Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Regional Integration Newsletter
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DECEMBER 2019 Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Regional Integration Newsletter 1 DECEMBER 2019 P.O. BOX CT 1406 CANTONMENTS (+233) 540-125-554 / 540-125-555 [email protected] PEDUASE, EASTERN REGION 2 Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Regional Integration Newsletter DECEMBER 2019 CONTENTS 1. Editorial 04 2. Address by the President of the Republic of Ghana, 06 Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. 3. Regional Integration: a. African Continental Free Trade Area: Prospects and Challenges 10 b. Tit Bits from Africa 12 4. Ghana’s Foreign Policy and Diplomatic Relations: a. A History of Ghana’s Foreign Service 14 b. Doha Mission Celebrates its Maiden Ghana Day 21 c. Diaspora Relations: 23 Peer-to-Peer Exchange for Diaspora Desk Officers in Ghana Diplomatic Missions in Africa 5. Economic Diplomacy: a. 2nd Made-in-Ghana Bazaar 24 b. A Field Visit to Companies in the Free Zones Enclave 25 c. Highlights of Activities of Trade, Investment and Cultural 26 Promotion 6. Peace, Security and Consular Matters: 28 Consular Protection: Widening Expectation Gap for Ghana 7. Gender Issues: 32 International Relations and National Development: Women Empowerment and Inclusiveness 8. Free Education Initiative Must Succeed- Some thoughts 36 9. Information Communication Technology: a. Personal Cygiene - Think Prevention! 39 b. Dext Technology Limited-Becoming a Global Leader in STEM 41 Education. 10. Life Corner a. The Realities of a Duty Tour Abroad 43 b. My National Service Experience 44 c. The Better You 45 11. Did you know? 46 Services Provided by the Ministry Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Regional Integration Newsletter 3 DECEMBER 2019 EDITORIAL Safeguarding national independence, security, What this means is that, even in the pursuit of their sovereignty, political and territorial integrity, as well parochial national interests, States have to interact as the welfare of citizens are considered the primary with other States. Ghana is no exception. Since obligations of the State. These are the cardinal joining the United Nations on 8th March 1957, as elements of national interest - the concerns and the 82nd Member State, Ghana has established aspirations which citizens of a State expect their diplomatic relations with over 170 countries and leaders to fulfill. at the moment maintains sixty-six (66) resident diplomatic and consular Missions dotted around In that sphere, Ghana’s Constitution does not the world. The maintenance of diplomatic presence disappoint as it succinctly recognizes these abroad has helped Ghana to attract political goodwill obligations of the State. Article 35, clause 2 of the and international solidarity, as well as opened up Constitution provides in part that the State “…. shall markets and investments for national development. protect and safeguard the independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ghana, and shall seek the well- As Government pursues a people-centred foreign being of all her citizens.” policy agenda, it is important to also acknowledge the constitutional foundations that place the While national interest is largely national in interests of the country and the citizens at the heart character its execution requires internationalization of foreign policy formulation and implementation. as the nation-State exists within an international Ghana’s Constitution prescribes to Government how environment and interacts with other entities it must conduct its relations with other States. It within the international system. Therefore, contrary enjoins the Government in its dealings with other to the advice given by George Washington in his States to promote and protect the interests of Ghana 1789 Farewell Address to the American nation to and requires the Government to conduct Ghana’s “avoid entangling alliances”, countries now need to international affairs in consonance with the accepted cooperate and engage with one another more than principles of public international law and diplomacy ever. In the 21st century, no country can remain an in a manner consistent with her national interests. island as the borderless world of shared interests and shared problems has created a greater level of Thus, ultimately, the purpose of foreign policy is interdependence among nations. to further the national interests of the State and guided by these prescriptions, the implementation MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND REGIONAL INTEGRATION EDITORIAL BOARD 5 Agostinho Neto Rd, Accra, Ghana Mr. Damptey B. Asare - Chairman Mr. Harold Agyeman - Alternate Chair Postal Address: P.O.Box M53, Accra-Ghana Mrs. Audrey Naana Abayena - Member Email: [email protected], [email protected] Mrs. Laila Heward-Mills - Member Telephone number: +233 302 738473 Ms. Reina Baah Sackey - Member Digital Address: GA-057-0036 Ms. Rita Enyonam Dakudzie - Member Ms. Nana Ama Kankam - Member Ms. Ama Anima Anang - Member Views and comments expressed in this Newsletter Ms. Maame Abena Gyamerah - Member do not necessarily reflect the views of the Ministry Ms. Lydia Oppong-Gyimah - Member