Gov’t Launches “EU For A Secure Ghana” Project To Fight Violent Extremism, Arms Trafficking
The Deputy Minister for the Interior, Hon. Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi, has launched the “EU for a Secure Ghana” Project, an initiative aimed at strengthening Ghana’s capacity to prevent and respond to violent extremism, terrorism, transnational organised crime and the illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons.
The project was launched alongside the opening of a two-day national training workshop on the revised United Nations Illicit Arms Flows Questionnaire (UNIAFQ), organised by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in collaboration with the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons (NACSA).
Speaking at the event, Hon. Terlabi said the objectives of the project align closely with Ghana’s security priorities, particularly efforts to counter violent extremism and terrorism and combat transnational organised crime.
According to him, the project will focus on three key outcomes: strengthening the capacity of state institutions to counter violent extremism and terrorism while upholding the rule of law and human rights; enhancing state capacities to combat transnational organised crime, particularly the trafficking of small arms and light weapons; and strengthening the capacity of civil society, local communities and vulnerable groups to contribute to security and conflict-prevention efforts.
The Deputy Minister commended the European Union and other development partners for their continued support towards strengthening Ghana’s law-enforcement capabilities, institutional accountability, human rights protection, community resilience and firearms control.
Also speaking at the event, the Executive Secretary of NACSA, Dr Adam Bonaa, emphasised that the initiative is intended to help strengthen Ghana’s security by reinforcing systems for data collection and reporting, stressing that Ghana should not take its security for granted.
Click to read more: https://opemsuo.com/author/hajara-fuseini/
