Ms Sarah Adwoa Safo, Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection has urged child rights organisations to whip up sensitisation on the promotion and protection of the rights of children to encourage citizens' participation.

"We must all get involved or continue in the sensitisation of the general public on the ten aspirations of 'Agenda 2040', as well as in the awareness creation towards citizen-participation in the promotion and protection of the rights of children."

The Minister said in a statement issued and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra, ahead of the celebration of the African Union's (AU) Day of the African Child on Wednesday, June 16.

The "Day of the African Child" (DAC) is observed annually on June 16, to mark the 1976 students' uprising against an apartheid skewed education in Soweto, South Africa.

Some member countries of the African Union (AU) annually observe the Day in honour of those students and also to push towards the realisation of the rights and welfare of children.

The local theme for this year's celebration is: "Mainstreaming Agenda 2040 into the National Development Framework," which is in line with the continental theme: "30 years after the adoption of the Charter: accelerate the implementation of Agenda 2040 for an Africa fit for children."

The statement said, "Agenda 2040: Fostering an Africa fit for children" was the framework to guide child protection interventions in the Africa region.

It said the occasion, therefore, called for serious introspection and commitment among African leaders and the public toward addressing the numerous challenges facing children across the continent.

"The celebration also aspires to create awareness on the need for all citizens to participate in the promotion and protection of the rights of children. The celebration is expected to be carried out at both Regional and National levels," the statement added.

While acknowledging child rights organisations for taking a keen interest in children's issues by ensuring that their rights were protected, it urged them to continue to enhance their actions for the betterment of all children.

Some programmes lined up by the Ministry to commemorate the Day are the circulation of special Video Messages from the Management of MoGCSP and other Key Partners, sharing of special posters on the aspirations of Agenda 2040 and a statement from the sector Minster on the floor of Parliament on the programme.

Others are an interaction between the sector Minister and selected children to discuss the theme and related issues about children and a panel discussion on ways the Agenda 2040 aspirations can be mainstreamed into the National Development Framework on June 16, 2021, to climax the celebration.