Civil society organisations, Key Watch Ghana and the Intersex Movement Ghana, have commended the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) and President John Dramani Mahama for leading efforts at the United Nations to recognise the transatlantic slave trade as gravest crime against humanity, while calling for urgent domestic reforms to protect intersex persons.
In a joint statement, the groups described Ghana’s role in spearheading the adoption of the landmark resolution at the United Nations General Assembly as “historic and morally significant,” adding that it “reinforces the country’s longstanding commitment to justice, dignity, and human rights on the global stage.”
However, they stressed that Ghana’s global leadership must be matched with action at home.
“We emphasize that this global leadership must now be matched with concrete domestic action,” the statement said.
The organisations are urging the Mahama government to ratify and domesticate key human rights instruments, including the United Nations Human Rights Council Resolution A/HRC/RES/55/14 (2024) and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights Resolution 552 (2023), both of which Ghana has supported.
According to the groups, these frameworks provide clear guidance for protecting intersex persons, particularly in addressing harmful practices.
They called for an end to “intersex genital mutilation and non-consensual medical interventions,” as well as measures to “prohibit infanticide and harmful practices against intersex children” and to “ensure legal recognition of sex and gender for all intersex persons.”
The groups further described such practices as severe violations of fundamental rights.
“We further stress that intersex genital mutilation, forced ‘normalization’ medical procedures, and infanticide are grave human rights violations that require urgent recognition and redress,” the groups noted.
Drawing parallels with the UN’s recognition of the slave trade, the organisations argued that similar urgency must be applied to ongoing abuses.
“Just as the world has recognized the slave trade as a crime against humanity, we must also confront and end ongoing violations that deny the right to life, dignity and bodily autonomy,” they stated.
The groups appealed to the Mahama administration to act decisively.
“Ghana has shown leadership before the world. Now is the time to lead home,” the statement emphasised.
