By Melanie Nathan, Country Conditions Expert witness, nathan@africanHRC.org
FOR THE RECORD - Uploading here - CAVEAT- The ultimate Bill which passed Parliament in 2024 had amended some clauses since the release of the below report. However much of the concerns remain the same and may well have contributed to the changes. This is uploaded for the record.
Mandates of the Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on
sexual orientation and gender identity; the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention; the Special
Rapporteur on the right to education; the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of
the right to freedom of opinion and expression; the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom
of peaceful assembly and of association; the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the
enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health; the Special
Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders; the Special Rapporteur on torture and
other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; the Special Rapporteur on violence
against women, its causes and consequences; and the Working Group on discrimination against
women and girls
REFERENCE:
OL GHA 3/2021 9 August 2021
Excellency,
We have the honour to address you in our capacities as Independent Expert on
protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender
identity; Working Group on Arbitrary Detention; Special Rapporteur on the right to
education; Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom
of opinion and expression; Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful
assembly and of association; Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the
enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health; Special
Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders; Special Rapporteur on torture
and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; Special Rapporteur
on violence against women, its causes and consequences; and Working Group on
discrimination against women and girls, pursuant to Human Rights Council
resolutions 41/18, 42/22, 44/3, 43/4, 41/12, 42/16, 43/16, 43/20, 41/17 and 41/6.
In this connection, we would like to bring to the attention of your Excellency’s
Government information we have received concerning the tabling of a bill entitled
“Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, 2021”
before the Parliament of Ghana. According to information at our disposal, the first
reading of the bill took place on 2 August. T
he consideration of the bill is expected to resume in October, after Parliamentary recess and public engagement.
While we do not wish the prejudge the accuracy of the information made
available to us, we express our grave concern about the draft bill, which seems to
establish a system of State-sponsored discrimination and violence against LGBTI
persons of great magnitude. As such, the bill appears to constitute an immediate and
fundamental breach of Ghana’s obligations under international human rights law, as
described below. FULL REPORT HERE:
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