Achieving Ghana’s development goals entails the practical ‘owning’ of the national vision and collaboration with all key stakeholders, and it is therefore imperative that faith-based organisations work hand-in-hand with government to move the nation in the desired direction, Vice President Bawumia has stated.

Reflecting on the Conference theme, ‘The Freedom Church: Securing our Future’ at the 2nd Biennial Joint Conference of the East, West and Mid Ghana Conference of the AME Zion Church, Dr Bawumia emphasized the importance of collectively crafting national goals, relying on relevant knowledge and experience.

“The Conference theme… is a stirring appeal to each of us to believe in the future and take deliberate steps now to preserve, protect, and secure it at all cost. As with all nations around the world, we have had some very turbulent and troubling economic challenges in recent times, yet this cannot and should not be allowed to dampen our confidence and faith in the future that God himself has for us.

“We must determine where we want to be in the future and carefully plan how to get there. It requires visionary leadership to chart the path for the future and committed and dedicated people who strive to achieve their ideals and aspirations for the future.

“Thus, if we are to truly secure the future, it is imperative that we carefully consider the implication of our current actions and inactions on our future and take steps to attain the desired goal,” he noted.

Vice President Bawumia, who was speaking on Wednesday, June 19, 2024 challenged Christians to reflect on how their actions and inactions could have a direct bearing on national development:

“Would it be too much to ask that Christians complement their prayer vigils and revivals with honest diligent work? Is it too much to ask that each individual commits to personal cleanliness and respect for the environment? Can we commit to holding leadership at all levels to account, irrespective of political or religious leanings, with the same passion with which we strive to uphold the rule of law? Can the church reclaim its prophetic voice and mandate by being faithful and true to her divine calling?”

The Vice President commended the AME Zion Church for her “invaluable contributions to the national development effort in the areas of healthcare, basic and secondary education, advocacy and promotion of social justice,” noting that the denomination’s participation in the activities of the Christian Council of Ghana aimed at addressing critical issues of national interest also deserves commendation.

Expressing absolute belief that Ghana was on the cusp of greatness, Dr Bawumia challenged Ghanaians to believe that with oneness of mind, and a frank and open exchange of ideas, achieving accelerated national development is possible.

“I have no doubt that the Almighty God has brought each of us to a time such as this for a reason. He has divinely equipped us to rise up to the occasion and build our beloved nation Ghana.

“May the love of God and nation under-gird our efforts, even as the AME Zion Church and its members partner with the President, HE Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, and I, to bring transformation to the lives of our people and communities.”

Rt. Rev. Dr. Hilliard K. Dela Dogbe, Presiding Bishop of the African A.M.E Zion Church – Western West Africa Episcopal District, called on Ghanaians to reject politics of violence and division, insisting that the process of choosing leaders should not lead to acrimony.

“Politics should not divide us; it should rather showcase our diversity.

“As the parties campaign, let’s listen for ideas, deliberate on them and choose the ones that best address our challenges. Peace is what we all desire, not conflict.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Presidency, Republic of Ghana.

On his second visit to Sudan since the outbreak of war last year, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi warned today that without concerted peace efforts, many more people will flee the brutal war in Sudan and into neighbouring countries.

Grandi visited refugee camps and displacement centres in Kosti, in Sudan’s White Nile State, where over a million people have sought shelter since the fighting started.

The level of suffering is truly unconscionable,’’ said Grandi. “Sudan is the definition of a perfect storm: shocking human rights atrocities, with millions uprooted by this insane war and other wars that came before it. A terrible famine is looming, and severe floods will soon hamper aid deliveries even more. We are losing a generation to this war, yet peace efforts are not working.”

Grandi expressed deep alarm at the scale of the humanitarian emergency. Violence has escalated in El Fasher, North Darfur, and atrocities have been reported against civilians in Al Jazira State. He said many civilians are trapped in conflict flashpoints, unable to flee for safety elsewhere.

“Civilians did not start this war, yet they pay the price for it. We need the warring parties to stop targeting them, and to immediately facilitate humanitarian access to communities that require life-saving aid,” said Grandi.

Nine million people have been displaced since war broke out, making Sudan one of the world’s biggest displacement crises. Nearly two million people have fled beyond the country’s borders.

“Military leaders, and those with influence over them, must make peace a priority. Without it, people will keep fleeing into neighbouring countries, like Chad and South Sudan, which are only just emerging from their own conflicts and simply cannot cope with millions more mouths to feed. The stability of the region is at stake.”

Displaced people are living in abysmal conditions at risk of disease in overcrowded refugee camps, former schools and other makeshift sites.

The arrival of large numbers of people has increased pressure on communities hosting them. Grandi praised their generosity in welcoming those fleeing and asked for international donors to continue and step up their own support to the humanitarian response.

“So many people are trapped in a tragic cycle of displacement, lives upended by war time and again. Youth and women leaders spoke to me of their hopes for an education, job opportunities, prospects for the future. That takes investment, and it is worth it to build a better future for Sudan.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

A UN expert today expressed alarm at increasing targeting of human rights defenders in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), particularly in villages and provinces in the east of the country, as the armed conflict intensifies.

“Attacks, intimidation and killings of human rights defenders continue on a daily basis in the Democratic Republic of Congo, despite repeated calls for authorities to step up efforts to investigate human rights violations in the country and arrest and bring perpetrators to justice,” said Mary Lawlor, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders.

