Richard Quayson, Deputy Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has stated that human rights are not gifts presented to individuals by governments. “Human rights are rather the expression of human dignity, which every Ghanaian must strive to protect and ensure its promotion.” He was speaking at the closing ceremony of a two-day workshop on “Monitoring the Human Rights Situations” at Sekondi organised for Non-Governmental Organisations in the Western Region. He said for individuals to secure their rights, conscious efforts must be made to pursue choices in a safe environment where freedom of speech, association, right to property and opinion are respected. Mr. Quayson said child trafficking, prostitution, illicit drugs, environmental degradation, corruption and tribal conflicts were new challenges hindering the promotion and protection of people's rights. He said there should be no trade-off between human rights and development. “It is only through the promotion and protection of human rights for all persons that we can effectively achieve human security and promote peace, stability and development of the society," he cautioned. He said NGOs must partner CHRAJ in promoting and improving on the human rights situation in the country, by reporting and assisting victims of human rights abuse to get help. Mrs Chris Dadzie, Director of Public Education at CHRAJ said regular education and monitoring of human rights abuses by NGOs would assist to dispel myths and help victims to tell their stories. She said NGOs must collect, compare and report human rights abuses wherever they occur. Miss Lilian Ayete-Nyampong, Deputy Director of Public Education at CHRAJ said NGOs must not neglect child labour issues in their respective communities. She said children's rights are human rights and all adults must work hard to safeguard them from exploitation, deprivation and abuse. Source: GNA