Ghana Hosts UN Conference This Week
Ghana will from Tuesday, December 5, host the historic United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping Ministerial Conference in Accra.
The conference which will be held at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) will end on Wednesday, with over 500 people from between 80 to 100 countries expected.
The hosting right makes Ghana the sole African country to ever host the conference which has been characterized as the UN’s second largest meeting aside from the General Assembly.
At a presser on Sunday, December 3, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong said Ghana has been preparing for the Conference in the past two years and has received support from countries including South Korea, Germany and Norway.
“UN Peacekeeping Ministerial and principally it’s going to be attended by Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence from the United Nations members. It’s the first time an African country has had the opportunity to organise this Peacekeeping Ministerial. The last time it happened was in Seoul in South Korea and it was done virtually because of COVID and resuming it, the UN found it appropriate to give Ghana the opportunity to organise it. It is something that we have to rise up to the occasion. We can’t fail.”
“South Korea has been of immense help. They gave us nearly a million dollars in putting up this show together, they gave us 22 vehicles and a large number of computers which we are going to deploy at the conference to make sure we give and excellent organization,” he added.
Essence
The conference, according to the Minister for Defence, Dominic Nitiwul, will bring together stakeholders in peacekeeping to discuss the challenges facing peacekeeping mission operations and also to open the opportunity for members to pledge to the UN what they will be offering to help peacekeeping.
The discussions will centre on women in peacekeeping, efforts to protect civilians in peacekeeping, safeguarding the mental health of peacekeepers as well as the safety and security of gallant men and women who make sacrifices in pursuit of world peace and misinformation, disinformation and hate speeches targeting Peacekeeping.
In his address, the Defence Minister said there would be a welcome reception at noon at the AICC with two side meetings on women in Peacekeeping and the environmental aspect of peacekeeping by Sweden and the United States respectively on the first day.
The main conference will take place on Wednesday, December 6, 2024, where the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia will address the conference, followed by three panel sessions.
