Ghana’s minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Shirley Ayorkor Botcwey says she intends to “quietly” engage parliament and will not hesitate to speak up if need be on dealing with ‘repressive laws’ such as the Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill.

The bill, also known as the Anti-LGBTQ Bill has been deemed by human rights agencies and the international community as an attack on people based on their gender and religious Values.

Shirley Botchwey who was participating in a debate of Commonwealth secretary Candidates at Chatham House in London says she will use the Good offices of the Commonwealth Secretary General to engage stakeholders in African countries which are considering laws that have the potential to seclude and attack sexual minority groups.

The Secretary-General must engage. And for me, this is extremely important, with the government and in partnership with the CSOs in the country, quietly. You start quietly, but then if there's a need for you to speak up, then you will do that.

When asked by the moderator of the event Zeinab Badawi what she would do if a parliament in a particular country were to pass very repressive laws on sexual minorities, the minister replied by stating that “You will engage, number one and then through (Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group) CMAC, because the secretary general is part of CMAC, then you take a decision.

Already Sponsors of the Anti-LGBTQ bill have announced plans to demonstrate against the Chief Justice on August 21, 2024, over what they perceive as delays in the process of transmitting the bill to the President.

The Supreme Court has deferred its ruling on the injunction application by Dr. Amanda Odoi and journalist Richard Sky regarding the transmission of the Anti-LGBTQ bill to the President and will deliver its ruling on the same day as the final judgment.

The lead sponsor of the Anti-LGBTQ bill, Samuel Nartey George, along with some minority members, paid a courtesy call on the National Chief Imam and the Acting President of the Osu Traditional Council ahead of the demonstration to ensure the bill is forwarded to the President for his assent.

"We want to do a peaceful march on the 21st of August to the Chief Justice. Because right now we've got the president that's holding it is the Chief Justice. She's the one who is preventing parliament from sending it to the President. So we don't have a problem with the President. We don't have a problem with the Speaker. Our problem is the Chief Justice," Sam George told journalists on Wednesday.

On July 17, the 5-member Supreme panel chaired by the Chief Justice in deferring its ruling, indicated that it would give the decision in the injunction application and the substantive application together in an expedited trial.

At the next Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa, 21 - 27 October 2024, Heads of Government will select and appoint the next Commonwealth Secretary-General who is expected to champion issues of human rights, equality and the rule of law.

Ghana’s minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration believes that she Is best placed to represent these values. The minister is facing stiff competition from Joshua Setipa of Lesotho and Dr. Mamadou Tangara of the Gambia.