YouSaid · the spoken record

President Akufo-Addo

lines on the record

22

first

2023-03-28

most recent

2023-09-20

sittings or episodes

2

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un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

1. “We hope the Council can help the United Nations to assume an enhanced role in support of peace efforts around the world, but in particular in Ukraine, for the benefit of all peoples.”

   2023-09-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9421 (2023) · source

2. “We must strengthen in a comprehensive and integrated manner our efforts to prevent the outbreak of violence and the resurgence of new conflicts. Thirdly and finally, multilateralism at the global level must be accompanied by effective regional partnerships — partnerships that help to anticipate better threats to our common humanity, which prioritize specific means for resolving differences and which cut across regions to enhance their effectiveness when required. When we fail to leverage fully the potential of regional bodies, we can only have ourselves to blame when multilateral efforts at the global level are unable to deliver. In conclusion, I call again for peace in Ukraine, and emphasize, as my delegation has often done in the Council, that there is no alternative to winning the peace in Ukraine.”

   2023-09-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9421 (2023) · source

3. “We cannot continue to have a Security Council that is structurally limited from being effective and yet demands universal acceptance for its decisions. As with many other things in life, with changes, we need to adapt, and with authority, comes a responsibility that must be kept. Secondly, the peace of the world is indivisible and integrated with all other global arrangements beyond our collective security. Our efforts of preventive diplomacy must be comprehensive and broad-based. We need to be aware that, for instance, inimical economic and financial policies have an enduring impact on peace and that global policies on the structure and function of international institutions cannot remove the centrality of peace from their raison d’être.”

   2023-09-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9421 (2023) · source

4. “First, many of the organs and institutions established by the Charter of the United Nations, such as the Security Council, continue to be relevant, but the Council’s composition and working methods need renewal through the completion of the long-outstanding reform. In support of the common African position on Security Council reforms, contained in the Ezulwini Consensus, Ghana urges the transformation of a dialogue among Member States to envisage an end-point that delivers a Security Council that is representative and that also addresses the historical injustice done to the continent of Africa. To overcome knotty discussions around the veto, we encourage the ongoing efforts to limit its use and the subsequent placement of a moratorium on its use that will lead progressively to its removal over a reasonable period of time.”

   2023-09-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9421 (2023) · source

5. “In taking a principled position on the conflict in Ukraine, Ghana has been concerned about the ramifications of the war on the global community and multilateralism. We therefore welcome the opportunity that the New Agenda for Peace provides, which is to reset our common understanding of how, among other factors, the way we relate with each other as States can reinforce the peremptory norms of international law that have provided us stability for almost eight decades and to find new ways of addressing old challenges that continue to undermine States and the sovereignty of nations. In support of the choices we need to make for a renewed and inclusive and multilateralism, I would like to share three key messages.”

   2023-09-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9421 (2023) · source

6. “Violations of sovereignty and territorial integrity of States and attempts to normalize such violations or selectively apply the rules of international law and the Charter of the United Nations would only undermine the promise of the past and the hope for future generations. It is in that regard that Ghana continues to be a firm advocate for dialogue and diplomacy in resolving the Russian war against Ukraine. We do not do so because of want of a resolution of the dispute at any cost. United in our belief with many others, we believe the only pathway for a comprehensive, peaceful and sustainable resolution of the dispute is one that must be just and based on the Charter of the United Nations and international law.”

   2023-09-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9421 (2023) · source

7. “We also believe that history has a lesson to teach, and the painful lessons of the two World Wars inspired the solemn commitments made by the founders of the United Nations to refrain from the use of force in relations among States. That common understanding — to replace force and might with the rule of law, cooperation and the peaceful settlement of disputes — underpins the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and remains valid, if we are to avoid a Hobbesian state of affairs in inter-State relations. We must thus work together strongly to reverse the growing fragmentation of our world and the intervention of nationalist ideologies and actions among commonly accepted rules.”

