On 19 July, a capacity-building workshop on forced labour, was launched for human rights advisors and support staff at Côte d'Ivoire's National Human Rights Council (CNDH) in Bassam. The workshop, which brought together a large number of consultants, was an opportunity for ICI to reiterate that "the issue of forced labour is very subtle and takes many forms that are difficult to identify, and which deserve to be known by everyone, and in particular by you, the primary actors in the protection and respect of human rights in Côte d'Ivoire", said, Donatien Awokou, in charge of public-private partnerships and the representative of ICI’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa.
Over the course of 3 days, participants will gain a better understanding of the concept of forced labour through presentations, exchanges and group work. As the President of the CNDH, Madame Namizata Sangaré, who attended the opening ceremony, put it: "This workshop will strengthen participants' capacities on the issue of forced labour, including human trafficking in cocoa farming", and also "identify prospects for action with Verité and ICI". The workshop was held with the support of Verité, mainly on their Forced Labour Indicator Project (a project on forced labour indicators financially and technically supported by the US Department of Labor, USDOL). Project Manager Bamba Brahima praised the level of collaboration between ICI and his organisation in both Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana. He added that the workshop would enable participants to define "technical actions for prevention".
The workshop will be held in two sessions: from July 18 to 22 for human rights advisors, and from August 15 to 19 for the "World of Work" thematic group.
The Conseil National des Droits de l'Homme (CNDH) is an independent administrative authority. It advises, consults, conducts evaluation missions and makes proposals to the Government and all other competent authorities, within the framework of the promotion, protection and defense of human rights on national territory.
