Madina MP calls for equal rights for all on International Human Rights Day

The Member of Parliament for the Madina Constituency, Hon. Francis-Xavier Sosu, has urged Ghanaians to be committed to the creation of a world characterized by equal human rights for all.

The lawmaker further challenged ]]government to be committed to providing opportunities like education, better training or volunteerism and employment for “all Ghanaians as enshrined in Chapter 5 of the 1992 Constitution.”

Lawyer Sosu made the call in his Statement on the House of Parliament on the celebration of International Human Rights Day 2021 last Friday, December 10, 2021.

He urged the government, organisations and individuals not to show support only on International Days, but to do so always.

“Mr. Speaker, where there are right holders, there is also duty bearers. The State has the ultimate duty to uphold and promote the fundamental rights of all Ghanaians as enshrined in Chapter 5 of the 1992 Constitution. Article 12 does not only guarantee the fundamental rights of all Ghanaians, but also places a duty on the Executive and its agencies to ensure that these rights are protected.

“Mr. Speaker, it is time for Ghana to take the bull by the horn and showcase to the world that it is Human Rights complaints through various government programs and projects and pieces of legislations that will uphold the right and dignity of all vulnerable and marginalized persons within our country” part of his Statement reads.

Promotion

On how to enhance the promotion on equal rights, Lawyer Sosu indicated it “implies the need to have a human rights-based approach to development. In Ghana, data published by Oxfam Ghana on inequality shows that ‘inequality is on the rise, undermining poverty reduction, holding back economic growth and threatening social stability.’ Furthermore, Covid-19 and its related challenge have led to a deepening of these inequalities.”

Theme

This year’s theme for the celebration was about ‘Equality’ that refers to Article 1 of the UDHR – “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.”

The theme is aligned with the UN’s 2030 agenda that talks about the international body’s approach towards finding sustainable solutions “for deep-rooted forms of discrimination that have affected the most vulnerable people in societies, including women and girls, indigenous peoples, people of African descent, LGBTI people, migrants and people with disabilities, among others”.

Purpose

The UDHR is deemed a milestone document that is available in more than 500 languages and is said to be the most translate document in the world, according to the UN’s official website.

There have been multiple precursors to the 20th-century document and to name a few, it would be — the Magna Carta drafted in 1215, the English Bill of Rights of 1689, the French Declaration on the Rights of Man and Citizen of 1789, the US Constitution and Bill of Rights in 1791 and so on. However, when these documents were translated it was found out that the policies ignored women, people of colour, race and religion.