The Ghana VPI Working Group was established in June 2017 in Accra Ghana, following the international initiative efforts to establish in-country pilot processes in several countries including Ghana, Nigeria, Myanmar and Peru. The group meets quarterly in Accra to discuss key security and human rights issues in the Ghana natural resource sector, support Ghana Government efforts to implement VPSHR related programs and policy, and share lessons learned and success stories on implementation. As part of the group’s implementation agenda, the four key priority areas include public security training, private security licencing reform, security & human rights application in small scale mining (“Galamsey”), and coordination between oil/gas sector actors and coastal communities.

The group is comprised of Government, Company and NGO members of the Voluntary Principles Initiative who have been active on security and human rights issues in the country. The group is currently co-chaired by the Ghana Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources (MLNR), The Fund For Peace (FFP), and the West Africa Network For Peacebuilding – Ghana (WANEP-Ghana). This forum was previously supported by the Government of the Netherlands, Tullow Oil, Anglo-Gold Ashanti and Newmont Mining. It is currently supported by the Voluntary Principles Association.

For more information on the group, or application to join, please contact the co-chairs:

Albert Yelyang (WANEP-Ghana): ayelyang@wanep.org

Wendy Wilson (FFP): wwilson@fundforpeace.org

Christopher Opoku Nyarko (FFP): cnyarko@fundforpeace.org

Mercy Ackah (MLNR): mercyackah1@yahoo.com