Ghana, four others take seats on UN Security Council

Ghana’s Mission to the United Nations (UN) has taken her seat at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

Ghana, Gabon, the United Arab Emirates, Albania and Brazil, were elected in June 2021 to serve as nonpermanent members on the UNSC for a two-year mandate beginning January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2023.

Mr Harold Agyeman, Ghana’s Ambassador to the United Nations, speaking at the flag installation ceremony in New York, stated: “As Ghana formally takes her seat on the Council, 15 years after we last served on this important UN Organ, we are expectedly excited by the opportunity to make a bigger contribution to the maintenance of international peace and
security.

“And honoured by the confidence that Member States of the UN have reposed in us. In this regard, let me convey on behalf of my Head of State, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, as well as my Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Ghana’s deep appreciation once again to all Member States (of the UN).”

Mr Agyeman said Ghana had joined the Council with a burden and expectation of the estimated two billion people who lived in fragile contexts and conflict areas around the world and the more than 20 per cent of the population of Africa who continued to endure the ravaging effects of conflicts.

“We are under no illusions of the challenges we face in resolving the prevailing conflicts or the enduring nature of the emerging threats to international peace and security such as violent extremism, the proliferation of terrorism, insurgencies, enhanced activities of transnational criminal organisations, and the impact of climate change to the security situation in some part of our world,” he stated.

“However, when we look back to 15 years ago, there were parts of the agenda of the Council that today has been resolved such as those in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Cote d’Ivoire. We are, therefore, hopeful that working together with all the members of the council, we can successfully resolve the many issues that continue to linger on the agenda and redeem for the people of the world the promise, the charter for a peaceful and secure world.”

During Ghana’s tenure on the Council, therefore, the nation hoped to be able to obtain the cooperation of other members to look at enhanced approaches and instruments in dealing with some of these conflict situations.

It would be leveraging the flexibility of the Charter’s expectations for cooperation of regional arrangement as contained in chapter eight of the Charter of the UN.

Mr Agyeman congratulated all the other members of the Council and offered Ghana’s open arms of cooperation in working together.

He acknowledged the contributions over the past two years of the five outgone members of the council – Estonia, Niger, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tunisia, and Vietnam, particularly their contributions towards the maintenance of international peace and security.

“Madam Mona Juul of Norway and President of the UNSC for January, in welcoming Ghana and the others, expressed her delegation’s determination to ensure progress on global peace and security in 2022.

She said the Security Council would address threats against women peacebuilders and explore ways to better protect civilians from conflicts in urban settings.

“We leave behind the quite troublesome 2021 […] and we need to remain optimistic,” she said.