Government of Ghana is optimistic that the country’s election to the United Nations Security Council will be a major boost for efforts to contain security risks in the West African sub-region while contributing to the agenda for global security.
Ghana is expected to use her new role to champion the West African security agenda by helping to address the security concerns of the region and to a greater extent, on the continent.
The country was elected to the Security Council on Friday June 11, 2021.
The role will make Ghana one of 5 countries to gain non-permanent membership on the Council from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2022 including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Albania, Brazil and Gabon after securing 185 votes out of the 190 casted.
The newly elected five will join India, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico and Norway, the other non-permanent members.
The Security Council is a body of 15 members, five of which are permanent and have veto powers.
They are the United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia and China.
Bastion of peace
Ghana remains the bastion of stability and peace in West Africa even after the region has suffered some insurgency and terrorist attacks in recent years.
The latest was in Burkina Faso, which killed about 132 civilians after armed assailants laid siege overnight in Solhan, a village in the Yagha province close to the Niger border.
This also followed a coup in Mali after the military led by Colonel Assimi ousted Mali’s President and Prime Minister in May this year.
However, Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo has led efforts in deepening intelligence and security collaboration efforts in both countries.
Recently, he chaired an Extraordinary ECOWAS Summit in a bid to bring an end to the Mali impasse.
President Akufo-Addo also visited Burkina Faso to among other things, proffer solutions to the increasing spate of insurgency in the country.
Speaking to the media in Accra, Minister for Information Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said Foreign Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey has returned to Ghana with the Ghanaian delegation that won the election for Ghana and will address brief Journalists later today.
Meanwhile, a statement released by the Permanent Mission of Ghana to the United Nations (UN) has explained Ghana’s preparedness to resume its membership on the Security Council.
The Mission said the country is ready to be an active and instrumental member of the Council, noting that Ghana will use her tenure on the Council to seek for a stronger and deeper collaboration and cooperation between the UN and regional bodies in a manner that enhances complementarity and ensures effectiveness of coordinated action.
Detailing what Ghana’s priorities will be on the Council, the statement said Ghana will focus on conflict mediation, prevention and reconstruction in order to enhance global peace and security.
Ghana, the statement added, will be committed to playing the critical role of conflict prevention, post-conflict reconstruction and multilateralism at the heart of UN peace and security agenda and also promoting Human Rights, sustainable development, peace and security in advancing the work of the Council, especially at a time when the UN is mobilising all Member States towards combating the COVID-19 pandemic.
Another area of focus will be to lead the advocacy for the implementation of the actions recommended by the High-Level Independent Panel on Peace Operations, such as improved strategic planning, better force generation, enhanced safety and security and strengthened efforts to combat sexual exploitation and abuse.
Ghana will also focus on strengthening partnerships between the UN and continental and regional organizations such as the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African State (ECOWAS) in conflict prevention, peacekeeping operations and special political missions.
Further, Ghana will help address conflicts caused by environmental factors such as land degradation, desertification, drought and climate change.
