Ghana ’ll impact UN Security Council — Foreign Minister
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, says Ghana will contribute effectively to address the security implications of global health pandemics.
She said the country would also champion multilateral approaches in combating the COVID-19 pandemic to recover and build the world “back better”.
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The minister gave the assurance in Accra yesterday when she inaugurated a 14-member body to serve on the Working Group for the country’s membership to the United Nations (UN) Security Council from 2022 to 2023.
Ms Botchwey said the country’s term on the UN Security Council, which was hinged on the theme: “Enhancing Global Peace and Security for Sustainable and Inclusive Development”, would also help foster partnerships and collaboration between the UN and Africa.
Strengthening partnerships
“Ghana seeks to encourage the strengthening of partnerships between the UN and regional and sub-regional organisations like the AU and ECOWAS in conflict prevention, peacekeeping operations and special political missions,” she said.
The working group is co-chaired by retired diplomat and Secretary to former President John Agyekum Kufuor, Mr Daniel Kuffour Osei, and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration responsible for political and economic affairs, Mr Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong.
Members include the Special Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Kwabena Osei-Danquah; the Director-General, International Peace Support Operations, Brigadier General E.K. Mends; the Executive Secretary of the National Peace Council, Mr George Amoh, and the Research Officer and the acting Programme Coordinator at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, Mrs Serwaa Allotey-Pappoe.
The group also include a Research Fellow at the Legon Centre for International Affairs and Diplomacy, Dr Fred Boamah; the Head, Protection Department, at the Ministry of National Security, Mr Nadel Fadel Majdoub, and the Director, General Services of the Ghana Police Service, Commissioner of Police George Alex Mensah.
Others are the Director, Multilateral Relations Bureau, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ms Mavis Kusorgbor; the Director, Regional Integration, at the Foreign Ministry, Mr Muhammed Ismaila Nurudeen; the Director, Africa and Bilateral, Mrs Charity Gbedawo; the Director, Legal and Treaties, Mr McArios Akanbong, and the Director II, Multilateral Relations Bureau, Mrs Joyce Asamoah-Koranteng.
Mandate
Ms Botchwey explained that Ghana’s mandate on the UN Security Council included addressing conflicts caused by environmental factors such as desertification, land degradation, drought and climate change.
She noted that the overarching goal of sustainable development could be best served in maintaining global peace and security, inclusive governance and economic growth.
As a result, she said, the Working Group had been constituted to assist the government to carry out its mandate on the council.
“The group is expected to provide the requisite support to our Permanent Mission in New York in particular and to the Ministry in general in order to ensure Ghana’s effective participation in the work of the Security Council during its tenure,” she said.
The terms of reference of the group, she said, included proposing inputs based on Ghana’s priorities for inclusion in resolutions; developing positions on Ghana’s theme for approval by the government; developing positions on the themes of other members of the council for approval by the government; and proposing inputs for resolutions being considered by the Security Council, among others.
The General Assembly of the UN elected Ghana to serve a two-year term on the Security Council for the period January 2022 to December 2023.