Ghana In-Country Working Group
Since 2017, the Ghana In-Country Working Group (ICWG) meets quarterly to discuss security and human rights issues in the natural resource sector, share best practices and lessons learned. The ICWG also support efforts of the Government of Ghana, a member of the Voluntary Principles Initiative, implement programs and policy related to the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPSHR). The ICWG comprises government officials, private sector representatives and non-governmental organizations. Its priority areas include public security training, private security licensing and regulatory reforms, security and human rights application in small scale mining and coordination between oil and gas sector actors and coastal communities.
To date, the ICWG has not only convened quarterly coordination meetings, but also facilitated the development and implementation of key aspects of the Ghanian National Action Plan on security and human rights; enabled the establishment of a Permanent Secretariat within the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources; and undertaken numerous field visits to large scale mine operations to monitor their implementation of the VPSHR.
The working group will be piloting a training curriculum for private and public security to establish standardized security practices; continue to build capacity of entities operating in Ghana to comply with the VPSHR; and ensure sustained awareness raising through national, regional, and community-level sensitization for widespread understanding and support for security standards. The ICWG plans to conduct a training on the VPSHR for the new recruits of the recently launched Blue Water Guards initiative. The “river guards/wardens” will protect Ghana’s water bodies, particularly rivers, which have been adversely impacted by illegal mining activities.
Recent Activities
Partnering with the Ghana Chamber of Mines, the ICWG held a training for 150 police officers in 2024 at the Police Command and Staff College in Winneba. The session was part of a training program for officers assigned to specific mines in Ghana. The presentation covered the fundamental principles of the VPSHR and their implementation in mining environments. In November 2024, the Ghana ICWG co-chairs conducted two site visits to AngloGold Ashanti and Newmont mining concessions to monitor compliance with the VPSHR at the respective company sites.
The ICWG continues to hold quarterly meetings to discuss, review, and take action on relevant security, peace and policy issues. Additionally, bi-annual NGO and Government pillar meetings are scheduled where participants discuss key issues essential for effectively implementing the ICWG outcomes.
Contacts
Ghana ICWG secretariat: Fund For Peace
Name: Christopher Nyarko
Email: cnyarko@fundforpeace.org
Name: Perin Arkun
Email: parkun@fundforpeace.org