Ranking Member on Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has condemned the government's decision to abstain from a UN Human Rights Council vote on extending the mandate of an Independent Expert focused on protecting LGBTQ+ persons from violence and discrimination.

Jinapor, also the MP for Damongo, accused the government of displaying double standards on LGBTQ+ issues and failing to uphold Ghanaian family values on the international stage.

In an interview with the media, Jinapor described the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' explanation for Ghana's abstention as "totally false," stating that the vote was not about protecting individuals from violence but rather about extending the mandate of the Independent Expert.

He emphasised that Independent Expert's mandate included promoting the decriminalisation of LGBTQ practices, which Jinapor argued undermined Ghana's cultural identity and national laws.

Jinapor emphasised that Ghana's criminal code already prohibited certain LGBTQ practices, reflecting the nation's cultural values.

He argued that the country's foreign policy must align with its domestic legal framework and urged the government to uphold Ghanaian values and norms, both domestically and internationally, and to join like-minded countries in defending these values.