The Executive Secretary of the National Coalition for Proper Human Sexual Rights and Family Values has descended heavily on government over Ghana’s abstention from the United Nations vote on LGBTQ+ rights.
Speaking in an interview on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Moses Foh Amoaning stated that the decision was wrong, considering the nation’s long-standing position on LGBTQ+ matters.
According to him, Ghanaians were disappointed in the Akufo-Addo government’s refusal to sign the anti-LGBTQ+ bill despite initial promises — and they do not expect President Mahama to repeat those mistakes.
“Former President Akufo-Addo ignored the bill, and it contributed to the NPP’s massive loss in the 2024 election. It was a rejection of the NPP’s position, and the NDC can attest to that. The bill has elapsed, and President Mahama expects that the Attorney General will present it to him, but it is delaying,” he said.
The renowned lawyer further expressed disappointment over the President’s silence on the matter during the National Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving held on July 1, 2025.
“There is no better Thanksgiving and Prayer than this matter, which God is very much interested in, but the President said nothing about it,” he lamented.
The United Nations Human Rights Council vote, held on Monday, July 7, 2025, during the council’s 59th session, sought to renew the mandate of the Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
In the end, 29 member states voted in favour, 15 against, while Ghana was among three countries that abstained.
The renewed mandate reinforces a global call for governments to respect, protect, and fulfill their obligations under international human rights law for people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities.
Ghana’s abstention comes amid renewed domestic efforts to criminalise LGBTQ+ activities. In May 2025, Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin announced plans to reintroduce the controversial anti-LGBTQ+ bill.
However, Mr. Amoaning asserted that the outcome of the vote has dire consequences for all United Nations member countries and stressed the need for Ghanaian authorities to take decisive action.
Despite his strong reservations about the abstention, Mr. Amoaning acknowledged that the Minister for Foreign Affairs usually issues directives on such decisions. He therefore called for clarification on Ghana’s official position.
“Sometimes the Ghanaian representatives on their own make certain decisions, so we must find out from the government what really the position of Ghana was,” he added.
Source: Gertrude Otchere
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