Skip to main content

Ghana Boundary Commission Bill passed

Ghana Boundary Commission Bill passed
By Jeorge Wilson KINGSON

Parliament last week passed a bill that will make it possible for the establishment of a Ghana Boundary Commission, BusinessWeek has gathered.

The commission, when established, will negotiate to determine and demarcate the country’s land boundaries and delimit its maritime boundaries.

The bill which was passed under a certificate of emergency will ensure the proper development of a team of experts to engage and provide continuity in negotiation processes concerning land boundary demarcation and maritime boundary delimitations.

This follows the recent threat to Ghana’s oil find by Cote d’Ivoire, which claims that a portion of the Dzata field area in Cape Three Points in the Western Region treads into that country.

Currently, there is no commission in Ghana that deals with issues relating to maritime boundary demarcation, even though the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) which Ghana is a signatory to requires countries to delimit their maritime boundaries.

According to the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Alhaji Collins Dauda, government recognizes that to protect the country’s interest as regards the establishment of land and maritime boundaries with her neighbours there must be a body with the powers of a commission to negotiate land and maritime boundaries.

“The delimitation of Ghana’s maritime boundaries involves fundamental issues of national and regional security. Under-limited maritime boundaries place Ghana’s offshore natural resources at risk of aggression claims from neighbouring countries,” he told parliament.

Adding that there is the need to create a stable environment for the operation of oil investors in boundary areas in view of the huge cost and risks involved in the oil industry, he said it is highly expected that the establishment of a Ghana Boundary Commission will forestall possible conflicts between Ghana and its neighbouring countries.

Historically, several ad-hoc boundary commissions had been set up under the Border Demarcation Commission Act, of 1968, to negotiate Ghana’s land boundaries with her neighbours, but none of these commissions ever completed their work.

A commission has never been set up to delimit Ghana’s maritime boundaries with neighbouring countries in the Gulf of Guinea.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Nestlé Ghana Limited Wins Overall Best Industrial Company Of The Year at 13th AGI Industry & Quality Awards

  Nestlé Ghana Limited has been honored with four prestigious awards at the 13th Association of Ghana Industry and Quality Awards ceremony. The event, held in an esteemed setting, gathered prominent figures from Ghana’s industrial sector. Amidst the anticipation, Nestlé Ghana emerged as one of the evening’s notable winners, securing accolades in several key categories. This recognition underscores Nestlé Ghana’s relentless pursuit of excellence and innovation, marking a significant milestone that highlights the company’s substantial contributions to the manufacturing industry in Ghana. Nestlé Ghana's exceptional performance was acknowledged with the following awards: Overall Best National Quality Award, Diamond Category (Food) Overall Best Practices in Sustainable Manufacturing Best Company (Food Sector) Overall Industrial Company of the Year, affirming its status as a leader not only within the food sector but also across Ghana's entire industrial landscape. This success is a ...

Anglogold Ashanti Obuasi Mine tops 2024 Sustainability & Social Investment Awards

 AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine has confirmed its status as sustainability champions by sweeping nine awards, the most won by a company at the 2024 Sustainability & Social Investment Awards (SSI) held at Movenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra. The feat comes on the heels of a dominant performance in last year's event where AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine swept seven awards. The SSI Awards organised by Ianmatsun Global Services recognizes the most outstanding sustainability, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives in the country and beyond as well as the best teams and individuals who brought them to life. This year's event, which was the 8th edition, was under the theme "Climate Action Now: Accelerating Decarbonization and Building Resilience". The awards won by AngloGold Ashanti on the night include SSI Company of the Year, Best Company in Women Empowerment (project), SSI Company of the Year ( Environment), Best Co...

Zoomlion Advocates Community & Gender inclusive waste management for Climate Action at COP 29

 Africa's waste management giant, Zoomlion Ghana Limited has advocated for an integrated approach to waste management that considers the interest of community members, women and vulnerable groups. James Deku, a Communications Officer of Zoomlion Ghana Limited made this call at the 29th session of the Conference Of Parties (COP 29) of the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC) at Azerbaijan, Baku whiles speaking on the topic "Community-Driven and Gender Inclusive approaches to waste management for Climate Action ". He said the waste sector is a major contributor of methane emissions which is a potent greenhouse gas causing climate change hence the need to manage waste in a manner that considers the interest of all stakeholders. Zoomlion's waste management model is designed and operated in a manner that considers the interest of all stakeholders. Through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model, local authorities engage community members in clea...