From June 2023 to April 2024, the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office in the DRC documented incidents of intimidation, threats of physical violence, attacks and acts of reprisals targeting 387 human rights defenders and 67 journalists, perpetrated by both State agents and armed groups.

Lawlor noted that two women human rights defenders, members of the Youth Movement for Change (LUCHA), had been facing violence and death threats from Twigwaneho armed group since November 2023.

“When LUCHA organised public protests against recent attacks on their village in the South Kivu province, the rebel group sent armed forces to arrest them, forcing them to flee and go into hiding. To this day, they continue to receive death threats and live in hiding,” the expert said. One of the women’s mothers was abducted by the same rebel group in February 2024 and reportedly executed for not revealing her daughter’s whereabouts.

Obedi Karafuru, a human rights defender and head of the workers’ committee, was shot dead by unidentified men in his home village in rebel-held Rutshuru territory in North Kivu province. The Special Rapporteur noted that he had been working to secure fair compensation for former workers on a logging project and had been complaining to authorities for the past four years about death threats against him and his colleagues. “No investigation has been opened into the murder,” Lawlor said.

A human rights defender received death threats in February 2022 when he questioned the effectiveness of the Government’s state of emergency in North Kivu, stating that authorities had failed to guarantee the safety of the population. “The death threats forced him into hiding, as State authorities never responded to his call for protection,” the expert said. Four women human rights defenders from the women-led organisation Tous pour la Paix et la Cohésion Sociale, have been victims of kidnapping and violence following activities they organised around women’s rights.

The expert noted that the DRC adopted a law on the protection of human rights defenders in 2023, which meets the minimum international standards, and ensures special protection for women human rights defenders as well as physical protection of human rights defenders and their families.

“Many executions of human rights defenders are preceded by death threats,” Lawlor said, referring to the report she presented to the Human Rights Council in 2021. “Unless the physical integrity of human rights defenders is guaranteed, they will not be able to fully contribute to the construction of a just society that respects human rights,” she said.

“I call on authorities in the DRC to take all necessary measures to ensure a safe working space and protection for human rights defenders, as well as to guarantee the exercise of their rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association and to effectively and reliably investigate all cases of executions in accordance with international standards, including the Minnesota Protocol, and bring those responsible to justice,” Lawlor said.

The expert is in contact with the Government of the DRC on these cases.

Mary Lawlor is the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders.

This statement is endorsed by Gina Romero, Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association; Morris Tidball-Binz, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions.

The Special Rapporteurs, Independent Experts and Working Groups are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.

UN Human Rights, country page – Democratic Republic of Congo.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

The UN Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families (CMW) today issued its findings on the Republic of the Congo, Senegal and Türkiye.

The findings contain the Committee’s main concerns and recommendations on the implementation of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, as well as positive aspects. Key highlights include:

Congo
The Committee commended the several measures taken by Congo to combat trafficking in persons and exploitation and to improve birth registration. It, however, was concerned about the lack of detailed information and statistics on many migration-related issues. It recommended that the State party establish a system to collect data on the situation of migrant workers and their families, particularly those in an irregular situation, and provide publicly available statistics on foreign migrant workers, migrant workers in transit, nationals working abroad and their employment conditions, to effectively promote human rights-based migration policies.

The Committee also remained concerned about the information received on child labour in the informal sector and the fact that children often work in dangerous conditions. The Committee called for a national plan to reduce and eliminate child labour. It asked Congo to provide necessary assistance, including psychosocial rehabilitation, to migrant workers, especially children, who have been victims of labour exploitation, increase unannounced and spontaneous labour inspections, especially in the informal sector, as well as to prosecute and punish those exploiting migrant workers, in particular children.

Senegal
The Committee welcomed Senegal’s adoption of legislation and strategies to combat trafficking in persons and irregular migration. It, however, regretted the lack of a comprehensive plan on migration, a lack of a national coordination mechanism, and the shortcomings in processing disaggregated data about migrant workers. The Committee recommended the adoption of a comprehensive strategy on migration and a centralized system to collect data on migrant workers and their families, particularly those in irregular situations, in cooperation with the African Union Migration Observatory.

The Committee expressed its concern about the alleged exploitation of “talibé/koranic students” children, particularly those from neighbouring countries such as Guinea, Mali, Gambia and Guinea-Bissau, and the failure to reintegrate them into their families of origin. It also raised its concern over economic exploitation, particularly of migrant domestic workers and of children in gold mines. The Committee reiterated its previous recommendations to scale up the fight against this worrying phenomenon and ensure the perpetrators of forced labour and exploitation, especially children, are held accountable.

Türkiye
The Committee recognized Türkiye’s efforts in safeguarding the rights of migrant workers and their families, including as one of the world’s largest refugee-hosting countries. It, however, noted with concerns the continued reports of arbitrary detention and the detention of children, people with disabilities and others in vulnerable situations. It called on the State party to effectively implement alternatives to administrative detention, ensure that measures are taken to prevent arbitrary and unlawful detention, and cease migration-related detention of migrant workers and their families who are in vulnerable situations, in law and in practice.

The Committee also voiced its concern about information received on the large scale of expulsion of migrants, in addition to reports of involuntary returns. It called on the State party to uphold the principle of non-refoulement and the prohibition of collective and arbitrary expulsion by thoroughly evaluating each case individually and by transparently investigating allegations of coercion.

The above findings, officially known as Concluding Observations, are now available on the session page.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).