Be more accountable to International Human Rights Laws- Ghana Urged

By
Fatima Anafu- Astanga, GNA

Bolgatanga, Oct. 22,
GNA – Mr William Nyarko, Executive Director of the African Center for
International Law and Accountability (ACILA) has reminded Ghana to show some
high level of commitment in complying with International Laws and existing
agreements for the protection of vulnerable groups.

He noted that the
fundamental human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights
(UDHR) for States should applied to all regardless of sex, age, and class.

He said the human
rights conditions enshrined in the 1992 Constitution were inalienable and
therefore the State had a duty to protect all manner of persons.

Mr Nyarko said this
during a presentation on Ghana’s obligations under domestic and international
human rights law and treatment of vulnerable groups held in Bolgatanga in the
Upper East Region.

He said vulnerable
groups such as women, children, the elderly, albinos, HIV positive persons,
migrant workers, statelessness and Lesbians, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and
Intersex (LGBTIs) and Persons with Disabilities ought to be protected from all
forms of abuse.

He, however, noted
that there was the lack of accountability and compliance by countries to the
laid down commitments and called on the media to use its influential role to
aid in the protection of human rights of all kinds, especially the rights of
the vulnerable and minorities.

The Capacity Building
Training was to equip Editors in the inky fraternity to increase skills on
human rights reportage and enhance investigative journalism.

He noted that Ghana
had signed on to Regional and International Instruments that fell short of
accountability, and added that because there was no connection between these
International Laws and accountability, his outfit worked to look at the nexus
between the commitments and to use those instruments to hold governments
accountable.

He said the state had
a duty to protect and promote the rights of people and therefore all organs of
state had obligations to enforce those actions, and stressed that the onus was
on the state to ensure that those right were protected.

Mr Kojo Impraim, Lead
Research Consultant of ACILA, shared results of a regional research carried out
by his outfit on knowledge and level of protection for human rights in the
country.

GNA

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