Ho (Volta Region) 23 Nov. '98

Ms Margaret Novicki, director of the United Nations Information Centre,(UNIC) in charge of Ghana and Sierra Leone, has called for the promotion of a global culture of human rights through education and awareness creation for continuos improvement in human rights compliance. She said the United Nations has made remarkable achievement in bringing to light some human rights violations and defining internationally accepted norms on economic, social, cultural, political and civil rights. In this regard, she said, the universal declaration of human rights has been translated and distributed in over 200 languages all over the world including eleven in Ghana. Miss Novicki was speaking at a one day seminar on "Human Rights and Culture - the role of the youth", in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights at Ho on Friday. It was jointly organised by Youth Research Network of Ghana (YORNG) and Vision Target Foundation, both non- governmental organisations in collaboration with UNIC. Madam Novicki commended governments and non- governmental organisations for their support in enhancing improvements in human rights. She called for more co-operation to encourage greater compliance until total satisfaction is attained". She also urged the youth to educate people on their rights and responsibilities and to bring to the attention of authorities issues that hinder people from attaining their potentials in full. Mr Patrick Baayeh, Volta Regional Director of the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), said there was the need for strategic human rights education programme to create awareness on rights and freedoms to encourage people to use existing mechanism to protect their rights. Mr Obed Kokuvi Ababio, Volta Regional Director of the Centre for National Culture asked the youth to undertake research into the way of life of their people and fight against cultural practices which have negative effects on the lives of the people while promoting the improvement of those that help to maintain and promote "our identity as a people." Mr Lord Lucas Vodzi, National Co-ordinator of YORNG, appealed to the government and other international bodies to assist the group to sensitise the youth on their rights and the essence of their culture.