The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), Africa, marked International Human Rights Day by urging governments to reconsider and improve their compliance with human rights obligations, particularly those relating to economic and social rights.
In the aftermath of the current economic crisis, governments must not lose sight of their responsibility to citizens to uphold and protect human rights when developing and implementing policies.
This advice was contained in a press release issued by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) Africa Office in Commemoration of International Human Rights Day which was themed: “Dignity, Freedom, and Justice for All”.
According to CHRI the rights of the ordinary man must be safeguarded in all policies, with no one left behind.
The Africa Office reminds the Government of Ghana of its obligations to Ghanaians to ensure that the dignity and freedoms of people are protected. Government must implement policies to ensure that there is justice available and accessible to all Ghanaians.
This year’s theme “Dignity, Freedom, and Justice for All”, we believe is apt because of the global economic downturn we find ourselves in.
The theme is also significant for African countries, especially those in the Commonwealth such as Ghana, South Africa, and Zambia which are due for review in January next year at the 42nd session of the UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on implementation of recommendations they accepted in 2012, many of which align with this year’s theme.
“Ghana like many other African countries has made some progress regarding protecting the human rights of its citizens however we still have our work cut out for us as a nation due to the fact that the current economic crisis threatens the full range of human rights,” the statement revealed.
It threatens not only economic, social, and cultural rights, including the right to an adequate standard of living and the right to health, housing, food, and education, but also civil and political rights.
Businesses are closing down and unemployment rates are sky-rocketing. In finding solutions to these problems, the Government must ensure that policies are human rights oriented. Appropriate and sustainable structures must be put in place to cushion Ghanaians.
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A former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights once noted that: “States can neither waive nor limit their obligation of upholding civil, cultural, economic, political and social human rights in times of crisis.
Rather, by fully integrating human rights principles and standards into law and practice are governments able to respond to an economic downturn in a truly sustainable manner…” Navi Pillay, in her statement to the UN General Assembly High-Level Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and its Impact, June 18, 2009.
December 10 every year is a day set aside by the global community to mark International Human Rights Day.
Below is the full statement
Final Inter’l Human Rights Day 2022 Press Release
Source: Isaac Kofi Dzokpo/mydailynewsonline.com
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