On Wednesday, November 27, 2024, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Côte d’Ivoire, represented by His Excellency Jeroen Kelderhuis, Ambassador of the Netherlands, and Jean-Yves Couloud, Senior Cocoa Advisor, had the pleasure of attending the official signing ceremony of the 2024-2029 action framework to combat child labor in cocoa farming. This agreement unites Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, the United States of America, and the cocoa and chocolate industry in the fight against child labor.
The ceremony was presided over by Mrs. Dominique Ouattara, First Lady of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire and Chair of the National Committee for Monitoring Actions Against Trafficking, Exploitation, and Child Labor (CNS). It brought together various stakeholders in the cocoa value chain, as well as organizations such as UNICEF and the International Labour Organization (ILO), both of which have received financial support from the Netherlands government for their efforts to combat child labor.
The Kingdom of the Netherlands, committed to ensuring a responsible supply of cocoa beans and related products, supports the ILO and UNICEF in activities aligned with Côte d’Ivoire’s National Action Plan to fight child labor. These initiatives aim to :
- Strengthening governance around children’s rights.
- Enhance access to quality education for children.
- Establish an interoperable mechanism between health services and civil registration offices to accelerate birth registration.
- Bolster social protection systems.
- Improve the economic resilience of vulnerable households.
This collaborative approach reflects the Netherlands' ongoing dedication to promoting sustainable cocoa production and safeguarding the rights and well-being of children within the cocoa-growing regions.