On 4 October 2019, the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) concluded a follow-up visit to the Republic of Ghana on behalf of the United Nations Security Council Committee.
CTED first visited Ghana in 2009, when it conducted an initial assessment focused on the country’s law enforcement and border management responses to the threat posed by terrorism. In 2016, in the aftermath of terrorist attacks in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Côte d’Ivoire, CTED conducted an advocacy visit to Ghana to discuss its level of preparedness to prevent and respond effectively to a terrorist attack.
This time, with the active participation of Government authorities, CTED was able to engage on a full range of issues, from legal and criminal justice to terrorism financing, law enforcement, border management, and countering violent extremism. The delegation also emphasized the importance of adopting human rights-compliant and gender-responsive measures to counter terrorism and violent extremism. The team further benefited from the expertise of representatives from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), the World Customs Organization (WCO), and the United Nations Department of Peace Operations’ Justice and Corrections Standing Capacity and Standing Police Capacity.
The delegation observed progress made by Ghana since 2009, including proactive measures aimed at better targeting the Government’s response to the nature of the terrorist threat posed to the country. CTED further identified areas in which additional efforts may be needed from the Ghanaian authorities, as well as areas in which Ghana would benefit from dedicated technical assistance to better align its response to the applicable international counter-terrorism requirements.
During the three-day visit, the delegation visited the Financial Intelligence Centre, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, the Nsawam Medium Security Prison, the Kotoka International Airport, as well as two land border posts in the Upper East Region of the country. The delegation also benefited from the timely assistance of the United Nations Country Team in Ghana, and held meetings with Ghanaian counter-terrorism experts within civil society, think tanks, and academia, as well as with representatives from the diplomatic community present in Accra.