Operation “Zero Child Labour in the Mine” : 2023 Yields and Outlook for 2024 under Scrutiny

After the success of the third edition, marked by the great involvement of international and bilateral partners, the Proceedings Hall of the Ministry of External Relations was the venue for a gathering on Thursday 28 March 2024, to assess the activities carried out in 2023, against the backdrop of preparations for the fourth edition.

The aim of this meeting, chaired by the Director of the United Nations and Decentralized Cooperation, MOUANJO MOUANJO Ebenezer, was to take stock of the 3rd edition of the Operation "Zero Child Labour in the Mine" and mobilize bilateral and multilateral partners once again in support for the 4th edition of this project.

This was the perfect opportunity for SONAMINES' Deputy General Manager, FRU JOHNATHAN, to thank the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (UNCHR), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and, PLAN INTERNATIONAL, which, under the supervision of MINREX, contributed to the success of the third edition.

This exchange platform enabled SONAMINES to present the project to the new partners, review the third edition and set the tone for the fourth edition, in order to win their support once again and define the areas of intervention by mutual agreement.

During the meeting, the Regional Director of the International Bamboo and Rattan Organisation (INBAR) outlined his organisation's commitment to support SONAMINES through the project aimed at restoring degraded orphan mining sites using bamboo.

The various stakeholders, including ministerial departments, diplomatic representations, United Nations organizations, the European Union and international non-governmental organizations, welcomed the initiative and reiterated their commitment to working hand in glove with SONAMINES against child labour in the mine, in the short, medium and long term.

After the launch of the fourth edition in Batouri last February, thanks to partner PLAN INTERNATIONAL, SONAMINES now intends to extend these activities throughout the year, through awareness-raising campaigns and capacity-building for community relays, culminating in September with the schooling component for the 2024/2025 school year in various localities. PLAN INTERNATIONAL, La SONAMINES entend désormais étendre ces activités sur toute l’année, à travers des campagnes de sensibilisation, le renforcement des capacités des relais communautaires, avec l’apothéose en septembre, dans sa composante scolarisation, pour le compte de l’année scolaire 2024/2025 dans différentes localités.