Ghana’s political landscape has been relatively stable over the past four decades. About two and a half of the four decades have seen five democratic governments under the 4th Republican Constitution which came into force in January, 1993. For a post-colonial country in Africa, south of the Sahara, this stability alone is an exceptional growth and gain. Quite apart from this, Ghana has been touted as a beacon of hope for Africa in respect of democratic growth.

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The indicators that have been used to asses this growth relate largely to rule of law, the regularity of public elections, the transfer of political power from one political party to another, liberalised and free media, and active civil society engagement, among others. Even though Ghana has impressed the world in these areas, the gains made have yet to translate into real sustainable human and social freedoms and development. This situation raises a number of questions some of which include: What is the appropriate legal environment for ensuring the benefits of democracy - reducing corruption, entrenching transparency and achieving sustainable development? What social protection policies have been implemented to reduce poverty, improve general wellbeing and minimise inequality?

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Answers to these questions have been varied and inconsistent. That notwithstanding, an overwhelming body of findings points strongly to a very weak policy scrutiny and evaluation environment, particularly, those that relate to law-making and enforcement. This answer is plausible both intuitively and empirically. This is because, human and social development of any society are undergirded and driven by an efficient policy environment; fundamentally by a strong and efficient connection between policy conceptualisation and implementation.

Human rights, law, democracy, development, public policy and governance are not mutually exclusive. Effective reduction of development policy into law through appropriate law-making mechanisms and subsequent implementation in a democratic way are pivotal to public governance. Laws passed by the legislature are ultimately intended for the public welfare and benefit. Nonetheless, tons of research findings have underscored the dire need for an improved approach to policy implementation in Ghana.

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Therefore, at ILPA, we seek to contribute to bridging the gap between policy conceptualisation, implementation and the actual development, using law as a tool. ILPA intends to strategically engage as a development partner with policy-makers, government officials, civil society organisations, academia, the media, traditional and religious authorities, among others, to achieve  and deliver its vision.