By Iddi Yire/Jesse Owusu Ampah, GNA
Accra, Dec. 11, GNA - POS Foundation, a human rights civil society organisation in collaboration with the Centre for Popular Education and Human Rights - Ghana (CEPEHRG), has held a breakfast meeting for editors on the United Nations Universal Peer Review (UPR).
The breakfast meeting on the theme: “Demystifying the Misconceptions about Equal Protection and Non-Discrimination for Minority Groups”, was to school the editors on the UPR accepted by Ghana in November 2017 on minority groups.
The UPR is a unique process which involves a review of the human rights records of all UN Member States.
It is a State-driven process, under the auspices of the Human Rights Council, which provides the opportunity for each State to declare what actions they have taken to improve the human rights situations in their countries and to fulfil their human rights obligations.
The ultimate aim of this mechanism is to improve the human rights situation in all countries and address human rights violations wherever they occur.
Some of the recommendations made to Ghana at the November 2017 UPR summit include taking the steps necessary to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) and intersex persons from violence and discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation and gender identity.
Ensure that victims of discrimination and violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity have access to rehabilitation and remedy and that all perpetrators are punished, taking measures to fight against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and continuing to promoting gender equality through specific laws, plans and programmes.
Mr Jonathan Osei Owusu, the Executive Director of POS Foundation in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said Ghana has gone through the first review in 2008, second review in 2012, and was recently reviewed in November 2017 in Geneva, Switzerland.
He said out of the review, 241 recommendations that were made to Ghana by member states, the nation accepted 212, which on various human rights.
He said at the Geneva meeting, Ghana was highly commended for three projects - free senior high school, the school feeding programme and the Justice for All.
He said Ghana did not accept recommendation on the removal of death penalty, which is a constitutional issue that would require the holding of referendum, more so it the nation did not also accept the recommendation on legitimizing LGBT.
Mr Osei Owusu said two of such recommendations on LGBT that were accepted by the state were that persons who are LGBT must have equal protection and not be discriminated against.
“We are looking at not leaving anybody behind, everybody inclusive. The dignity of every human being is important and everyone’s right is important.”
He said LGBTs are human beings and that they have rights, which must be protected.
“Everybody must be treated equally before the law and not to abused or discriminated against,” added.
The POS Foundation is a human rights civil society organization which focuses its activities in the areas of human rights advocacy and development, policy reforms, youth development and social accountability.
With a track record of successful projects, the organisation has strategically positioned itself as one the leading Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Ghana and currently serves as the secretariat for the Ghana Human Rights NGOs Forum with its Executive Director Mr Osei Owusu being the vice-chairman of the forum.
CEPEHRG was formed on the premise of combating the impact of AIDS in Ghana as a contribution to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) number six and also to help achieve universal access to HIV prevention, treatment and care services.
In addition, it is committed to the promotion of equality and diversity in Ghana.
CEPEHRG’s value is based on the provision of human rights awareness through popular education methodology.
Since establishment, CEPEHRG has been committed to providing direct services to young people and most at risk populations.
GNA
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