MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
PRESS RELEASE
GHANA'S VOTE ON THE RENEWAL OF THE MANDATE OF THE INDEPENDENT EXPERT ON PROTECTION AGAINST VIOLENCE AND DISCRIMINATION BASED ON SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY (SOGI) AT THE 59TH SESSION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL (HRC59)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has closely monitored media commentary on Ghana's vote at the 59th Session of the Human Rights Council (HRC59) on the resolution for the Renewal of the Mandate of the Independent Expert on Protection Against Violence and Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI).
The Ministry wishes to clarify as follows:
- There was no vote on the support of LGBTQI for which Ghana abstained as has been wrongly reported by a section of the Ghanaian media.
- On Monday, 7th July, 2025, Ghana abstained from the HRC's vote on the renewal of the Mandate of the Independent Expert on Protection Against Violence and Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.
- The question before the Council was whether persons who identify as LGBTQI should be protected against violence and discrimination or not. It was not about support for LGBTQI rights.
- Ghana abstained in the vote, to be consistent with Chapter 5, Article 17 of the 1992 Constitution, which specifically prohibits discrimination on the grounds of gender, race, colour, ethnic origin, religion, creed, or social and economic status.
- The resolution requests the Independent Expert to continue to report annually on the implementation of the mandate to the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly in accordance with their respective programmes of work.
Read Also: National Service Update For All Final Year Students
- In a statement delivered by the Permanent Representative of Ghana during the Session, he unequivocally clarified Ghana's position on the subject by stating inter alia that: 'Our understanding of the traditional definition of gender is the male sex or female sex, especially when considered with reference to social and cultural differences.
Similarly, sex in our view refers to either of the two main categories (male and female) into which humans and most other living things are divided and used for statistical purposes and policy monitoring'.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is very mindful of the Ghanaian public's general opposition and the Government's strong stance against the subject of LGBTQI rights and will not act in any manner to undermine this position.
0 Comments