The National Peace Council has said it has no position on the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill also known as the anti-LGBTQ bill which was passed by parliament a week ago.
Speaking to TV3 on Sunday as part of the station’s aim to solicit reactions from stakeholders in key institutions regarding the passage of the bill, the Chairman of the National Peace Council, Rev. Dr Ernest Adu-Gyamfi said the council remains neutral given its role as a mediating body.
He said many stakeholders had approached the council to pick a side on the issue.
But Dr Adu-Gyamfi stressed that the organization was a mediator and as such it was important for them to remain impartial in such matters.
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The Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2021 was passed on Wednesday, February 28, 2024, after about three years of deliberations.
If assented to by the president, It will criminalise all activities related to engaging and promoting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender advocacy, and funding in Ghana.
It has a minimum of a three-year jail sentence and a maximum of five years for any person convicted under this law.
Many human rights advocates including the United States government have criticized the passage of the bill, arguing that it would endanger the lives of LGBTQ persons, tarnish the image of Ghana on the international stage and adversely affect investments.
Rev. Adu-Gyamfi reiterated that the council’s impartial position enables it to effectively mediate any potential conflict, which could arise if the Bill becomes law after the president’s assent.
“We don’t have a position on the passage of the anti-LGBTQ+ bill because we are mediators, we don’t take sides on issues like this. There are several issues that have come to us that people expected us to take sides, but realised it was important to remain neutral when they later came for conflict resolution.”
“We are waiting to see how things will unfold, so we know whether to mediate or intervene in the event of a conflict,” he added.