Sixth Committee, 18th meeting – General Assembly, 79th session

Mr. Solomon Korbieh
Minister and legal adviser
Permanent Mission of Ghana
Trusteeship Council Chamber,
UNHQ New York
October 18, 2024

AGENDA ITEM OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY SIXTH COMMITTEE ENTITLED “THE RULE OF LAW AT NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL LEVELS (AGENDA ITEM 83)

Mr. Chairman,

Thank you for giving me the floor. The delegation of Ghana, once again, welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the discussion on the international and national dimensions of the rule of law, a subject, that we have always believed is, of fundamental importance to the realization of the values and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations.

We align ourselves with the statements of the African Group and the Non-Aligned Movement and would like to add the following remarks in our national capacity.

We welcome the report of the Secretary General contained in document A/79/117 which highlights developments and activities with respect to the rule of law both at the national and international levels during the year under review. We also welcome the information provided in the report on the subject related to the codification, development and promotion of an international framework of norms and values, highlighting the treaty actions that were undertaken by member states this past session. My delegation is of the view that the Report affords another opportunity to assess the commitments we made and our adherence to them while exploring ways of improving the implementation of the rule of law at both the national and international levels.

Mr. Chairman,
We further welcome the emphasis placed in the report to issues related to capable and accountable justice and security institutions, community-oriented security and armed violence reduction, access to justice for marginalized groups, security and justice for women and girls, culture of lawfulness among others in the promotion of the rule of law.

We are particularly appreciative of the Secretary-General’s personal commitment to advancing the New Vision of the Rule of law with a people-centred approach to governance and justice. It is worthy to note that the United Nations has invested in advancing justice and security, including by using digital technologies, to improve the accessibility, efficiency, transparency and accountability of justice and security institutions. Such an approach is critical in our view to the realization of Sustainable Goal 16 focused on promoting just, peaceful and inclusive societies.

Mr. Chairman,
On equal access to justice for all, Ghana believes that access to justice is a key component of a fair, effective, inclusive and efficient justice system, so that all groups in society can equally enjoy their rights. We, therefore, commend the efforts of the United Nations to expand access to justice involve supporting Member States in strengthening access to legal aid, human rights-based and gender sensitive policing, the efficiency, presence and accountability of criminal justice institutions, support for and protection of victims of crime and the responsible use of technology in the criminal justice system. We note, the number of operational courts and mobile court hearings supported by the United Nations continued to increase in the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali and South Sudan.

The Government of Ghana in 2019, launched the e-Justice programme designed to address the persisting inadequacies of the manual court system that impedes justice delivery on many levels. At the heart of the programme is the commitment to enhance justice delivery by improving access, facilitating the speedy disposal of cases and supporting case management through the automation of the existing manual systems. The programme forms part of efforts to increase the focus on integrity, reduce opportunities for corruption, increase transparency and accountability and deal efficiently and effectively with complaints. Positive impacts are being recorded as the programme is progressively rolled out to all 16 administrative regions of the country with a view to achieving country-wide access.

Mr. Chairman,
I wish to recall that the SG’s report during the 78th session raised concerns about the increasing dissipation of the commitments to uphold principles of rule of law. It is regrettable that we are still witnessing such increasing dissipation of the commitments especially with the numerous conflicts around the globe. Ghana has observed that the pursuit of immediate and inward-looking interests above the long-term collective interests of the greater masses have contributed to the many complex and compounding challenges of our time.

With the continuous multi-crisis mounting across the world, States, as primary actors of the international system, must work to restore the centrality of the rule of law. We reiterate our call to States to collectively renew our commitments contained in the 1970 Declaration of Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Cooperation among States in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and the landmark 2012 Declaration on the Rule of Law.

Mr. Chairman,
Ghana wishes to take this opportunity to once again, underscore its resolve in its ambition to achieve a just, fair and equitable rules-based order, that also provides a balance between peace, development and human rights.

Mr. Chairman,
In concluding, I wish to reiterate my country’s commitment to the rule of law, which underpins Ghana’s 1992 Constitution, and to ensuring that the institutions of government established under the constitution abide by the tenets and principles set forth in the constitution. The separation of powers and the independence of those institutions are all relevant to the rule of law, good governance and accountability. Ghana has embedded these principles in its national culture over the years and is making progress in deepening them. This is because we believe the rule of law underpins the fundamental rights of our people and the overall development of our country. It is in this vein that Ghana embraces every occasion that presents an opportunity to further develop our capacity in the Rule of Law and would continue to engage and utilize such opportunities to the benefit of our country.

I thank you Mr. Chairman