‘Focus on critical human rights issues’ — CHRAJ boss urges media

The Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Mr. Joseph Whittal has urged the media to prioritize reporting on critical human rights issues that often get overlooked.

Mr. Whittal was speaking at the opening of a two-day human rights capacity building workshop for journalists organized by CHRAJ in collaboration with the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Accra on Thursday, August 15.

The workshop aimed at equipping journalists with the skills to report on human rights, prevent hate speech and curb incitement to violence especially in the lead up to Ghana's general elections later this year.

In an interview, the CHRAJ boss praised the media for generally doing well in reporting human rights matters but noted “it is important that we bring out those critical issues that seem lost.”

He added “And so it's important that we appreciate that at the center of human rights, it's about vulnerability. If you cannot articulate and voice out on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves, if you become the persons who rather speak against the voiceless, then the whole dimensions of human rights, promotion and protection is lost.”

Mr. Whittal stressed the need for journalists to serve as the “voices of the voiceless, the persons who, for some reason or the other, at the receiving end, expect you to report with an appreciation of their angle.”

He further urged the media to closely monitor governments human rights commitments including the over 260 recommendations Ghana accepted during its last Universal Periodic Review at the UN.

This, according to the CHRAJ boss, will help interrogate government actions and inactions on improving the rights situation in critical areas.

The workshop, which is currently ongoing, brings together journalists from both private and state-owned media organizations in Ghana.