Ghana - Amnesty International

GHANA: END IMPUNITY THROUGH UNIVERSAL JURISDICTIONNo Safe Haven Series No. 10119RECOMMENDATIONSGhana should take the following steps to ensure that it is not a safe haven for persons responsiblefor the worst possible crimes in the world.1. SUBSTANTIVE LAW REFORMRatify, without any limiting reservations, all treaties requiring states to extradite or prosecute crimesunder international law, including the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons fromEnforced Disappearance and the International humanitarian law treaties listed in Section 4.3 above.Define the following crimes under international law as crimes under Ghanaian law, ensuring theirdefinitions conform to the strictest requirements of international law, as has been done withbreaches of the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols:war crimes in both international and non-international armed conflict, to the extent thatthey have not yet been incorporated in national law (see Section 4.3 above detailing thegaps);crimes against humanity;crimes ancillary to genocide (See Section 4.3.3 above);torture, including the torture of adults (see Section 4.3.4 above);extrajudicial executions; andenforced disappearances.Define each of the crimes against humanity listed in Article 7 of the Rome Statute as crimesagainst humanity under Ghanaian law, if committed as part of a widespread or systematic attackagainst civilians, in strict accordance with their definition under international law (see Section4.3.2.).Modernize the definition of rape under Ghanaian law to incorporate men and boys among potentialvictims. Delete the requirement of lack of consent and include all coercive circumstances recognizedby international law as set forth in the elements of rape in the Elements of Crimes (see Section4.3.2).Define principles of criminal responsibility in accordance with the strictest standards of internationallaw and, in particular, ensure that the same strict standards of criminal responsibility apply both tocommanders and to other superiors.Index: AFR 28/004/2012 Amnesty International November 2012