Vice-President attends UN Security Council meeting

The Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, is in the United States of America (USA) to participate in the Open Debate of the UN Security Council in New York.

Dr Bawumia, who left Accra last Saturday, will, on behalf of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, deliver a statement during the Open Debate.

Ghana was recently elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.

Meetings

A statement from the Office of the Vice-President said the Vice-President would address the Open Debate prior to holding meetings with senior officials of the UN.

He is also expected to hold discussions in Washington, DC, with the US Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, Ms Molly Phee, on strengthening the co-operation between the two countries on issues of mutual interest.

The Vice-President returns to Accra on Friday, January 28, 2022.

High-level debate

On Tuesday, January 25, the UN Security Council will convene a high-level open debate on the protection of civilians on the theme: “Wars in cities: Protection of civilians in urban settings”.

The Norwegian Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, will chair the debate, which will hear briefings from the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres.

At a pre-open debate press conference, the Security Council President for January, Ms Mona Jull, welcomed Ghana, Albania, Brazil, Gabon and the United Arab Emirates which just began their two-year terms as non-permanent members and expressed her delegation’s determination to ensure progress on global peace and security in 2022.

Ghana’s membership

On June 11, 2021, 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.

Ghana secured 185 votes out of the 190 votes cast, the highest number of votes compared to the four other states that were elected, further cementing Ghana’s high standing in the comity of nations.

A statement issued by the Ghana High Commission in London that day said the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, had cast Ghana’s vote.

“The effective leadership being demonstrated by Ghana’s President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, as Chair of ECOWAS, provides synergy for our membership of the Security Council, particularly in addressing the conflict situations in some parts of the West African region and the Sahel. Ghana will bring to bear on the work of the council its experience in conflict mediation, prevention and reconstruction.

“Ghana will also use its tenure on the Security Council to seek a stronger and deeper collaboration and cooperation between the United Nations and regional bodies in a manner that enhances complementarity and ensures effectiveness of coordinated action,” it said.

The statement indicated that Ghana’s tenure on the council would focus on Enhancing Global Peace and Security for Sustainable and Inclusive Development.

Besides, it said, some of the country’s priorities would include a commitment to place the critical agenda of conflict prevention, post-conflict reconstruction and multilateralism at the heart of UN peace and security agenda, the promotion of human rights, sustainable development, peace and security in advancing the work of the Security Council, especially at a time when the United Nations was mobilising all member states towards combating the COVID-19 pandemic, 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, strengthening partnerships between the United Nations and continental and regional organisations such as the African Union and ECOWAS in conflict prevention, peacekeeping operations and special political missions and addressing conflicts caused by environmental factors such as land degradation, desertification, drought and climate change.