   2023-09-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9421 (2023) · source

8. “The turnings of the war have constrained collective efforts to reinvigorate multilateralism and impeded common approaches to effectively confronting a number of complex challenges of our time. For us in Ghana, however, the unfolding situation is not a lost cause. While we are rightly distressed by what is happening around us, we believe that together we can still mitigate the challenges of the unknown if we are prepared to cooperate in a peaceful, carefully managed process of reform of global institutions that would redistribute responsibilities and authority fairly to reflect the present realities of our world.”

   2023-09-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9421 (2023) · source

9. “In that context, and mindful of the reality that neither geographic boundaries nor political ideologies have been able to isolate any State from the burden of the prevailing crises, Ghana continues to hope in earnest for an end to the war on Ukraine and for the construction of a future marked by peaceful coexistence, mutual cooperation and brotherly relations between the two neighbouring countries. The fact is that the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine is plainly wrong, and we have said so on many platforms. The war has taken an increasingly devastating toll on the people of Ukraine and the rest of the world, particularly those of us in Africa, and has challenged our shared values of international peace and security.”

   2023-09-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9421 (2023) · source

10. “The sharp differences in geopolitical competition among major Powers, and the intense convergence of the crises in the world, particularly crises of conflict, climate change, inequality, unconstitutional changes of Government and unsustainable development, have undermined global trust and solidarity and unravelled the common logic that has prevailed since 1945, which is that it is better to suffer the inadequacies of the multilateral system for the greater good than to pursue the chaos of the unknown for national advantage.”

    2023-09-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9421 (2023) · source

11. “President Akufo-Addo: I thank you, Mr. President, for making me a part of this important meeting on how we can better uphold the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, with the unfortunate tragic events in Ukraine serving as a backdrop. I am grateful to Secretary-General António Guterres for making a compelling case for the shared benefits we derive as Member States when we choose to be peace-loving, as the Charter requires. None of us here in this Chamber can claim to be unaware that our world is in a troubled place.”

    2023-09-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9421 (2023) · source

12. “Finally, let me place on record my gratitude for your leadership, Mr. President, during this high-level meeting, which has established further the urgency needed to enhance cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations in a meaningful way.”

    2023-03-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9296 (2023) · source

13. “Indeed, our collective security demands that we find the will to act collaboratively and decisively, in line with the respective mandates, in order to defeat terrorism and violent extremism in Africa. The activities of the United Nations, the African Union and other regional organizations, such as the Economic Community of West African States and the Accra Initiative, should complement each other. It is important that we reinforce the capacity of regional organizations for early warning and conflict prevention. That requires that we enhance cooperation in the areas of intelligence, logistics, capabilities, training and deployment, as well as innovative financing arrangements, for the highest impact projects on our continents with the quickest turnaround results, for peoples’ lives and for sustainable development.”

    2023-03-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9296 (2023) · source

14. “Thirdly, bolstering cooperation and collaboration between the United Nations and continental and regional organizations should leverage existing strengths in order to enhance the development of a preventive approach, based on regional early-warning mechanisms. Efforts in conflict prevention and mediation have demonstrated how working together increases our powers of persuasion to press parties to make peace and defuse tensions in localities. Fourthly, it is important that partnerships with regional organizations be based on mutual respect and do not attempt to impose preferred approaches on unique regional circumstances. Where that is forced through, it can only be detrimental to the work of regional organizations and the global effort to defeat terrorism.”

    2023-03-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9296 (2023) · source

15. “The Accra Initiative, which groups together Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, Benin, Mali and Burkina Faso and hopefully soon Nigeria, is one such self-help security and intelligence mechanism designed to assist in the fight against terrorism. Yet capacity limitations and a lack of financial resources have become significant obstacles in the fight against terrorists. Previous experiences with peacekeeping in Africa have shown us the difficulties in delivering ambitious but underresourced mandates. Defeating terrorist organizations and armed groups should be the Council’s primary focus when addressing the security challenges currently facing Africa.”

