The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a clarion call to dispel misconceptions surrounding Ghana's stance on LGBTQI+ rights. In a press stateme
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a clarion call to dispel misconceptions surrounding Ghana’s stance on LGBTQI+ rights.
In a press statement released on July 9, 2025, the ministry unequivocally stated that Ghana did not vote on supporting LGBTQI+ rights at the 59th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council. Instead, the vote pertained to the renewal of the mandate of the Independent Expert on Protection Against Violence and Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.
According to the ministry, the vote aimed to protect individuals from violence and discrimination, not to endorse LGBTQI+ rights.
Ghana’s abstention from the vote was in consonance with Article 17 of the 1992 Constitution, which proscribes discrimination on various grounds.
The Ministry emphasized that Ghana’s position on LGBTQI+ rights remains unwavering, with a strong commitment to upholding the country’s stance against such rights.
In a bid to provide clarity, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, reiterated that “there was no vote on support for LGBTQ+ for which Ghana abstained.”
He underscored the Ministry’s resolve to maintain its stance, asserting that “the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is very mindful of the Ghanaian public’s general opposition and the Government’s strong stance against the subject of LGBTQI rights and will not act in any manner to undermine this position”.
Ghana’s position on LGBTQI+ rights remains unchanged, with a strong commitment to upholding its stance against such rights.
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