Addressing business-related human rights challenges in Ghana
Ghana faces serious business and human rights challenges, including forced labour and trafficking, health, safety and environmental abuses linked to the gold mining industry and child labour, especially in the country’s large cocoa industry.
In May 2019, Ghana’s Commission for Human Rights and Administration of Justice (CHRAJ) committed to examine current gaps in the realisation of business and human rights in the country. A first step will be the development of a National Baseline Assessment (NBA). The NBA is expected to be a crucial step towards fully understanding the state of business and human rights in Ghana, including the actions the government and other actors currently takes to address challenges in the cocoa industry, communications, finance and other business sectors.
Engaging a wide range of stakeholders in Ghana
The NBA will be produced via a collaboration between Ghana’s Commission for Human Rights and Administration of Justice, the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) and the Danish Institute for Human Rights. Its development is informed by a toolkit produced by the Institute and engages a wider range of government, business and civil society stakeholders in Ghana.According to Victor Brobbey, Lecturer in Law at GIMPA who is leading the NBA research:
"A national action plan essentially highlights the national and international standards that should guide businesses in Ghana to ensure that human rights are protected and vulnerable people in society are not unduly affected by their activities."
The NBA will be published in late 2019.
VIDEO: Investigating the role of responsible business in Ghana
Research project led to the facilitation
Along with its partners, the Ghana Institute for Management and Public Administration and Kenya’s Strathmore University, the Institute is engaged in the research project ‘Realising the SDGs: The Role of Responsible Business’, which seeks to facilitate better informed decision-making regarding policy instruments to promote responsible business conduct.
This research project led to the facilitation of the NBA process, and key researchers from the DANIDA-financed project are involved.