Ghana on Wednesday, October 24, 2018, joined the global community to commemorate the 73rd Anniversary of the founding of the United Nations with a focus on the life and achievements of the late former UN Secretary-General and global peace icon, Kofi Annan.
Aside the global theme of “Making the United Nations relevant to all people; global leadership and shared responsibilities for peaceful, equitable and sustainable societies”, Ghana’s commemoration is guided by a local theme “Legacy of Kofi Annan: An illustrious son of Ghana and Global statesman” to further highlight the achievements and contributions of the late global icon.
The UN was founded on 24th October 1945 in San Francisco in the United States of America to replace the League of Nations after World War II with the aim of preventing another such conflict, promote human rights and spearhead development around the world.
At a flag raising event, which was held at the forecourt of the Statehouse in Accra to mark the day, UN Resident Coordinator, Dr. Christine Evans-Klock, on behalf of the United Nations, lauded Ghana’s continuo contributions to UN Peacekeeping Operations.
“On behalf of the UN, I would like once again to express appreciation for Ghana’s continuing contributions to UN Peacekeeping Operations”.
Dr. Christine Evans-Klock also expressed gratitude to President Akufo-Addo for agreeing to continue to co-Chair the Secretary-General’s Group of Eminent Advocates for the SDGs for another two-year term.
According to her, “this position helps drive Ghana’s leadership across Africa and the world. It also makes Ghana’s efforts more visible, as it continues to be accountable to citizens for the tangible difference the SDGs make in their lives,” she said.
The celebration was held under the theme; “Making the UN Relevant to All People: Global Leadership and Sharing Responsibilities for Peaceful, Equitable and Sustainable Societies”.
The function was attended by Ministers of State, Members of Parliament (MPs), members of the diplomatic community, service chiefs, traditional rulers, students and the public.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, for her part, reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to global peacekeeping.
“Ghana will continue to play significant roles in peacekeeping within the constraints of its resources, in line with her firm belief in the noble ideals of the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping,” Madam Ayokor Botchwey.
“I will like to use this opportunity to reaffirm the commitment of Government to the ideas and principles of the UN and to reiterate that, we would continue to discharge our international obligation in promoting peace and security throughout the world,” she said.
Madam Botchwey said the UN has always provided the platform for the teeming majority of progressive nations of the world, both rich and poor, large and small, developed and underdeveloped, to reach out to one another and to build bridges towards creating common conditions for the respect of human rights, the rule of law and deepening democracy.
Others are good governance and the attainment of social equality, social justice and better standards of living for all.
Madam Botchwey said on this score, the UN has made remarkable strides in its advocacy for Member States to uphold the principles that guarantee basic freedoms and human rights of the citizens of the world.
She said similarly, it has made significant progress in promoting sustainable development and prosperity in the world by setting common standards and goals to guide the efforts of its Member States in the quest to better the lives of their people.
“Nevertheless, the world is still faced with various threats to peace, security and stability, serious violations of human rights, marked social deprivation, poverty and the devastating effects of climate change and consequent environmental degradation,” Madam Botchwey said.
“In the same way, transformative and sustainable development has continued to elude many nations across the globe and the sense of hopelessness and despair of the poor and the marginalised in our societies constitute an affront to our common sense of humanity,” she said.
She said this state of affairs increasingly poses serious threats to social cohesion and progress.
She said President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in his address at the UN General Assembly Session in New York in September stated that “We believe that there is room, there are enough resources in this planet for us all to be prosperous”.
Madam Botchwey said it was in this regard that Ghana commends the UN for the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which presents the world with 17 goals and 169 targets that were aimed at shaping the development agenda of the world for the next 12 years.
She said Ghana believes that the goals and targets go far beyond the imperatives of economic growth to also encompass the recognition of tackling the most severe cases of poverty and depravation while delivering on the social and environmental diversities of development.
“It is in this connection that the Government has fully embraced the SDGs and integrated the 17 ambitious goals in our national vision and budget,” she said.
