Frank Annoh-Dompreh
The Minority Chief Whip and Member of Parliament (MP) for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, has called on Parliament to enact legislation that criminalises ecocide in Ghana, warning that unchecked environmental destruction poses a serious threat to the country’s future.
Delivering a statement on the floor of Parliament on Monday, Mr. Annoh-Dompreh urged lawmakers to take urgent legislative action to recognise ecocide, the large-scale destruction of ecosystems, as a criminal offence under Ghanaian law.
According to him, the growing degradation of the country’s natural resources demands stronger legal measures to hold individuals, corporations and institutions accountable for actions that severely damage the environment.
He explained that ecocide refers to unlawful or reckless acts committed with the knowledge that they are likely to cause severe, widespread or long-term harm to the environment. Such acts, he noted, go beyond ordinary environmental infractions and should be treated as serious criminal offences.
Mr. Annoh-Dompreh stressed that current international legal frameworks do not adequately address large-scale environmental destruction.
Although the International Criminal Court recognises crimes such as genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and aggression, ecocide has not yet been recognised as a standalone international crime during peacetime.
The absence of such recognition, he said, has created a legal gap that allows corporations, state actors and individuals to cause significant ecological damage with limited criminal liability.
The MP pointed to the country’s own environmental challenges as evidence of the need for stronger laws.
He noted that illegal mining, deforestation and pollution continue to place severe pressure on the country’s ecosystems.
According to recent reports cited in his statement, as much as 60 percent of the nation’s water bodies have suffered pollution largely due to illegal mining activities.
Mr. Annoh-Dompreh argued that criminalising ecocide would reinforce Ghana’s commitment to environmental justice and sustainable development while protecting vital resources such as forests, rivers and farmlands for future generations.
He further suggested that Ghana could position itself as a continental leader in environmental protection by adopting such legislation and advocating for the recognition of ecocide as an international crime.
As part of his recommendations, the Minority Chief Whip called for the passage of a standalone ecocide law with clear definitions and thresholds for environmental harm.
He also proposed stronger enforcement mechanisms to empower environmental protection agencies and the judiciary to investigate and prosecute offenders effectively.
In addition to custodial sentences, the proposed law should include financial penalties and mandatory environmental restoration orders for individuals or corporations found responsible for large-scale ecological damage.
Mr. Annoh-Dompreh welcomed proposals by the Constitutional Review Committee to introduce a national crime of ecocide, and urged the government to fast-track the legislative process to safeguard Ghana’s environment and ensure sustainable development for generations to come.
By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House