The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has clarified that no vote was taken in support of LGBTQI+ rights during the 59th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC59).
Rather, the resolution in question pertained to the renewal of the mandate of the Independent Expert on Protection Against Violence and Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI).
Subsequently, the ministry has urged the public to ignore media reports suggesting that Ghana’s stance on LGBTQI+ has changed.
In a press statement released on Wednesday, July 9, the ministry said it had closely monitored media commentary on Ghana’s vote at the 59th Session of the HRC59 and clarified that “There was no vote on the support of LGBTQI for which Ghana abstained as has been wrongly reported by a section of the Ghanaian media.”
“On Monday, 7th July, 2025, Ghana abstained from the HRC’s vote on the renewal of the Mandate of the Independent Expert on Protection Against Violence and Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity,” the statement read.
“The question before the Council was whether persons who identify as LGBTQI should be protected against violence and discrimination or not. It was not about support for LGBTQI rights,” it added.
The statement further explained that Ghana abstained from the vote to remain consistent with Article 17 of Chapter 5 of the 1992 Constitution, which prohibits discrimination based on gender, race, ethnicity, religion, or social and economic status.
It said the resolution calls for the Independent Expert to continue annual reporting to the Human Rights Council and the UN General Assembly.
“Our understanding of the traditional definition of gender is the male sex or female sex, especially when considered with reference to social and cultural differences. Similarly, sex in our view refers to either of the two main categories (male and female) into which humans and most other living things are divided and used for statistical purposes and policy monitoring”.
“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,” it concluded.
Attached below is copy of the full statement
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS – PRESS RELEASE
GHANA’S VOTE ON THE RENEWAL OF THE MANDATE OF THE INDEPENDENT EXPERT ON PROTECTION AGAINST VIOLENCE AND DISCRIMINATION BASED ON SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY (SOGI) AT THE 59TH SESSION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL (HRC59)
ACCRA, 9TH JULY, 2025 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has closely monitored media commentary on Ghana’s vote at the 59th Session of the Human Rights Council (HRC59) on the resolution for the Renewal of the Mandate of the Independent Expert on Protection Against Violence and Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI).
The Ministry wishes to clarify as follows:
There was no vote on the support of LGBTQI for which Ghana abstained as has been wrongly reported by a section of the Ghanaian media.
On Monday, 7th July, 2025, Ghana abstained from the HRC’s vote on the renewal of the Mandate of the Independent Expert on Protection Against Violence and Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.
The question before the Council was whether persons who identify as LGBTQI should be protected against violence and discrimination or not. It was not about support for LGBTQI rights.
Ghana abstained in the vote, to be consistent with Chapter 5, Article 17 of the 1992 Constitution, which specifically prohibits discrimination on the grounds of gender, race, colour, ethnic origin, religion, creed, or social and economic status.
The resolution requests the Independent Expert to continue to report annually on the implementation of the mandate to the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly in accordance with their respective programmes of work.
In a statement delivered by the Permanent Representative of Ghana during the Session, he unequivocally clarified Ghana’s position on the subject by stating inter alia that:
‘Our understanding of the traditional definition of gender is the male sex or female sex, especially when considered with reference to social and cultural differences. Similarly, sex in our view refers to either of the two main categories (male and female) into which humans and most other living things are divided and used for statistical purposes and policy monitoring’.
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.
TO ALL MEDIA HOUSES
FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF MINISTRY
REPUBLIC OF GHANA
