Ghana’s Justice Edward Asante elected to UN Human Rights Council Advisory Committee
Justice Asante secured his seat during the Council’s 60th session, which concluded on Wednesday, 8 October 2025, following Ghana’s strong nomination.
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The immediate past president of the ECOWAS Court of Justice and justice of Ghana's Court of Appeal, Justice Edward Amoako Asante, has been elected to the Advisory Committee of the United Nations Human Rights Council—the Council’s 18-member think tank that provides expertise and policy advice on global human rights issues.
Justice Asante secured his seat during the Council’s 60th session, which concluded on Wednesday, 8 October 2025, following Ghana’s strong nomination. He will serve a three-year term, renewable once, and was one of only two African judges selected to fill seven vacancies on the committee.
Members of the Advisory Committee serve in their personal capacities, having been nominated by UN Member States in consultation with national human rights institutions and civil society organizations. The committee’s regional balance includes five members each from Africa and Asia-Pacific, three from Latin America and the Caribbean, and two from Western Europe and other regions.
Under his presidency, the ECOWAS Court launched an Electronic Case Management System, advanced landmark civil and political rights jurisprudence, and conducted external court sessions across member states to improve accessibility.
Justice Asante’s credentials also include advanced studies in public and private international law at the Hague Academy of International Law, and specialized training in corporate risk management, judicial ethics, arbitration, and governance from leading global institutions.
His contributions to the advancement of justice have been recognized internationally. During his presidency, the ECOWAS Court received the 2020 Columbia University Global Freedom of Expression Award, and he has personally been honoured with the African Bar Medal of Merit Award.
The Ghanaian government’s statement emphasized that Justice Asante’s integrity, impartiality, and mastery of human rights mechanisms make him ideally suited to the Advisory Committee’s mission.