of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration. Mr. George Mills - Member 4 Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Regional Integration Newsletter EDITORIAL of Ghana’s foreign policy has been focused, in recent Addo at the just-ended General Debate of the 74th years, on the following objectives, among others: Session of the United Nations General Assembly, when i. Promote Ghana’s political and economic interests he brought the broad concerns of the global South to abroad, including international trade and the attention of world leaders, “for us, poverty is a investment; daily reality we live with and feel ….it robs us of the ii. Seek the welfare of Ghanaians and integrate the dignity that should be the inherent right of every Ghanaian diaspora into the national development human being”. agenda; iii. Promote regional integration and a policy of good It is therefore understood that key players of Ghana’s neigh-bourliness; foreign policy community, led by the dynamic iv. Develop and sustain international goodwill and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, support for national development. Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey and comprising Ghanaian Ambassadors and Diplomats will continue Under the leadership of the President of Ghana, who, to play key and critical roles in the formulation and within Ghana’s Foreign Policy Establishment, has implementation of a people-centred foreign policy the primary responsibility for shaping the country’s agenda in consonance with the given charge required foreign policy, enormous benefits, including critical to be kept with the Ghanaian people. development assistance, market opportunities and foreign direct investments have been derived from Wishing our Ghana’s engagements with other countries at both cherished readers the bilateral and multilateral levels. a Blessed and There is, however, still a lot more that the foreign Happy New Year. policy goals have to work towards. As was eloquently expressed by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo- Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Regional Integration Newsletter 5 DECEMBER 2019 6 Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Regional Integration Newsletter DECEMBER 2019 ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF GHANA, NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFO-ADDO AT THE 74TH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY, ON THE THEME “GALVANIZING MULTILATERAL EFFORTS FOR POVERTY ERADICATION, QUALITY EDUCATION, CLIMATE ACTION AND INCLUSION” NEW YORK, 25TH SEPTEMBER, 2019 Mr. President, Secretary-General, which, like everything undertaken performance as governments Your Excellencies, by our institution, tries to find a will be judged by how successful form of words that is acceptable to we are in reducing and eventually Ghana presents her compliments all of us. eradicating poverty in our to you Mr. President, worthy countries. representative of our great But, Mr. President, it is probably neighbour, the Federal Republic right to say that those of us, who The responsibility is ours as of Nigeria, and extends hearty live in countries generally referred individual sovereign countries not congratulations on your election to as developing countries, get only to aim at reducing poverty, to preside over this 74th General somewhat bemused by arguments but, actually, to create prosperity Assembly. We extend our and complicated definitions of for all our citizens. We, in Ghana, appreciation to the President of poverty. For us, poverty is a daily certainly are engaged in fighting the 73rd Session for her work, reality that we live with and feel, to eradicate poverty from our and commend the brave theme for far too many of our people country. that has been selected for our are burdened with it, and it robs consideration during this meeting. us of the dignity that should If the world wants to marshal all I note that there is a United Nations’ be the inherent right of every its undoubted energies to support accepted definition of poverty, human being. We know that our this fight, there cannot be a better Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Regional Integration Newsletter 7 DECEMBER 2019 start than an acknowledgement The young people of the world, the panel chaired by the highly and a consensus among the nations especially the youth of Ghana and respected former South African of the world that, indeed, poverty Africa, have demonstrated their President, Thabo Mbeki, on the anywhere degrades us all, whether ingenuity and innovative prowess, illicit flow of funds from Africa, has in the developed or developing and we need to enlist them fully raised the lid on what many had world. in the fight. It will be an easier always suspected, but did not have battle, of course, if trade practices the figures to support. According Luckily for us, technological were seen to be more equitable to that report, Africa is losing, advances are short-circuiting the and fairer. The question always annually, more than USD50 billion path that leads us out of poverty, remains whether the rich nations through illicit financial outflows. and it is no longer the long and are prepared for an equitable and Collaboration, is certainly, needed tortuous road it used to be.