IDEG launches 2013 State of the Union Report

The Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG) in collaboration with the State of the Union Coalition on Wednesday launched the “2013 State of The Union (SoTU) Report, Ghana”.

The 83-page report contains results from a study which was carried out by a team of researchers under the SoTU project, to audit and monitor compliance and implementation of Protocols, Conventions and Decisions of the African Union (AU) Member States.

The project, seeks to monitor States compliance with 16 instruments and policy standards of the AU in order to ascertain the extent of compliance and facilitate a dialogue on addressing challenges to implementation.

It further provides a tool for citizens to engage governments on the basis of performance and the findings among other things would; encourage more participation in the decision making process and contribute to developing strong institutions, good governance and accountability and promote the principles of democracy, which are necessary for the development and wellbeing of citizens.

Some of the instruments and policy standards of the AU include the African Charter on human and Peoples’ rights in Africa (1981), African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (2007), Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (2003) and the Maputo Plan of Action for implementing the Continental Sexual and Reproductive Health and rights Policy framework 2007 to 2010 (2006).

Ghana’s study realises the ever yawning gap between the ratification of a large number of AU and United Nations Protocols, and their implementation, retarding actual growth in areas including the promotion of democratic principle and institutions, good governance as well as the respect and protection for human rights among other things.

The core message of the study was that as a country, Ghana must be quick and decisive in her policy implementation in order to realise the desired growth and development.

Mr Victor Gbeho, the Immediate Past ECOWAS President who launched the report, commended the IDEG and the SoTU Project implementers for their hard work and effort and pledged government’s continuous supports towards the success of the project.

He said the findings of the report was a wake-up call to all stakeholders to strategise and put in more effort on implementation and enforcement in areas such as education, health, agriculture, human rights as well as good governance among other things.

Professor S.K.B Asante, Executive Director, Centre for Regional Integration, who chaired the programme called for the renewal of the Africa mind-set which is embodied in attitudes, saying the journey to a new and refreshing continent would not be an easy one and for that matter Ghanaians must be up to the task.

Mr Edwin N. Adjei, Director for Policy Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Bureau of the Ministry of foreign Affairs and Regional Integration said although Ghana has over the years demonstrated a lot of good will by ratifying international legal instruments, “this unfortunately has not been matched by a similarly commendable record of implementation at the national level”.

He encouraged stakeholders including the media and civil society organisations to intensify their roles in bringing some of these protocols to the fore for public discourse, and to partner with government in their implementation.

Mr Kingsley Obeng Kyere, Member of the Steering Committee of the SoTU National Platform said the report, which was the second edition, tracked Ghana government’s implementation of 16 AU instruments, analysing the successes achieved and challenges that bedeviled effective implementation of such protocols.

The report found out that Ghana had fairly complied with all the 16 Instruments it has ratified, but while remarkable successes have been achieved in some areas, other sectors still leaves more room for improvement.

He said there is however the fear of non-implementation of most of the numerous protocols that has been ratified and signed by the State, therefore the SoTu platform has been created to deal with the challenges of information sharing and dissemination and also for advocacy to push government and policy makers to implement these instruments.

Professor Kwame Ninsin, Lead Researcher and Scholar in Residence in IDEG, said the issues raised in the report are very critical as they have been a source of great worry for generations.