Goaso: The Centre for Public Interest Law (CEPIL) has launched a national digital portal for whistleblowing, encouraging citizens to use the portal to report and help stem environmental crimes and human rights abuses and violations in the country. The CEPIL was founded in 1999 as a non-partisan and Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), with the primary aim of making the pursuit of justice accessible and affordable to poor and marginalized communities and individuals.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Augustine Niber, the Executive Director of CEPIL, emphasized that the portal provides an opportunity for vulnerable people and communities, as well as everyone, to report abuses of land rights, misconducts, environmental harm, corruption, discrimination, and other forms of injustices. He stated that the ability to report human rights violations safely and anonymously remains a cornerstone of democratic governance and social justice. Mr. Niber expressed hope that citizens would leverage the portal to spark national conversation in advancing rights protection and democratic governance.
Mr. Niber spoke at the launch of the portal held at Goaso in the Ahafo Region, citing a study conducted in 2021 by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) that showed low awareness and utilization of whistleblower mechanisms in rural and marginalized communities. The event was attended by human rights and civil society actors, donor agencies and development partners, state institutions including CHRAJ and the Legal Aid Commission, as well as Persons with Disabilities and advocacy groups, traditional and community leaders.
Research by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Transparency International in 2021 and 2022 respectively, highlighted the growing need for digital tools to support civic engagement, legal empowerment, and anti-corruption efforts. Mr. Niber expressed optimism that the portal would help overcome physical and social barriers to reporting, facilitate early legal intervention, and empower community actors to contribute to human rights monitoring.
The portal acts as a bridge between affected individuals and support systems, including legal aid providers, media, and regulatory bodies. Mr. Niber noted that the portal is designed to name and shame institutions and individuals while intensifying advocacy on reporting human rights violations. He urged users to ensure their reports are truthful and backed with evidence, such as videos or photos.
Launched under the theme 'Strengthening Access to Justice Through Digital Accountability Mechanisms', the portal aims to empower marginalized groups, including persons with disabilities, to report violations without fear, stigma, or barriers of distance. With support from Oxfam in Ghana, CEPIL and other NGOs developed the portal to provide a safe and confidential channel for reporting human rights and environmental crimes and harm for justice delivery.
Participants were trained on the appropriate use of the portal, which also aims to foster public awareness of whistleblower protection laws, strengthen civic engagement, and promote inclusive legal redress mechanisms in Ghana's justice architecture. According to CEPIL, it piloted the portal in August 2024 during the Oxfam Ghana Country Learning Review held in Takoradi, helping to overcome barriers of distance, stigma, fear of retaliation, and limited access to legal services that often prevent vulnerable communities and individuals from reporting human rights abuses and violations.
The Whistleblower Portal is secure, accessible, user-friendly, inclusive, and effective in reporting human rights violations. It fosters national dialogue on digital justice and accountability mechanisms to address systemic constraints of the Whistleblowers Act, 2006 (Act 720).
