Country detail - yourHRC.org

Ghana

Regional group:

African Group (AG)

Council member:

2006-2007

2007-2008

2008-2009

2009-2010

2010-2011

2011-2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

Council Bureau membership:	–
Coordinator of regional group:	–
Voluntary financial contribution to OHCHR (2020) :

Other HRC positions:	–
OHCHR presence:	– No field presence
NHRI accreditation status:	A

National Mechanisms for Implementation, Reporting, and Follow-up (NMIRF): Unknown

Engagement with the HRC

Principal sponsorship of HRC resolutions

Cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights; Business and human rights: Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises and improving accountability and access to remedy.

Voting record

Since it first became a member of the Council in 2006, Ghana has voted (in the absence of consensus) in favour of item 4 (situations that require the Council’s attention) resolutions on the situations in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Syrian Arab Republic; but against a 2010 resolution on the situation in Sudan. It abstained during a number of votes on the situations in Belarus, the Islamic Republic of Iran and Sudan. For item 7 resolutions (human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories), Ghana has normally voted in favour (though it abstained twice in 2015). On item 10 resolutions (capacity-building), Ghana has joined consensus on all resolutions except for two that were voted on during the period of its membership: on cooperation with Ukraine (Ghana voted in favour), and on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Ghana voted in favour). For thematic resolutions dealing with civil and political rights, Ghana has generally joined consensus. Where there has been a vote, Ghana has generally voted in favour. The exceptions are: a 2011 vote on a resolution on sexual orientation (Ghana voted against); and various resolutions on the effects of terrorism, on defamation of religion, and on torture (Ghana abstained). For thematic resolutions dealing with economic, social and cultural rights, Ghana has either joined consensus on, or has voted in favour of, all adopted texts.

View full voting record

HRC participation

During HRC general discussions, panel debates and interactive dialogues with the Special Procedures, during the past three years, either as an HRC member or not, the State has joined:

324

Regional
group statements

Average of statements for all countries: 98

Subregional
group statements

Average of statements for all countries: 46

Political group
statements

Average of statements for all countries: 109

Cross-regional
group statements

Average of statements for all countries: 61

Other joint
statements

Average of statements for all countries: 5

HRC member empty chair?

Overall, as a HRC member, has participated in more than 10% of panel discussions, general debates and interactive dialogues.

Cooperation with international human rights system

Special Procedures

Standing invitation

Communications responded to / received

Visits requests status

Completed
Invitation sent by the State not (yet) accepted by the SP
Accepted / date set
Visit request by the SP and not (yet) accepted by the State
Postponed / cancelled

Longest visit request not (yet) accepted by the State >
SR on education, 2007

Treaty Bodies

Ratified

Reporting Status

Ratification status
Party Not Party
Individual complaint procedure accepted.
Reporting status

Submitted on time
Submitted late
Not applicable

On schedule
Overdue (outstanding)

CAT

ICCPR

CED

CEDAW

CERD

ICESCR

CRC

CRPD

Most overdue report

ICESRC
18.14 Years

OP-CAT

Ratified

NPM established

Received Sub-Committee visit

Universal Periodic Review

Reported

(2008, 2012, 2017)

Mid-term report

Level of delegation

Deputy Attorney General

Participation in other reviews
1^st cycle: 65 / 192

2^nd cycle: 101 / 192

Cooperation with the UN, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights

Cited in the Secretary General’s reports on 'alleged reprisals for cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights' (2010-2020)?

Fulfilment of past voluntary pledges & commitments

Specific voluntary pledges: 4

Ghana tabled ‘voluntary pledges and commitments’ in support for its candidacy for membership for the period 2015-2017 on 8 August 2014.

At international level, Ghana pledged to: participate actively in the work of the Council; strengthen policies for the advancement of women; protect the rights of children; maintain a standing invitation to all Special Procedures mandate-holders; cooperate fully with UN human rights Treaty Bodies and submit periodic reports in a prompt manner; and ensure that it becomes party to all core human rights instruments and implements its treaty obligations.

An analysis of steps taken by Ghana in fulfilment of its international pledges shows Ghana’s Council participation to have been quite limited. It does, however, cooperate with Special Procedures. It maintains a Standing Invitation and accepted 5 out of 9 visit requests. It also responded to the one communication it received. Regarding cooperation with Treaty Bodies, Ghana has several reports overdue, with the ICESCR overdue by around 12 years. Ghana was, however, strongly engaged with the UPR, participating in the reviews of and making recommendations to 65 states.

Ghana

African Group (AG)

Engagement with the HRC

Principal sponsorship of HRC resolutions

Voting record

HRC participation

HRC member empty chair?

Cooperation with international human rights system

Special Procedures

Standing invitation

Communications responded to / received

Visits requests status

Treaty Bodies

Ratified

Reporting Status

Universal Periodic Review

Participation in other reviews 1st cycle: 65 / 192

2nd cycle: 101 / 192

Cooperation with the UN, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights

Fulfilment of past voluntary pledges & commitments

Specific voluntary pledges: 4

Participation in other reviews
1^st cycle: 65 / 192

2^nd cycle: 101 / 192