
The Centre for Democratic Movement (CDM) has sharply criticised the Government of Ghana for abstaining from a key United Nations vote on LGBTQ issues, describing the move as a “moral, cultural and constitutional betrayal.”
In a statement issued on July 15, 2025 the group expressed “deep disappointment and concern” over Ghana’s decision to abstain from voting on the renewal of the mandate of the UN Independent Expert on Protection Against Violence and Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (IE SOGI) during the 59th Session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC59) in Geneva.
The CDM argued that Ghana’s abstention rather than being an act of neutrality represented a deliberate evasion of responsibility, especially at a time when the global stage demanded clear moral leadership.
“At a moment when the global stage demanded clarity and conviction, Ghana chose silence,” the statement read, adding “this abstention is not a matter of neutrality; it is a calculated evasion of leadership at a time when the nation expected bold defence of our collective values, sovereignty and legal traditions.”
The group accused the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of offering a “misleading justification” for the abstention by framing the vote as a matter of non-discrimination.
The CDM insists the resolution went beyond preventing violence and instead endorsed reforms such as legalising same-sex marriage, recognising gender identity based on self-perception and challenging domestic laws that define family and sexuality using culturally rooted norms.
This is not the first time Ghana has abstained from a vote concerning the IE SOGI mandate. The CDM highlighted a similar decision in 2016 under then President John Mahama, when the mandate was first established.
According to the group, this recurring abstention illustrates a pattern of “diplomatic evasion” rather than a genuine effort to balance cultural values with international expectations.
Even after Ghana exited the Human Rights Council after its 59th session in 2019 and later rejoined in 2022, the country has consistently avoided taking a firm stance on the issue.
“The July 2025 abstention is, therefore, not an isolated event but the latest chapter in a pattern of diplomatic avoidance,” the statement said.
The CDM also pointed out that several African countries including Nigeria, Algeria, Sudan, Ethiopia and Malawi voted against the resolution, standing firmly in defence of their cultural and legal traditions.
Ghana, however, failed to align itself with its continental peers, instead offering what CDM called “vague constitutional justifications” while dodging the core issue: Whether or not Ghana is prepared to protect its cultural sovereignty at the international level.
The CDM reinforced its position by referencing Section 104 of Ghana’s Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), which criminalises “unnatural carnal knowledge” and Article 12(2) of the 1992 Constitution, which subjects fundamental rights and freedoms to respect for the rights of others and the public interest.
The statement also cited overwhelming public opposition to the legalisation of LGBTQ practices, as expressed by religious leaders, traditional authorities, civil society groups and national opinion polls.
“To ignore this overwhelming consensus is to undermine the legitimacy of our democracy,” the CDM asserted.
The CDM ended the statement with four key demands;
- A full and transparent explanation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the rationale behind the abstention,
- Immediate prioritisation and passage of the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill,
- Clarity from Parliament, particularly the NDC Majority, on their stance regarding LGBTQ policies,
- Increased mobilisation by religious, traditional and civil society actors to defend Ghana’s cultural values at the international level.
“To abstain in moments of moral clarity is to abandon the soul of a nation. Ghana must never allow her voice to be muffled at the very tables where her future is being negotiated,” the group said.
The post CDM Condemns Ghana’s Abstention On UN LGBTQ Vote appeared first on The Ghanaian Chronicle.
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