Mr Jonathan Osei Owusu, the Vice Chairman- Ghana Human Rights NGOs Forum, speaking at the end of a two-day Ghana Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) Pre UPR Reports submission workshop in Accra, said the UN made more than 140 recommendations of which Ghana accepted only 123 and rejected 25.

The workshop falls within UPR Info’s project called ‘Building the National Human Rights Architecture in Ghana’ with an overarching goal of the project is to increase and strengthen the capacities of national stakeholders to employ the Universal Periodic Review as a driver to improve the human rights situation in Ghana.

The project is geared towards enriching both newcomers and CSOs that have previously engaged with the UN human rights system including the Universal Periodic Review.  He said the UPR was a mechanism used by the UN to measure the performance of its member countries on issues of human rights.

He said the two-day workshop was to build the capacity of the participants.

They were trained on the history, importance, stages, process and opportunities of the UPR and Ghana’s past review, training/orientation on the UN Bodies, Treaties, Conventions, Covenants, Operations and provide tools for the CSOs to enable them develop and finalise reports that would subsequently be submitted for Ghana’s pending UPR and consequently push the human rights envelop in Ghana.

“It is to form a working Committee responsible for the report and provide an opportunity to develop and deepen collaboration among Ghanaian CSOs through a formidable coalition,” he added.

He said government together with CSOs did not do well in adopting the recommendations in the fight for human rights in the country. He said some of the recommendations included accelerate necessary measures for the training police personnel on the principles of human rights and minimum treatment of prisoners and detainees according to a clear curriculum.

He said the following recommendation enjoyed the support of government, which were in the process of implementation including the ratification of the international convention for the protection of all persons from enforced disappearance, strengthen the Commission on Human Right and Administrative Justice through financial and human resources.

The recommendation did not enjoy the support of Ghana including abolishing of the death penalty, adopting a formal moratorium on the application of the death penalty. It also awaits de jure abolition, take the necessary measures to remove the death penalty from existing laws and sign and ratify International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights-OP21.     

Madam Gifty Twum Ampofo – Deputy Minister-Designate for Gender, Children and Social Protection, commended CSOs for their role in developing the economy. She said as a Ministry, they recognised the important role of CSOs in governance and the Ministry believed that “we can achieve our set goals and targets if we work with each other”.

The Minister said government was committed to ensuring the active participation of CSOs in their work. She said the comments and critics given by the working group had broadened and would shape global policy and forming a number of conventions.She said government had incorporated and ensured that its policies were informed by the outcome of its review on the work they do.

  “Our various legal and policy framework as a country are revolved out of the various review and feedback we get from the comments and critics of the report we submit to the international bodies,” she added.  Madam Christine Evan-Klock, UN Country Representative commended the CSOs for their work in keeping government and others in check concerning human right.

She said the UN agencies in Ghana were committed in supporting Ghana in achieving its human rights agenda. “We will continue to work in partnership with other agencies to highlight the achievement of the country in promoting human rights issues.