Adoa News Adoa News
Ghana has expressed strong opposition to attempts to abolish the International Criminal Court (ICC), arguing that the institution should instead be strengthened to help hold perpetrators of crimes against humanity accountable.
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa made the position known during a United Nations General Assembly high-level meeting in New York marking the 25th anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action. The UN meeting was held on September 28, 2026, to renew international efforts to combat racism, racial discrimination and related intolerance.
“The ICC needs our protection, not our condemnation,” Ablakwa said, stressing the need for serious consequences for those who commit crimes against humanity and violate the principles underpinning the Durban Declaration.
The Minister said the 25th anniversary should serve as a call for concrete action against racism, racial discrimination and historical injustice.
He pointed to continuing concerns over anti-Black racism, xenophobia and major crises, including those in Palestine and Sudan, arguing that the commitments made 25 years ago must translate into meaningful action.
Ablakwa also raised concerns about Africa’s representation in the United Nations Security Council, questioning why a continent with about 1.4 billion people still does not have a permanent seat on the Council.
On reparatory justice, the Foreign Affairs Minister said the consequences of slavery and the trafficking of enslaved Africans continue to affect present-day inequalities.
He referenced Ghana’s efforts to advance the reparatory justice agenda at the United Nations, including a Ghana-led resolution on the transatlantic trafficking and enslavement of Africans. Ghana has also been advocating for measures including the restitution of looted cultural property and heritage.
Ablakwa said Ghana was seeking a sincere apology, the return of looted property, measures to address continuing harm and assurances that similar atrocities would not be repeated.
“The Durban Commitments must become reality, not a mere slogan,” he told the General Assembly.
The UN has described the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action as a global framework for combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, with the 2026 anniversary intended to renew political commitment to its implementation.