"Ghana Gov’t Implored To Support UN Binding Treaty", 20 October 2020.

Caritas Ghana in partnership with DKA Austria and Misereor Germany, organised a stakeholders Virtual Workshop to heighten awareness of Local Civil Society Organizations, especially members of the FAITH in Ghana Alliance, about the Binding Treaty process and how they can influence the Government of Ghana to support the Binding Treaty...

In a concept note at the virtual Workshop, Mr. Samuel Zan Akologo, the Chief Executive Officer of Caritas Ghana said the Virtual Workshop will help to build a strong Civil Society voice to lobby the Government to support the Binding Treaty Agreement during the Intergovernmental negotiations in Geneva and engage the State institutions charged with land and environmental management.

He stated that it was also aimed to encourage greater Civil Society Organisation participation and advocacy on the Binding Treaty Process and to generate national media interest and support for the Binding Treaty...

In 2020, States and Civil Society were given up-to 29th February, to submit their comments on Draft 1 to the OEIGWG. Between April and May, the Presidency of the OEIGWG convened consultations to define and confirm the inputs. In August, the Draft 2 of the Binding Treaty was published by the OEIGWG Presidency. The Global Campaign also issued a statement on the second revised draft of the UN Binding Treaty.

This, according Mr. Akologo “is where the international movement has got to. The next 6th Session of the OEIGWG comes off from the 24th to 31st October, 2020,” he stated, adding that “In recent past, we witnessed the global demand for bio-fuel (cf. Kyoto Protocol 1997, 2006 fuel crisis and EU 2030 Agenda) as well as 2007 to 2008 also saw the global food crisis that led to high food prices.”...The emanating effects include food crops cleared, loss of jobs and income; water bodies polluted, forest destroyed without proper afforestation programme and land left in worse form without reclamation programme.

This impunity of TNCs and the revolt of the affected indigenes have led to an international call on the UN and State Governments to bring to order through a binding treaty the activities of these TNCs and the responsibilities of the States involved...

According to the Caritas Ghana CEO “This issue is directly affecting peasant farmers in view of land being central to their life, livelihoods, identity, heritage and food security (cf. Laudato Si 146),” adding “We see this problem at Okumaning (Eastern Region), Babator (Savanna Region) and Brewaniase (Oti Region), and all the mining communities in Ghana.