What We Do(Programmes)
The CHRI believes that access to information and access to justice are matrix conditions without which realisation of human rights and good governance cannot become reality. It focuses on issues relating to accountability and participation in governance through three broad thematic areas namely Access to Justice (ATJ); Access to Information (ATI) and Human Rights Monitoring also known as Strategic Initiative Programme (SIP), with the SIP serving as a cross-cutting initiative and an opportunity to strategically work in any other human rights issues that are pertinent at a particular given time. We work through research, advocacy, capacity building, and grassroots mobilisation.
Access to Justice
A major component of the CHRI mandate is the promotion and protection of the right to justice. The Africa Office access to justice programme has evolved over the years from strictly advocating for reforms in the Ghana Police Service to ensure more accountability, and conformity to international human rights standards; to monitoring the accessibility of justice to Ghanaians in terms of access to the judicial system- especially the right to fair trials.
Access to Information
CHRI works to raise public awareness about the value of the right to information as a facilitating right for the realization of all other human rights. It works to promote and protect the right to information on the continent in partnership with local and international bodies such as community based organizations, media, marginalized groups, Africa Freedom of Information Centre (AFIC) and the Freedom of Information Advocates Network (FOIAnet).
Strategic Initiative Programme
(Human Rights Monitoring)
CHRI Africa’s Human Rights advocacy extends to a range of contemporary human rights issues and in the past these have included forced evictions in Ghana; extra-judicial killings in the Gambia; detention of Liberian refugees in Ghana; rights of persons with disability; Access to mental health in Ghana; contemporary human rights issues within Commonwealth West Africa, to mention but a few. CHRI usually conducts fact-finding missions, holds workshops and meetings with the relevant stakeholders; conducts media and publicity campaigns in order to highlight major issues. It engages with global and regional mechanisms to promote human rights through the submission of human rights status reports of Commonwealth Africa countries to inter-governmental bodies such as the UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR), UN Human Rights Council (HRC) and the AU ACHPR.