By: Mercy Darko
Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia has impressed on UN Member States to forge new partnerships, deepen existing collaborations, and lay the groundwork for a more secure and peaceful world.
Addressing the 2023 UN Peacekeeping Ministerial Meeting in Accra, Vice President Bawumia said peacekeeping requires the collective mission of all to explore and evaluate options that will bring meaningful change and concrete outcomes that will enhance the effectiveness of peacekeeping operations worldwide.
He urged participants to come out with workable ideas to sustain peace across the globe.
This year’s United Nations Peacekeeping Ministerial Meeting seeks to rally the collective efforts of Member States to strengthen the effectiveness of peacekeeping operations and their impact on the communities they serve.
Focused on the theme “peacebeginswithme”, participants discussed ways to develop concrete measures to improve operations in line with ongoing reform through Action for Peacekeeping, A4P+ and the Digital Transformation Strategy.
Member States are also expected to consider issues such as the generation of high-performing and specialized capabilities and other pledges to meet UN needs and new or expanded sustainable capacity-building, training, and equipping partnerships in key areas.
Vice President Bawumia said Ghana stands proud to be the first country in Africa to host the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial Meeting. He noted that the meeting holds significant importance in fostering international cooperation for the noble cause of global peace, reiterating the government’s commitment to sustainable peace.
The UN Under-Secretary General, Peace Operations, Jean Pierre Lacroix in a remark said the ultimate objective of peacekeeping is to help resolve conflicts by implementing peace agreements.
He intimated that securing sustainable peace requires strong political will, active and united front of all UN Member States.
The idea of a Ministerial Conference on Peacekeeping was mooted about ten years ago and has since become a regular feature on the calendar of the peacekeeping community.
More than 600 dignitaries and high profile personalities from about 100 countries across the globe are participating in the first United Nations Peacekeeping Ministerial Meeting to be hosted on the African Continent.