Civil society actors, community representatives, and media personnel have been urged to prioritise evidence gathering as a vital tool for promoting responsible resource governance and combating illegal and irresponsible mining in Ghana.
The call was made at a two-day training programme in Kumasi, organised by the Nature and Development Foundation (NDF) under the EU-funded Building Resilient and Active Communities in Extractive Landscapes (BRACE) project.
The workshop held from August 26 to 27, 2025, brought together about 60 participants from mining-affected communities, civil society, and the media.
It sought to close critical skills gaps in safety, accountability, and evidence-based advocacy by empowering participants with practical knowledge on documenting and reporting mining-related abuses while safeguarding their personal and organisational security.
Key topics treated during the training included safe evidence-gathering tools and techniques, sources and types of evidence, the legal framework guiding evidence collection, reporting mechanisms, and strategies for ensuring both personal and organisational safety.
Joyann Obeng, a legal practitioner and development advocate at Merton and Everett LLP who was a facilitator at the workshop, emphasised that credible evidence is essential for advocacy and accountability in the extractive sector.
“You can only tell your story when you have facts to back it, and those facts must prove whatever you are asserting,” she noted.
“Evidence is fundamental to helping the right authorities and everybody involved in curbing the menace of irresponsible mining in Ghana.”
She cautioned participants to prioritise their safety when gathering evidence, stressing that the process must be discreet and mindful of risks. “Safety always comes first, we don’t want a situation where someone gathers evidence and ends up harmed or even killed,” she said.
Ms. Obeng also encouraged participants to share the knowledge acquired with their communities to broaden awareness and strengthen collective advocacy.
“The fight against irresponsible mining is a shared responsibility, and the more the knowledge spreads, the more proactive everybody becomes,” she added.
Organisers believe that by equipping civil society actors and mining-affected communities with the right tools for safe evidence gathering, the workshop will enhance advocacy efforts and strengthen accountability in Ghana’s extractive sector.
Other facilitators included Sasanette Simpson and Michelle Akuffo of Merton and Everett LLP, who guided participants through practical legal frameworks and reporting mechanisms.
The BRACE project is a three-year European Union-funded initiative implemented by a consortium of non-profit organisations led by A Rocha Ghana in partnership with Wacam and the Nature and Development Foundation (NDF).
It seeks to promote human rights, transparency, and accountability in mineral governance while advancing sustainable environmental management and protecting communities from the devastating impacts of illegal mining.
