The John Dramani Mahama government has come under intense scrutiny following reports of Ghana's representatives at the Human Rights Council of the United Nations (UN) absenting themselves from a vote on an issue that had to do with 'gay rights'.
The Minister of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, , has even criticised the decision of the representatives to abstain from voting on the matter.
Details of the matter, which was numbered A/HRC/59/L.5 and shared on ohchr.org, showed that Ghana was among three countries that abstained from voting on the said resolution, which was on the "Mandate of Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity." Twenty-nine (29) members of the council voted in favour of the resolution, which led to its adoption, while only 15 voted against it.
The adoption of the resolution implies that the experts who provide the UN with reports on violence and discrimination against people because of their sexual orientation will continue their work. "In a resolution (A/HRC/59/L.2) on the Mandate of Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, adopted by a vote of 29 in favour, 15 against and 3 abstentions, the Council decides to extend the mandate of the Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity for a period of three years to enable the mandate holder to continue to work in accordance with the mandate established by the Human Rights Council; and 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," the brief on the resolution reads.
