Ghana: Minister Advocates Strategic Modern Foreign Policy Framework for Ghana

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has emphasised the need for Ghana to move away from fragmented approaches to international relations and adopt a modern, strategic, and forward-focused foreign policy framework.

Speaking in a speech read on his behalf by the Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr. James Gyakye Quayson, in Accra at the opening of a two-day workshop on Ghana's Comprehensive Foreign Policy, the Minister said the country could no longer rely on reactive or scattered engagements. "Though guided by constitutional principles, our engagements have often been dispersed across institutions without the harmonising vision required in today's diplomatic landscape," he noted.

The workshop aimed at shaping Ghana's global engagement, producing a policy framework that protects the country's interests, advances prosperity, and promotes its values and aspirations on the international stage. Mr. Ablakwa highlighted the importance of protecting Ghana's sovereignty, deepening economic diplomacy, and promoting peace, stability, and democracy.

He added that foreign policy in the 21st century is no longer the exclusive preserve of the Foreign Ministry, as it is also shaped by trade and industry, education and culture, technology and the environment, national security, and humanitarian commitments. "Our foreign policy must therefore be the collective expression of our national identity and interest, not the agenda of a civil institution," he said.

Drawing inspiration from Ghana's founding fathers, Kwame Nkrumah and Kofi Annan, Mr. Ablakwa emphasised the need for unity, purpose, and compassion in charting a new path. He described the workshop as the beginning of a historic process to align national priorities and communicate a consistent message to the world.

The Acting Chief Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Khadija Iddrisu, added that the ministry had spearheaded efforts to renew and improve Ghana's foreign policy framework. She emphasised that the process was not intended to produce "another document for the shelf" but to establish a framework guiding practitioners, setting clear priorities, and incorporating robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms so that the benefits of foreign policy directly impact the lives of citizens.

Read the original article on Ghanaian Times.