"Pooling our efforts will allow us to combat abuse and violence against thousands of children"

After signing an agreement with Mali in 2011, Côte d'Ivoire signed a cooperation agreement with the Burkina Faso on Thursday, 17 October 2013 at the international conference center of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Plateau, in the framework of the fight against cross-border trafficking of children. A clear desire for these two states, represented by the First Lady, Mrs. Dominique Ouattara and Mrs. Chantal Compaoré, First Lady of Burkina Faso, to eradicate this scourge definitively.

The First Lady, Mrs. Dominique Ouattara, welcomed the signing of this agreement, which will undoubtedly help to reduce the phenomenon. "I am pleased that, by pooling our efforts, we will be able to fight much more effectively all the abuses and violence that are daily done to thousands of children in our countries. Among these violations, child trafficking is one of the most extreme cases, and the most dangerous for their survival, "said Mrs. Ouattara. The President of the National Oversight Committee (CNS) Mrs. Dominique Ouattara explained the difficult living conditions of children victims of trafficking. "(...) indeed, child victims are often recruited and transported out of their country or their place of origin. They are separated from their families and isolated in areas where they do not have legal status. They often live in a state of extreme social insecurity and do not have access to education, health and leisure, "said Dominique Ouattara to her guests. 35% of children between the ages of 5 and 14 are working within the national territory. Continuing in her analysis, Mrs. Dominique Ouattara raised a sail on the situation of children victims of trafficking in Côte d'Ivoire. "According to the International Labor Organization, child trafficking is one of the worst forms of child labor. It is assimilated to slavery and is one of the most intolerable forms of infringement of children's rights. In Côte d'Ivoire, the 2011 demographic and health survey revealed that 39% of children aged 5-14 are working within the national territory. Recently, the case of the children exploited in the farms of the Mount Peko, and in the mines of Hiré, shows us how urgent the problem is and how much it needs to be addressed energetically, "explained the First Lady. Given this situation, the First Lady Dominique Ouattara revealed that a survey on child labor in cocoa farming in Côte d'Ivoire will be carried out. "It is in this same dynamic that I will be traveling to Washington DC on October 28, 2013 for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Tulane in order to officially formalize a framework for a survey on child labor in cocoa growing areas in Côte d'Ivoire, "she said. For Dominique Ouattara, this survey will enable Côte d'Ivoire to have more specific, reliable and current data on the situation of child labor in cocoa farming. In addition, it will also make it possible to draw up an exact map of the phenomenon and measure its extent. In addition, Mrs. Dominique Ouattara ended her remarks by launching an appeal. Thus, she recalled the fact that the place of children is in school. They must not, therefore, be subjected to work that affects their health, safety and morals. Mrs. Chantal Compaoré, First Lady of Burkina Faso, revealed that Côte d'Ivoire remains the preferred destination because of the long tradition of migration. Mrs. Chantal Compaoré sounded the alarm. Thus, the President of the "Suka" Foundation has lifted a corner of the veil on the state of the phenomenon in her country. For example, she revealed that in 2010, 588 children were trafficked. In 2011, 1,270 children were trafficked. In 2012, 1,895 children were victims of the phenomenon. For this purpose, Chantal Compaoré has a huge hope in the signing of this cooperation agreement to curb the waves of child trafficking. She also hoped that this collaboration would garner great interest in the sub-region. "Burkina Faso remains convinced that the agreement will be an effective tool to eliminate the phenomenon," Chantal Compaore said. Mrs. Anne Désirée Ouloto, Minister of Solidarity, Family, Woman and Child, Vice-President of the Inter-ministerial Committee and Alain Zoubga, Minister of Solidarity and Social Action of Burkina Faso, presented the situation of trafficking in children in their respective countries. After the signing ceremony of cooperation agreement, the First Lady, Mrs. Dominique Ouattara offered a lunch to her guests. After which the delegation led by Mrs. Chantal Compaoré took her return flight to Ouagadougou.