Accra-Ghana, Dec.13, GNA – Mr Charles Abani, the United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator, said Ghana is a crown of jewel in the sub-region in terms of peace, and her peace architecture is a model for other countries to emulate.
He said with a role of the UN to support the government and people of Ghana to achieve their development vision and priorities, it was mandated to strengthen the peace architecture through the National Peace Council (NPC) to deal with emerging internal and external threats.
Mr Abani stated this at the 2022 International Peace Day press conference in Accra on Monday.
He said as the world celebrated the International Day of Peace, it was also important to celebrate Ghana’s efforts in maintaining peace amidst growing volatility in the sub-region.
“We recognise and single out Ghana’s example in sustaining peace.” Mr Abani stated.
Ghana, as the 2022 second most peaceful country in Sub-Saharan Africa (Global Peace Index), its national peace architecture was a model to many other countries, he said.
“We cannot take this for granted because peace is expensive and the barriers to peace can be complex. No one institution or person can solve them all. Advancing peace and safety for all peoples is our collective responsibility because peace requires partnership, sustained attention and continued commitment.”
Mr Abani, therefore, called on all stakeholders – government, civil society organisations, the private sector, youth groups, community and traditional leaders and development partners – to continue to contribute towards the promotion of peace in the country to accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The event was organised by the NPC in collaboration with the UN, on the global theme: “End Racism. Build Peace”.
It was attended by members of the Queen Mothers Foundation Ghana and students from the Labone Senior High and Accra High schools.
The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by the UN General Assembly to commemorate and strengthen the ideals of peace within and among all nations and peoples as a period of non-violence and cease-fire.
The NPC, seeking to harness Ghana’s existing inter-ethnic and inter-religious ties and promote tolerance, unity and a more inclusive society, has domesticated the theme to read: “Managing Ethnic Diversity in Ghana for Sustainable Peace”.
“Peace is fundamental to our existence and, therefore, our progress. You will agree with me that we are able to gather here today because we have peace,” Mr Abani said.
Touching on the correlation of peace to development, he said sustainable development could not take place in the absence of peace.
The SDG 16 talks about “Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions”, which calls for the promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, providing access to justice for all and building effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.
“A peaceful society is one where there is justice and equality for everyone. This is hitched on the understanding that it would not be possible to build a peaceful world if steps were not taken to achieve economic and social development for everyone,” Mr Abani said.
He said a just society would ensure that the systems to promote equity and resilience were in place to facilitate effective recovery from pandemics such as COVID -19.
Violence, conflict and disruptions could only exacerbate the development challenges of the world, hence the importance to sustain “the peace we are enjoying today,” he said.
Reverend Dr Ernest Adu-Gyamfi, Chairman, Governing Board, NPC, appealed to the chiefs and people of the Bawku Traditional Area to cease fire as nobody gained from protracted conflicts.
