The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child has commended GHANA for hosting the 2024 Children’s Model Summit of the Future in Accra, where 82 children engaged in policy discussions.

The Committee made the commendation as it wrapped up its review of Ghana’s sixth and seventh combined reports under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, praising key initiatives while spotlighting persistent challenges.

Presenting the report at the 6th and 7th periodic reviews before the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in Geneva, Switzerland, the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, reaffirmed Ghana’s leadership in child rights, recalling that it was the first country to ratify the Convention in 1990.

She highlighted a nationwide, decentralised child protection and family welfare system reaching even underserved communities.

The Committee Expert and Taskforce Coordinator, Benyam Dawit Mezmur, applauded Ghana’s hosting of the 2024 Children’s Model Summit of the Future in Accra, where 82 children engaged in policy discussions, saying it was a milestone for youth participation.

The Committee also noted progress on birth registration, with rates climbing from 58 per cent in 2015 to 91 per cent in 2023, thanks to the Births and Deaths Act (2020), mobile registration, and community registers.

Concerns

However, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, Aissatou Alassane Sidikou, flagged the continued acceptance of corporal punishment despite UN recommendations.

Ghana’s delegation responded by citing strengthened collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Ghana Education Service, legal prohibitions on inhumane treatment, and the forthcoming National Parenting Strategy (2025) to end violence against children and women.

On birth registration, Ghana’s delegation also stressed that it is free until age one, with late registration available, and community volunteers ensuring nationwide coverage in accessible formats.

The Ghanaian delegation included representatives from the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection; the Ministry of Justice; the Ministry of Finance; the Parliament of Ghana; and the Permanent Mission of Ghana to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

The Committee will issue its concluding observations on Ghana at the end of its one hundredth session on January 30, 2026.