By
Iddi Yire, GNA
Accra, Dec. 15, GNA
– Two United Nations (UN) Agencies in Ghana, have called on the youth to
champion efforts towards promoting a culture of human rights.
Madam Sylvia
Lopez-Ekra, UN Resident Coordinator, and Madam Anne-Claire Dufay, the United
Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Country Representative in Ghana, made the call
at a youth engagement forum with Heads of UN Agencies on the sidelines of the International
Human Rights Day, as well as end of the 16 Days of Activism Against
Gender-Based Violence.
The event created a
platform for young human rights advocates, to highlight their concerns and
enter into a dialogue with UN Heads of Agencies on key thematic issues
including the human rights of children, access to health and education,
discrimination against women, people with disabilities and people living with
HIV and the rights of migrants and refugees.
This year, Human
Rights Day is following the celebrations of the 30th Anniversary of the
Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Ghana became the first country to
ratify in 1990.
This milestone has
been marked by bringing attention to upholding the full enjoyment of
fundamental human rights and freedoms by children and youth.
The UN is
capitalising on this momentum to spotlight the leadership role of youth in
collective movements as a source of inspiration for a better future by marking
Human Rights Day under the theme “Youth Standing Up for Human Rights”.
Madam Lopez-Ekra
said concerns raised by the youth pointed to the fact that there is a barrier
they face in their effort to reach out to decision makers.
She said there was a
link between development and human right; adding that “we will not realize
sustainable development goals if we don’t realize the human rights agenda, and
we will not make progress if we leave some behind”.
Madam Dufay said
study had shown that one out of every three girls suffered sexual abuse, as
such, there was a need to intensify effort in addressing the menace, which the
youth had a role to play.
She tasked the youth
to speak up, without feeling intimidated, share views and ideas, particularly
for the most vulnerable in society.
Mr Carl Ampah,
National Programme Officer for Culture at the United Nations Education,
Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) said looking at the Millelium
Development Goals, culture was an afterthought, however, with the current SDG
culture was a conscious effort to ensure, it served as an alternative paradigm
for development.
He said culture was
transmitted from the old to the young, and so there was a need to ask questions
as to what was being transferred to the youth; adding that “fortunately the
Right to Information Bill has been passed, young people need the information to
be able to live; for their sexuality, education and health”.
Mrs Angela Trenton-
Mbonde, Country Director, UN Programme on HIV/AIDS said with regards to human
rights, policy makers must focus on victims, and get to the grassroots to
ascertain the real issues on the ground, issues of marginalisation and
discrimination.
She said there was a
need to also educate parents to give their children that level of
consciousness, saying, stakeholders must dialogue with parents, to look at how
children are being socialized.
Mr Aaron Atimpe, a
Governance and Human Right Advocate, said the youth constituted majority of the
population, however, the challenge was that, policies were being made without
their involvement, and, inadequate capacity for youth to partake in the
decision making process.
Mr Akwasi Sarpong, a
youth civic engagement activist, also said among issues identified in a report,
he compiled after engaging the youth across the country, was that young people
lacked civic skills, the ability to participate, how to identify issues and
platforms that can help address them.
Madam Rachel
Obidieh, who is campaigning for the rights of refugees, said refugees in Ghana
want to be heard, stating that, less attention was being given to students who
want to engage in technical or vocational training.
Mr Emmanuel Clifford
Gyetuah, an advocate of rights of migrants, said the discussion had always been
on international migrants, but it was time to focus on internal migrants, as a
lot of people have moved from one location in the country to another, most of
which are children.
GNA
