Dr Emmily Naphambo, the UNFPA Deputy Representative to Ghana who made the statement, underscored that incorporating human rights-based approaches into the activities of institutions and organisations would not only ensure respect for human rights and dignity and prevent conflicts but would enhance participation and inclusive development. "When we talk about human rights-based approach, we are focusing not just on the theoretical concept but really a practical way of how it can be applied at the workplace and also it demands that we place the rights and dignity of every individual at the centre of our planning and actions," she stressed.

Dr Naphambo was speaking in Bolgatanga at a two-day training workshop organised for selected stakeholders drawn from the decentralised state institutions including the District Assemblies in the Upper East Region.

The training was on the theme, "integrating human rights-based approaches into local planning and development". The engagement was part of the two-year Peace Building Fund (PBF) project being rolled out by a collaboration between the UNFPA and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

It is being implemented at selected border communities in Garu, Bawku West and Bongo Districts by the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council and the Youth Harvest Foundation Ghana.

The project is aimed at preventing and addressing the root causes of localised conflicts and vulnerabilities to violent extremism in Northern Ghana, particularly the border communities in the Upper East, Upper West and North East Regions.

The training brought together representatives from some beneficiary District Assemblies, Human rights institutions including the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, the Electoral Commission, Ghana Health Service, Ghana Education Service, Peace Council and some civil society organisations, among others.

Dr Naphambo said just like other parts of Northern Ghana, the Upper East Region had been challenged significantly with issues of conflicts and spill-over effects resulting from instability and activities of violent extremists from neighbouring countries.

She underscored the need for local governance structures particularly the Municipal and District Assemblies, to help build the resilience of communities against the shocks, through integrating the perspectives and demands of all persons as mandated by the Local Government Act.

She explained that the exclusion of certain sections of society particularly the vulnerable in development planning and implementation was one of the major causes of conflicts and urged the decentralised institutions to take into consideration the views and interests of all groups.

Madam Selina Owusu, a Gender Analyst, at UNFPA, said the training was part of the effort of the project to ensure that local governance institutions, actors and customary governance structures were more inclusive, responsive, committed, and accountable to deliver on their mandate, for quality services.

"The project aims to ensure that women and youth are more resilient to conflict triggers and fully and meaningfully participate in peacebuilding, local governance and economic development as well as promote state and non-state actor collaboration through the use of early warning systems to prevent conflict", she added.

Dr Esther Ofei-Aboagye, a Social Policy Analyst, who facilitated the training, identified lack of inclusion, coordination, and inadequate budgeting as major constraints in the implementation of the decentralised system of governance in Ghana and urged the District Assemblies to engage more with the communities to enhance inclusive development.