During the 85th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Banjul, participants stressed the urgent need to confront escalating environmental challenges in Africa. Ghanaian lawmaker Hon. Ernest Yaw Anim highlighted the severe environmental crisis marked by desertification, pollution, and deforestation, noting that illegal mining in Ghana has severely damaged water bodies and farmland. He emphasized that these issues represent significant human rights violations, underscoring the importance of robust implementation of existing environmental laws and accountability for corporations.
Anim called for improvements in regulatory frameworks, accessible justice for communities, and the strengthening of parliamentary oversight to ensure effective environmental legislation. He argued that Africa needs a serious and coordinated response rooted in human rights to address its environmental crisis.
Voke Ighorodje from the REED Center echoed these concerns, warning of the severe global pressure on the environment, with forests disappearing and temperatures rising. He advocated for the recognition of “ecocide” as an international crime, suggesting this could hold corporations and governments accountable for environmental destruction, particularly in Africa, which suffers disproportionately despite contributing the least to global degradation. Recognizing ecocide would help reinforce human rights and address underlying causes of displacement and poverty.
