SECTOR 1 1.4 The government makes every effort to honour regional and international instruments on freedom of expression and freedom of the media. Ghana has signed a number of international instruments. “We are always the first to sign.” However, little effort is made to domesticate these laws or to report on them in line with the requirements set out. “Ghana tried to maintain a good image, but it takes civil society to take government up on these laws. I find that by tracking it, you can see where the gaps are, and can then hold government accountable in this regard. But only a few people know and track government’s commitments.” Importantly, the Ghanaian Constitution comes above all else with regards to the law. “There is nothing that the government will act on merely because of these [regional and international] instruments. From the discussion of the law or even in public practice, it is the constitution that matters.” Furthermore, Ghana has a unique situation in that treaties are an executive act, while legislation is a parliamentary act, “Until ratified by parliament, these instruments have no application. So even if we sign on these, they have no meaning until parliament takes it up.” With regards to laws that protect media freedoms, Ghana, “is not doing well in making the necessary effort, especially with respect to the right to information.” Notably, Ghana is party to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) as well as the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (also known as the Banjul Charter), both of which highlight freedom of expression as a right. Scores: Individual scores: 1 Country does not meet indicator 2 Country meets only a few aspects of indicator 3 Country meets some aspects of indicator 4 Country meets most aspects of indicator 5 Country meets all aspects of the indicator Average score: 4.1 (2006:n/a; 2008:n/a; 2011:3.3; 2013:4.2) AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER GHANA 2017 17