Summary

The Working Group on the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas visited Ghana from 5 to 14 May 2026 to assess the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas. The present report contains its findings and recommendations to the Government.

The visit was focused on the situation of peasant farmers, fisherfolk and pastoralists, with a particular focus on the rights to land and seeds, the rights of women, the situation surrounding illegal mining (galamsey) and the environment, and accountability frameworks. The Working Group noted with appreciation the political commitment of the Government of Ghana to improving the well-being of its rural populations and the development of a relatively strong set of laws and policies relevant to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas. Despite these legislative achievements, the Working Group noted that the potential of these legal frameworks is significantly diminished by gaps and weaknesses in implementation on the ground and expresses concern regarding policy pivots towards large-scale commercial agriculture, the environmental devastation wrought by illegal mining, and the effects of climate change, which continue to threaten the rights and livelihoods of people in the peasant-based agrarian sector.