A Rocha, a conservation-focused organization, is calling for Ghana to be removed from its position as Co-Chair of the Forest and Climate Leaders’ Partnership (FCLP).
The partnership, launched at COP27, originally appointed Ghana and the United States as co-chairs to lead global efforts in forest protection and climate action.
However, A Rocha believes Ghana’s actions contradict the responsibilities of its leadership role. Although Ghana’s term as Co-Chair is set to end in November, the organization is pushing for an immediate removal.
In a letter addressed to the U.S. Embassy dated October 9, A Rocha expressed their concerns: “We want to put on record our conviction that the Ghana government is no longer fit to Co-Chair the FCLP and should be removed from this position with immediate effect.”
A Rocha highlighted several key issues, starting with the Ghanaian government’s misleading statements about the state of its forests. In early 2023, the government claimed in Parliament that the ecological integrity of Ghana’s forest reserves was intact. Civil society groups quickly refuted this, as the government later presented evidence showing extensive damage to the country’s forests.
By May 2023, three forest reserves—Oda River, Apamprama, and Subin Shelterbelt—had been identified as active sites for illegal small-scale mining (galamsey), with Apamprama already 49% destroyed. Despite these alarming revelations, the government reportedly did little to address the situation.
A Rocha further revealed that between 2022 and 2023, ten companies were granted gold mining leases in eleven forest reserves, following the quiet passage of a new legislative instrument, the “Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulations L.I.2462” in November 2022. This new regulation removed previous restrictions on mining areas and opened up Globally Significant Biodiversity Areas (GSBAs) for mining under the pretext of “national interest.”
A Rocha’s concerns deepened after investigative work by The Fourth Estate revealed that several of the mining companies granted leases had ties to individuals with key positions in government. “The spread of unfettered galamsey across Ghana’s Forest Reserves, the new L.I.2462, and the resulting surge in mining leases and applications… conflict deeply with the government’s position as FCLP Co-Chair,” the organization stated.
They emphasized that a government enabling mining activities in protected forest areas is not fit to lead an international partnership aimed at forest conservation. A Rocha concluded that Ghana’s actions display contempt for the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and its role in the FCLP, urging for its immediate removal from the Co-Chair position.