Ghana has rejected calls to abolish the International Criminal Court (ICC), arguing that the institution should instead be strengthened to ensure perpetrators of crimes against humanity are held accountable.

Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa made this known while addressing the United Nations General Assembly during a session marking the 25th anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action.

Mr Ablakwa said the 25th anniversary of the Durban Declaration should serve as a renewed call for action against racism, racial discrimination and historical injustice.

“The ICC needs our protection, not our condemnation,” he said, adding that there must be severe consequences for those who commit crimes against humanity and flagrantly violate the declaration’s principles.

He noted that, 25 years after the declaration was adopted, the world continued to grapple with anti-Black racism, xenophobic attacks and devastating conflicts in Palestine and Sudan.

The Foreign Affairs Minister also questioned Africa’s continued absence from the permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council despite the continent’s population of about 1.4 billion.

Turning to the issue of reparatory justice, Mr Ablakwa said the legacy of slavery and the trafficking of enslaved Africans continued to contribute to inequalities in the present day.

He cited the adoption of a Ghana-led United Nations resolution this year declaring the trafficking of enslaved Africans the gravest crime against humanity as an important development in efforts towards reparatory justice.

He called for stronger international action to address the historical and contemporary injustices highlighted by the Durban Declaration and ensure greater accountability for violations of human rights.