By Kwame Bediako
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, during the Government Accountability Series on Monday, September 15, 2025, outlined key reforms his administration has initiated since assuming office on February 7, 2025. He emphasised a transformative vision focused on national interests, people-centred diplomacy, and development-oriented outcomes.
“Since assuming office on February 7, 2025, I have been guided by a transformative vision of diplomacy that is driven by the national interest, people-centred, development-oriented, grounded in integrity, and anchored on tangible outcomes,” Ablakwa noted.
On his first day in office, Ablakwa established two significant reform committees. “I inaugurated two major reform committees, the first being the Passport Reforms Committee, which was tasked with conducting a comprehensive review of the existing passport application system,” he said.
The committee’s mandate was to “identify bottlenecks, improve operational efficiency, reduce turnaround time, and enhance the integrity and security of our travel documents in accordance with international best practices.”
He also announced the formation of the second committee, the Committee on Migration and the Welfare of Ghanaians Abroad, which was inaugurated on the same day.
Ablakwa explained that the committee had developed a far-reaching framework to protect the rights of Ghanaians in the diaspora and promote development-oriented engagement. “The goal was to create sustainable pathways for diaspora investment, welfare interventions, particularly during crises, and to strengthen institutional mechanisms that support our citizens abroad,” he said.
Highlighting the Ministry’s proactive role, he added: “In response to international crises, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has demonstrated both agility and commitment to the protection of Ghanaian citizens abroad.”
Ablakwa also expressed concern about recent regional violence. “In this vein, I wish to express government’s deep concern over the recent unfortunate clashes in Binyari in the Savannah Region of Ghana near the borders with neighbouring Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso, resulting in the loss of lives and displacement of Ghanaians in both countries,” he stated.
