The Accra office of CHRI is the centre of the organisation’s work in Commonwealth African countries. It has, since its inception in 2001, made significant strides in achieving the mandate of ensuring transparency and accountability in governance. CHRI’s Africa Office follows the same mandate and focus areas as the Headquarters, and mirrors the same patterns of progression in its work.

The office was set up as the CHRI headquarters in India began to stabilise, with a view to pay greater attention to the 15 Commonwealth countries in the continent. Ghana, a stable, democratic and increasingly influential African Commonwealth country, was a natural choice and a good fit for the work. As it slowly took root in the country, the office had to deal with similar dilemmas as the office in India had: To balance its role as an international organisation having a wide geographical mandate, with the expectations from a human rights organisation within Ghana itself.

Since then, CHRI Africa has spearheaded the formation of a Coalition on the Right to Information with membership from the National Media Commission, religious bodies, non-governmental organisations, the Ghana Bar Association and journalists. The coalition meets regularly to brainstorm on direction of its advocacy and to exchange information on the issue. A significant victory for the team came on 22 May 2019 when Ghanian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo gave assent to the Right to Information Act in Accra.

The office has also been working towards the establishment of an Independent Police Complaints Commission/Authority (IPCC/A) since 2005. Part of its current advocacy, which has been ongoing since 2014, is centred around re-activating and sustaining the debate on the need for an IPCC in Ghana, and as increasing citizen awareness and participation in its discourse. To this end, it has conducted research on IPCC models around the world, and engaged CSOs and stakeholders.

Ghana Office