Patrick Boamah questions Ghana’s UN abstention on LGBTQ+ vote

The Member of Parliament for Okaikwei Central, Patrick Boamah, has expressed shock over Ghana’s decision to abstain from a United Nations Human Rights Council vote on the renewal of the mandate of the Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

The vote, held on Monday, July 7, 2025, during the Council’s 59th session, saw 29 member states vote in favour, 15 against, while Ghana was among three countries that abstained.

Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, July 9, Patrick Boamah, who is also a member of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Committee, stated that the Mahama-led government should have demonstrated a clear and firm stance against LGBTQ+ activities by voting against the resolution.

“We were promised by the government of the day that they were not going to support that activity. So, we expected that Ghana should have taken a firm position on that. I was a bit surprised to see that Ghana abstained. So, we will be asking the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the representative of the government as to why Ghana abstained.

“I intend to file a question to understand the basis of the abstention. This is not a foreign policy matter; this is a cultural issue, a value issue, a constitutional issue, things that are alien to our culture and wellbeing…it was a clear opportunity for the government to demonstrate its position on this matter,” He said.

The incident has reignited debates around LGBTQ+ rights in Ghana and the protection of national symbols, as Parliament prepares to take a final vote on a controversial bill that seeks to criminalise LGBTQ+ advocacy and activities.

Ghana’s parliament on Wednesday, February 28, 2024, unanimously passed a controversial anti-homosexuality bill that has drawn international condemnation.

The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, on May 28, 2025, announced that the controversial Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill—commonly referred to as the anti-LGBTQ+ Bill—is set to be introduced for its first reading during the second meeting of the Ninth Parliament.

The proposed legislation aims to criminalise LGBTQ+ activities in Ghana, as well as the promotion, advocacy, or funding of such activities.