By Seth Eyiah
The United Kingdom (UK) has commended Ghana for the establishment and steady progress of the Right to Information Commission (RTIC) over the past five years, describing it as a key pillar in the country’s democratic governance framework.
The UK High Commissioner to Ghana, Dr Christian Rogg, said the UK highly appreciates the work of the Commission and is proud to associate with its activities and Ghana’s broader efforts to enhance democratic governance.
He noted that information remains the lifeblood of democracy and that efforts aimed at ensuring free and unimpeded access to information must be encouraged to promote transparency, accountability and good governance.
Dr Rogg made the remarks at a breakfast meeting organised by the Right to Information Commission for members of the diplomatic community, donor partners and other stakeholders as part of the Commission’s end-of-year activities.
He said establishing a commission was one step, but ensuring its effective implementation was equally important, adding that Ghana and the UK share common interests in promoting democratic governance.
The Chairman of the Board of the Right to Information Commission, Dr James Kwaku Asante, commended the management and staff of the Commission for what he described as their hard work under trying circumstances, despite the teething challenges confronting the institution.
He described information as the nerve centre of inclusive and sustainable democracy and said the new board would work to enhance the visibility of the Commission, both locally and internationally, to improve public understanding and cooperation.
In her opening remarks, the Executive Secretary of the RTIC, Ms Genevieve Shirley Lartey, said the Commission was established under the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989), in accordance with the 1992 Constitution, with the mandate to promote, protect, monitor and enforce the right of access to information in Ghana.
She noted that, despite its relatively short existence, the Commission has made modest gains, leading to increased public demand for information, expansion of the RTI space and the drafting of a Legislative Instrument to support the effective implementation of its mandate.
Ms Lartey commended the diplomatic community, civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders for their support and partnership, and appealed to others to join the effort to enhance transparency and accountability in Ghana’s governance architecture.
The breakfast meeting, held at the residence of the British High Commissioner to Ghana, brought together representatives of key stakeholders, including the Canadian High Commission, Star Ghana Foundation, the Centre for Law and Democracy–Canada, the German Society for International Development (GIZ), the Norwegian Embassy, the Ghana Development Community Association (GDCA), UNESCO and the French Embassy.
The event also saw the launch of two publications by the Commission: The Implementation Assessment of the Ghana Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989) – Summary Report 2025 and the Medium-Term Development Plan (MTDP) 2026–2029.
