Some of the stakeholders during the programme
The Centre for Public Interest Law (CEPIL), in collaboration with Wacam, Oxfam in Ghana, and other alliance partners, has raised concerns over widespread human rights violations, environmental degradation, and socio-economic injustices in Ghana’s mining communities.
Gold mining is a significant contributor to Ghana’s economy, generating $6.38 billion in foreign exchange earnings in 2022 and providing employment opportunities.
However, communities around mining operations, particularly those affected by Newmont Ghana Gold Limited’s Ahafo and Akyem projects, face devastating consequences.
According to Augustine Niber, the Executive Director of CEPIL, there is a critical need to place human rights at the forefront of development efforts.
“Any development that overlooks human rights is bound to be unsustainable. We need to discover better methods for resource extraction that don’t harm our environment or our communities.”
Speaking during a media engagement program on March 13, 2025, he stressed the importance of extracting natural resources responsibly and sustainably. “We are fortunate to have a wealth of natural resources, but the real question is whether we’re managing to extract them in ways that truly benefit our people and the environment.”
Niber reflected on Ghana’s long-standing mining history, which stretches back hundreds of years. Yet, he expressed concern that the advantages of mining haven’t been shared fairly and that the environmental toll has been heavy.
“We’re losing our farmers, and our environment is suffering from pollution. If we’re not careful, we’ll find ourselves importing more food than we can grow, and our foreign exchange reserves will dwindle,” he cautioned.
The Executive Director of Wacam, Hannah Owusu-Koranteng, called for urgent action to address the alarming rise in human rights violations within the mining sector.