Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Holds Talks with Ghana’s Justice and Foreign Ministers

Deputy Secretary-General Florence Mugasha (right) with Ghana's Minister of Justice, Joseph Ayikoi Otoo

Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Florence Mugasha called on Ghana's Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Joseph Ayikoi Otoo, on 17 October 2005 during her visit to Accra. The Deputy Secretary-General is in the Ghanaian capital for the Commonwealth Law Ministers Meeting (CLMM), which takes place from 17 to 20 October. During their meeting, they discussed issues to be tabled at the CLMM, which includes criminal law and asset repatriation.

Mrs Mugasha briefed the Justice Minister on the work of the Commonwealth Secretariat in providing assistance to member countries in constitutional drafting. She explained that some Commonwealth countries do not have the capacity to do legal drafting, therefore the model laws developed by the Commonwealth serve as a basis for countries to adopt and adapt for their needs.

The Secretariat is facilitating the establishment of a 12-week Commonwealth Legislative Drafting Course for African Member States from January to April 2006 in partnership with the Government of Ghana. This course, which is to be held at the Ghana School of Law, follows the development of a short-term curriculum under the auspices of the Secretariat, and the success of a workshop on Curriculum Development and Training for Legislative Drafting for Commonwealth African states on 22-24 June 2005 in Accra.

The Deputy Secretary-General also noted the importance of law reform in the Commonwealth. She said this will enable member countries to keep abreast of new developments around the globe that will promote national progress and benefit Commonwealth citizens.

The challenges faced by Commonwealth countries in attaining the Millennium Development Goals were also discussed. The concerns of landlocked states to gain access to ports were also brought up in discussions on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Mrs Mugasha emphasised the need for landlocked states to have a maritime supply route that can facilitate market access and trade.

The Deputy Secretary-General also held talks with Ghana's Foreign Minister, Nana Akufo-Addo. They discussed the agenda for the Commonwealth Foreign Ministers Meeting and preparations for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Malta from 25 to 27 November 2005.

Mrs Mugasha expressed thanks to the Government of Ghana for supporting Commonwealth technical assistance programmes and urged the Government to increase its contributions to the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation, as discussed at the meeting of Commonwealth Finance Ministers in Barbados in September this year.

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• Law
• The Commonwealth Should Play Key Role in Developing New Global Legal Initiatives
• Country Profile: Ghana