Ghana’s human rights record has been examined by the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group for the fourth time on Tuesday, 24 January 2023, in a meeting that was webcast live.
Ghana is one of the States that appeared for review by the UPR Working Group from January 23 to February 3.
Ghana’s first, second and third UPR reviews took place in May 2008, October 2012 and November 2017, respectively.
The documents on which the reviews are based are:
1) national report – information provided by the State under review;
2) information contained in the reports of independent human rights experts and groups, known as the Special Procedures, human rights treaty bodies, and other UN entities;
3) information provided by other stakeholders including national human rights institutions, regional organizations, and civil society groups.
The UPR is a unique process which involves a periodic review of the human rights records of all 193 UN Member States.
Since its first meeting was held in April 2008, all 193 UN member States have been reviewed three times within the first, second and third UPR cycles.
During the fourth UPR cycle, States are again expected to spell out steps they have taken to implement recommendations posed during their previous reviews which they committed to follow up on, and highlight recent human rights developments in the country.
The delegation of Ghana included Godfred Yeboah Dame, Attorney-General and Minister for Justice.
The three country representatives serving as rapporteurs (“troika”) for the review of Ghana are Eritrea, Malaysia and Georgia.
The UPR Working Group is scheduled to adopt the recommendations made to Ghana at 15.30 on 27 January.
The State under review may wish to express its positions on recommendations posed to it during its review.
