Opposition lawmaker Patrick Boamah (NPP, Okaikwei Central) has publicly challenged Ghana’s decision to abstain from a July 7 UN Human Rights Council vote renewing the mandate of the Independent Expert on LGBTQ+ violence and discrimination.
The motion passed 29-15, with only Ghana, Nepal, and Vietnam abstaining.
“I was surprised,” Boamah stated on July 9, recalling prior government assurances it would not support the measure. “We expected Ghana to take a firm position reflecting our cultural and constitutional values.” He emphasized the vote transcended foreign policy, calling it a “constitutional issue” involving “things alien to our culture.”
The MP announced plans to formally question the Mahama administration’s rationale for abstaining, arguing it wasted a chance to affirm Ghana’s stance. The move comes amid ongoing domestic debate over LGBTQ+ rights, where Ghana’s Parliament recently passed a bill criminalizing same-sex relationships and advocacy, though it awaits presidential assent.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has yet to explain the abstention.