Media urged to help enforce human rights laws

Accra, Aug. 23, GNA - Mr. Justice U.P. Dery, Justice of the High Court of Ghana has called on the media to help enforce the fundamental human rights of Ghanaians. He said, although it was the primary responsibility of the judiciary to enforce the rights and freedoms of the citizens, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the media have an important role to play in the promotion and enforcement of these rights. Mr. Dery made the call at a Human Rights Leadership Forum and Competition organized by the Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI) in Accra.

He indicated that the involvement of the media and other bodies would help expose human rights violations and educate the masses about their rights and the enforcement mechanisms. Mr. Dery said that human rights were universal and that their enforcement should be done devoid of political affiliation, nationality, religion, gender, and ethnic origin and that the failure to enforce these laws may result in civil wars. Mr. Sammy Jacobs Abbey, Sub-Saharan Africa Coordinator of YHRI, explained that the forum was to inform and train young men and women to enable them to champion the advocacy for human rights and enforcement of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. He said this was necessary for the youth to appreciate the need to ensure tolerance and peace in the society. The forum rounded up with a competition organized for selected senior high schools in Greater Accra on the right to education, child labour and child trafficking. The contesting schools were Accra Girls Senior High, Chemu Senior High, Labone Senior High and Presbyterian Boys School, Legon.