By: Joseph Momoh,Dailyscope Reporter
The government used its appearance before the UN Human Rights Council on Tuesday to renew its commitment to abolishing capital punishment permanently, as member states examined the country’s human rights record in the fourth-cycle Universal Periodic Review.
Attorney-General and Justice Minister Alpha Sesay led the delegation in Geneva, presenting reforms enacted since the last review in May 2021. Ghana, South Korea and Spain served as troika rapporteurs.
Sesay highlighted the 2022 decision to end the death penalty and said the government is moving to ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to make the ban irreversible. The move, he said, reflects the government’s long-term stance against capital punishment.
The delegation also pointed to the Criminal Procedure Act 2024, which came into force in September 2025. Officials described it as the most far-reaching overhaul of the criminal justice system in over six decades, streamlining court procedures, expanding non-custodial sentences, and strengthening protections for victims, persons with disabilities and older people.
On inclusion, the government cited the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Act 2022 for lifting female representation in Parliament above 30 percent, a threshold it plans to maintain in the proposed constitution. The Child Rights Act 2025 was also flagged for fixing the age of criminal responsibility at 14.
In social sectors, authorities reported the expansion of more than 1,600 health facilities, falling maternal mortality, and improved adolescent health services. The Free Quality School Education Programme was credited with boosting enrolment, particularly among girls.
The government further underscored its advocacy for a Fourth Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child to establish a global right to free education.
Officials acknowledged ongoing challenges, including prison overcrowding, court delays, high adolescent pregnancy rates, and climate impacts on coastal communities. Sesay reiterated the government’s position that climate change constitutes a human rights issue.
“The Universal Periodic Review remains an important platform for accountability, shared learning and the strengthening of national human rights systems,” he said, noting that recommendations from member states would inform future reforms.
Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Frances Piagie Alghali said the report was validated in January 2026 through consultations with government agencies, civil society, independent commissions and development partners.
Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Dr. Lansana Gberie, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the UPR process ahead of the Working Group’s adoption of recommendations on May 15.
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