in their respective districts to ensure it is used exclusively for anti-trafficking and child labour interventions.
The Centre further proposed that the Parliamentary Select Committee on Human Rights should annually summon Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to account publicly for the utilisation of the fund and outline their planned activities for the subsequent year.
It suggested that such proceedings should be televised live, similar to sittings of the Public Accounts Committee and the Appointments Committee.
ICEDEG Africa also announced that it would formally submit its recommendations to the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs and subsequently remind the Parliamentary Select Committee on Human Rights to ensure their implementation.
Responding to the proposal, the Chairman of the Committee pledged that if the Ministry adopts the recommendation, Parliament would exercise strict oversight over the proposed fund in the same manner it monitors the MPs’ Common Fund.
