Third Committee, 10th plenary meeting – General Assembly, 81st session

Ambassador Samuel Yao Kumah
Ghana’s Representative to the United Nations
Conference Room 1,
United Nations HQ, New York
7^th October 2026

DEBATE ON AGENDA ITEM 70 ON THE “PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS” TO BE DELIVERED DURING THE THIRD COMMITTEE PLENARY MEETING.

Madam Chair,
Ghana congratulates you and members of your Bureau and assure you of our delegation’s support.

Ghana aligns itself with the statement of the African Group.

Our commitment to human rights and fundamental freedoms is unequivocal. This derives from our Constitution, the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

The credibility of this Organisation rests on how we protect human dignity. Human rights are universal, indivisible and interdependent. Upholding them creates the necessary conditions for lasting peace and sustainable development. Our responsibility is to turn these principles into protection that people can experience in their daily lives.

Madam Chair,
As we mark the fortieth anniversary of the Declaration on the Right to Development, Ghana calls for concrete action to ensure that everyone can fully participate in, contribute to and benefit from development. We welcome the Special Rapporteur’s report and reaffirm the need for meaningful participation in development decisions. Ghana continues to advance access to health care and education and to reduce poverty.

Protecting migrant workers and their families is integral to this commitment. Ghana is pursuing bilateral labour agreements to strengthen legal safeguards for our workers abroad. These frameworks must promote fair recruitment, decent working conditions and access to remedies, while preventing exploitation. We urge Member States to place human rights at the centre of migration governance, consistent with the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.

Madam Chair,
Ghana deplores the civilian suffering caused by ongoing conflicts; from The Sudan and Gaza to the Russian-Ukraine war. We call for an end to hostilities, full respect for international humanitarian and human rights law, protection of civilian population and critical infrastructure, and sustained diplomacy towards a just and lasting peace.

As a member of the Human Rights Council, Ghana remains committed to constructive cooperation. We seek re-election to continue advancing the Council’s mandate and the promise of human dignity for all.

I thank you.