By Mavis Paintsil and Josephine Tetteh
ln the lead-up to Ghana’s crucial December 7 general elections, the national information forum held a consultative meeting with the media and other stakeholders on October 30, 2024, in Accra.
it was organised by paradigm initiative under the umbrella of the Digital Rights and Eection in Africa Meeting (DREAM) in collaboration with community Focus Foundation (CFF-Ghana) E- Governance and internet Governance Foundation for Africa (EGIGFA), and the internet society Ghana chapter (ISOC Ghana).
The forum aimed to engage key stakeholders in discussions surrounding digital rights, election transparency, and the mitigation of misinformation, especially during election periods.
With past interactions of this project having been successfully implemented in Nigeria, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, the Ghana edition sought to provide a platform for stakeholders to address challenges posed by digital rights issues, misinformation and internet restrictions during elections.
The forum brought together a diverse range participants, including representatives from civil society organizations (CSOs).Political Parties:New Patriotic Party (NPP), National Democratic Congress (NDC), Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP), All People’s Congress (APC), and People’s National Convention (PNC).
Academia: university of Ghana (UG), University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA).Religious ladders (Clergy) and the media etc. The platform enabled these groups to collaboratively address challenges and strengthen democratic through digital rights protections.
Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in attendance pledge to empower citizens by disseminating accurate information on electoral processes, committing to holding the government accountable by highlighting public concerns by highlighting public concerns and issues affecting citizens.
The CSOs agreed to encourage development partners and state institutions to address digital rights abuses and promote election transparency, further committing to work with media platform’s to establish a code of conduct for election reporting and reducing the spread of misinformation.
They committed to active participation in discussions surrounding digital rights and the protection of democratic for vigilance and awareness to prevent internet restrictions that could affect the transparency of the elections.
Political parties that participated in the forum committed to maintaining responsible communication with constituents, avoiding incitement, and supporting fair digital practices.
Ghanaian Announcer
