By Hannah Dadzie
On Thursday, May 25, the Member States of the African Union will commemorate the 60th anniversary of the formation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), now the African Union (AU). This is in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, and the African Group of the Diplomatic Corps.
As the country playing host to the AfCFTA, Ghana will organise a flag-raising ceremony at the forecourt of the State House. This year’s theme, Accelerated Implementation of the AfCFTA*, “#OurAfrica OurFuture” brings to the fore the essence of free trade among African countries as an important flagship project towards realising the Africa we want.
“Unlike the 1960s, when our main preoccupation was political liberation of the African continent from the shackles of colonialism and imperialism, our collective goal now is the socio-economic emancipation of the African continent,” the statement said.
The statement said that without peace, security, and stability, the realisation of economic growth and collective prosperity for the benefit of the Peoples of Africa will continue to elude the continent.
“For this reason, African leaders remain committed to addressing the challenges of food insecurity, energy crisis, declining democracy, climate change, health issues, internal conflicts, terrorism, and violent extremism facing the continent towards attainment of our development blueprint as encapsulated in Agenda 2063,” it added.
The event seeks to synergize the efforts of Government Agencies in sensitising the public on AfCFTA and its benefits and to provide a platform for African businesses in Ghana to showcase and promote their goods and services.
