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Ghana: Update to GHA33422.E of 21 December 1999 on provisions of the Children's Act, 1998 relating to underage marriage, particularly whether the recourses provided by this law are being used and by whom, and whether the law is enforced

The information provided in this Response is further to that contained in GHA38629.E of 18 March 2002.

While not specifically mentioning the issue of underage marriage, at a national conference on child welfare protection held in Accra in April 2001, the acting chief justice stated that child neglect and abuse was "common because laws and mechanisms for children's rights are rarely known or invoked" (Accra Mail 12 Apr. 2001). Later that month, at the launch of the National Partnership for Children (NPC), Ghanaian president John Agyekum Kufuor said there was "overwhelming evidence" that despite Ghana's ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Children's Act, 1998, "not much progress seems to have been made in addressing problems facing children" (ibid. 26 Apr. 2001). The NPC initiative, which is a Ghanaian subsidiary of the Global Movement for Children established by former South African president Nelson Mandela and his wife, was established to "ensure the provision of conditions that [would] promote children's rights, welfare and development" (ibid.).

Information requested from a representative of Save the Children (UK) in Ghana was not received by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

For information on the application of the Children's Act, 1998 in the case of underage marriages please refer to GHA35106.E of 12 September 2000.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Accra Mail. 26 April 2001. "National Partnership for Children Launched." (Africa News 21 May 2001/NEXIS)

_____. 12 April 2001. "Isolate Juvenile Offenders." (Africa News 21 May 2001/NEXIS)

Additional Sources Consulted

Africa Confidential 1998-2002

Africa Research Bulletin 1998-2002

IND Country Assessment

IRB Databases

NEXIS

US Department of State. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2001.

WNC

Internet sites including:

Africa Online

AllAfrica.com

Amnesty International

Human Rights Watch

Keesing's Record of World Events

UNHCR