A delegation from the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR) on Monday paid a courtesy call on the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, at Parliament House in Accra.
The team, led by Hon. Commissioner Janet Ramatoulie Sallah-Njie, informed the Speaker that they were in Ghana to undertake a Promotion Mission aimed at creating awareness on the implementation of human rights and to explore possible areas of collaboration with government and its agencies to ensure compliance with the African Union Charter on Human and People’s Rights.
Commissioner Sallah-Njie, however, expressed concern that Ghana has not submitted its periodic report to the Commission for the past 24 years. She therefore urged Parliament to strengthen its oversight role to ensure the country complies with its obligations under the Charter.
Responding, Speaker Bagbin acknowledged the concerns raised, noting that Parliament has over the years made efforts to ratify some of the protocols by engaging the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but such attempts have not yielded the desired results.
He stressed that many of the issues raised by the ACHPR delegation were not new to the House, as they have long occupied the attention of Members of Parliament. According to him, while Parliament has passed the relevant laws, the main challenge has been with their effective implementation.
“To ensure that Ghana presents the true and accurate report on the status of our human rights standing, Parliament for some time now has been leading the country’s delegation to the United Nations,” the Speaker added.
The ACHPR delegation is expected to hold further engagements with key stakeholders during their mission in Ghana.
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