Abstract

Ghana’s development agenda is normatively guided by international human rights standards and principles. The economic and social objectives of the State as espoused in the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP) in the Constitution provide a broad framework that should inform government’s development policies. To accomplish the DPSP, development policy makers must be abreast with human rights principles and standards. In particular, they must implement the policies with a view to protecting the well-being of vulnerable groups. Whilst it cannot be denied that economic development is the panacea for the enjoyment of human rights, it is not without its own attendant problems, including egregious violations of human rights. In the pursuit of the right to development, serious human rights abuses are sometimes committed. In this article, I review the monitoring role of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) in promoting the human rights of communities impacted by mining operations in Ghana. The review is based on the CHRAJ report on the State of Human Rights in Mining Communities in Ghana. The report, which paints a gloomy picture of the debilitating effects of mining operations in Ghana recommended legislative reforms in the entire mining industry.