Sunday, October 19

Government Clarifies Ghana’s Abstention at UN Vote on LGBTQI Mandate

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued an official clarification regarding Ghana’s recent abstention at the 59th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC59), addressing widespread media misreporting and public speculation on the country’s position.

Contrary to claims circulating in sections of the Ghanaian media, the Ministry stated that Ghana did not vote in support of LGBTQI rights, as some outlets have wrongly suggested.

The vote in question, held on Monday, July 7, 2025, was on the renewal of the mandate of the Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI). Ghana chose to abstain from the vote—not to express support or opposition to LGBTQI rights—but to uphold the principles enshrined in Chapter 5, Article 17 of the 1992 Constitution, which prohibits discrimination on various grounds, including gender, religion, and socio-economic status.

According to the Ministry, the resolution solely focused on whether individuals who identify as LGBTQI should be protected from violence and discrimination—not on the recognition or endorsement of LGBTQI rights.

During the session, Ghana’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations further clarified the country’s stance, emphasizing 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 reiterated that the Government of Ghana remains fully aware of the general public’s opposition to LGBTQI issues and affirmed its commitment not to take any action that could undermine this national sentiment.

The resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council tasks the Independent Expert with continuing to report annually on violence and discrimination related to sexual orientation and gender identity to both the Human Rights Council and the UN General Assembly.

The Ministry concluded by urging the public and media to seek clarity on international matters of this nature to avoid the spread of misinformation.


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