Ghana has been re-elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) for a second consecutive term, receiving 173 votes in the election for the 2027–2029 period. The election took place at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on October 13, 2026, with Ghana obtaining 173 out of 181 valid ballots cast.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, October 14, Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa thanked UN member states for supporting Ghana’s re-election. “Team Ghana keeps winning! We are grateful to UN Member States for impressively electing Ghana to the United Nations Human Rights Council (2027-2029) for the second consecutive time,” he said.
Ghana was one of four African countries elected to the Human Rights Council, joining Zambia, Nigeria, and Burundi. Zambia received 177 votes, followed closely by Ghana with 173 votes, Nigeria with 172, and Burundi with 160. Other countries elected for the 2027–2029 term include Jordan, Kuwait, Nepal, Japan, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay, Moldova, Ukraine, Ireland, and Germany. Ghana’s new term will commence on January 1, 2027, and will run until December 31, 2029.
The Human Rights Council is a 47-member intergovernmental body dedicated to promoting and protecting human rights worldwide. Its responsibilities include examining human rights violations, reviewing the human rights records of UN member states, and making recommendations for improving compliance with international human rights standards. Ghana’s re-election ensures continuity in its representation on the council while reinforcing its commitment to uphold human rights standards and cooperate with the council’s monitoring and accountability mechanisms.
