Speaker reaffirms Parliament’s commitment to the promotion of human rights

A delegation from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) led by the Senior Program Officer for Governance, Mr Akiyo Miguel Afouda, has paid a courtesy call on the Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin.

The purpose of the visit was to promote Human and Children’s Rights in the country and within the sub-region.

In his opening remarks, the Speaker reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to human rights promotion through active participation in the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process.

The Speaker emphasised that Parliament’s unique legislative, oversight, and budgetary functions make it a key factor in protecting rights, monitoring executive compliance, and ensuring the implementation of UPR recommendations.

“Ghana’s Parliament has already acted on several key UPR recommendations supported by the state, including the abolition of the death penalty and the passage of the long-awaited Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Bill,” he said.

The Speaker further stated that the areas of progress in the human rights includes addressing prison conditions, promoting gender and environmental rights, and aligning domestic laws with international human rights protocols.

He added that Parliament has partnered with CHRAJ to implement the National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights through active involvement in the National Mechanism for Reporting and Follow-Up and with closer collaboration with the IPU and human rights CSOs.

The Speaker assured that Parliament will continue to strengthen its oversight and accountability functions to safeguard the rights of all Ghanaians.

He concluded that, in pursuance of its commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights at the domestic and international levels, Parliament has actively been involved in the activities of sessions of Human Rights Council (HRC) and the National Mechanism for reporting and follow-up.

In response, the IPU Officer, Mr. Akiyo Miguel Afouda, commended Speaker for his availability, commitment, and engagement. He added that during the first meeting, which was held in March 2025 it was to celebrate the achievements of the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

He informed the Speaker that a workshop has been programmed to educate members of the Human Rights Committee of Parliament.