    2023-03-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9296 (2023) · source

16. “The partnership, outlined in Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations, has always been an important factor in preserving international peace and security and reinforcing our shared aspirations for global peace and security. Secondly, in Africa, we have decided to fill the void by addressing the limitations that United Nations peacekeeping efforts and national capacities have in dealing with the menace of transnational terrorist threats. In order to combat insurgencies in their respective regions, African regional organizations, such as SADC and the Economic Community of West African States, have developed their unique operations, which include both military and diplomatic initiatives.”

    2023-03-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9296 (2023) · source

17. “The effectiveness of the United Nations now more than ever rests on a cooperation that is both deeper and more robust with regional organizations. In the light of that, I will highlight a few points. First, the rise of violent extremism and terrorism underscores the urgent need for a collective response. No country, regardless of its might, is immune from the scourge of terrorism and violent extremism, nor can one country alone respond effectively to such threats. In a rapidly changing world, enhanced cooperation among the United Nations and continental and regional organizations is needed to combat those emerging threats to international peace and security.”

    2023-03-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9296 (2023) · source

18. “Over the course of the past few years, there have been a number of initiatives and advancement at the global and regional levels to combat terrorism and violent extremism. We have proven through our combined efforts that we are able to cooperate with one another in order to enhance our capacity to combat the threat posed by terrorism in all its guises and manifestations, and as a serious crime that has no justification, regardless of its motivation or origin. The Charter of the United Nations placed regional collaboration at the heart of the Organization’s mandate. Our founders were wise enough to see that in today’s complicated and fast-evolving world, there is no single organization that can guarantee peace, stability and growth on its own. It requires partnership across all levels, from the local to the regional and to the global.”

    2023-03-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9296 (2023) · source

19. “Boko Haram continues to carry out assassinations, kidnappings and large-scale acts of violence against civilian populations in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and the Niger. Those acts have been ongoing for more than a decade. In Somalia, Al-Qaida-affiliated Al-Shabaab is under pressure, but not defeated; in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham (ISIS), the Islamic State and Al-Shabaab elements are being contained by the Government with the support of Southern African Development Community (SADC) forces and Rwanda; and in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, ISIS-affiliated Allied Democratic Forces and others continue to destabilize the populations.”

    2023-03-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9296 (2023) · source

20. “The most recent report of the Secretary-General on the threat posed by Da’esh to the international community (S/2023/76), which was released in February, as well as the 2022 Global Terrorism Index and the 2022 report of the African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism, all speak about an increase in the incidence of terrorism and violent extremism across Africa with an attendant evolution in their modes of operation. Indeed, data on casualties on the continent is particularly sobering. It is for those reasons that Ghana reaffirms its condemnation of all acts of extremism and terrorism and urges the civilized world to do the same. Our common humankind and existence depend on it. We see in the Sahel the reinforcement of the presence of Islamic State affiliates.”

    2023-03-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9296 (2023) · source

21. “The unsettling uncertainty of where the next attack will occur, the number of lives to be disrupted, lost or displaced, the annexing of national territories and the wrecking of economies are repercussions of that fight, except that this war has neither fixed boundaries nor an end date. For a significant number of people in Africa, the threat to their peace is their daily reality. We are thus gravely concerned by the steady transformation of Africa into an arena for violent extremism and terrorism.”

    2023-03-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9296 (2023) · source

22. “President Akufo-Addo: I would like, first of all, to commend you, Mr. President, for your leadership of the Security Council at a time when the global order is being buffeted by severe headwinds. I applaud the Secretary-General António Guterres for his thought- provoking address on this very important subject, as I do the President of the Comoros and the Chairperson of the African Union, His Excellency Mr. Azali Assoumani, for providing a valuable perspective on the matter. The Security Council is familiar with the devastating consequences that terrorism and violent extremism have had on humankind. The international order is under threat as a result of the destabilizing actions being carried out by terrorist groups all over the world.”

    2023-03-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9296 (2023) · source