Second Week at CHRAJ

My second week at CHRAJ was busy yet rewarding. On 29^th May, 2006, Mr. Jean Baptiste Niyizunigero, the Africa Program Officer for the Association for the Prevention of Torture and Mr. Philippe Tremblay Optional Protocol to the UN Convention Against Torture Campaign Co-ordinator, arrived for a meeting at the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) main Office Accra. A meeting I was very surprised to be allowed to sit in. The purpose of their visit was to promote Ghana’s ratification and implementation of the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture (OPCAT), which will enter into force on 22 June 2006.

My participation involved observing the meeting and taking notes which was to be used in a later report. The report, which I completed the same day was handed over to Mr. Lartey my assistant supervisor for proof reading and then later to Ms. Bossman, my supervisor.

During the week I was introduced formally to the work of the Legal Registry and research departments. I have been able to read over some of the CHRAJ cases and final decisions. This is in preparation for my own experience with live cases.

On Wednesday, May 31^st, Mr. Tremblay and Mr. Niyizunigero arrived again at CHRAJ for a panel discussion with local and international NGO’s, Ghanaian State and Law Enforcement officials. According to Ms. Anna Bossman Acting Commissioner of CHRAJ, for the implementation of the Optional Protocol to work effectively, NGO’s Law Enforcement and Government officials need to work together to ensure that Ghana’s commitment to preventing torture is carried out. The meeting ended on an encouraging note with all parties present vowing to ensure that the Optional Protocol if ratified by Ghana would be successfully implemented.

I was have been assigned to work on a research project on Children’s Rights with an

emphasize on Education and Healthcare. I would be spending majority of my time next week hopefully working on this project.