Ayorkor Botchwey charges international community to protect human rights

Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, has tasked the international community to commit to protecting and promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms. That, she said, is key to achieving the core principles of the Agenda 2030. Madam Ayorkor Botchwey made the call when she participated in a symposium on Fundamental Freedoms at the International Peace Institute in New York, USA, on Thursday, September 26, 2019. The Trygve Lie Symposium is an annual event on fundamental freedoms It is a partnership between the international Peace Institute and the Royal Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway. Addressing the gathering, the Ghanaian diplomat stated that “If the core principles of Agenda 2030 of not leaving anyone behind is to be realized, then it is incumbent on the international community to commit to promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms, which inter alia, includes ensuring that every citizen has access to good healthcare, potable water, quality education, a safe and clean environment, and is able to exercise his or her civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights.” Human rights, she said, are universal, inalienable, inter-related, inter-dependent, and mutually reinforcing. Ghana, she said, was extremely delighted to have actively engaged in negotiations in 2014 and 2015, leading to the adoption of Agenda 2030. “Whilst doing so, we were cognisant of the need to ensure that our own national development priorities were reflected in the final document of the SDGs,” she said. According to her, Ghana recognized that development can only thrive in an environment that promotes democracy, respect for human Rights and fundamental freedoms, and rule of law. She stated that after earning the title of being the first sub-Saharan African country to achieve the goal of halving poverty under the Millennium Development Goals, Ghana is challenging herself to meet all 17 goals of the 2030 agenda. Source: 3news.com | Ghana]]>