Large-scale trials of the new monitoring system announced in October have begun in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana. They are under the control of the Government in each country, assisted by the International Labour Organization and West Africa Cocoa Agricultural Project.

Monitoring of 80,000 small farms is being carried out by village level committees and special units set up to fight child labour. Once the scheme is fully operational, the governments will issue certificates for cocoa produced in these areas and publish details of the monitoring and action undertaken to address any problems of illegal labour found.

Industry and internationally funded social programmes will provide the resources for assisting any children displaced from work. The second stage of the process will be a system of external, independent verification currently under development.

The industry expects the full monitoring and verification scheme to be operational by July 2005, in line with the commitments given in the 2002 Cocoa Industry Protocol.