By Patrick Ofoe Nudzi
Accra, Dec. 2, GNA – Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin urged greater inclusiveness in governance and geopolitics to address the challenges of the times.
He emphasized the meaningful inclusion of a wider range of non-state
actors and the non-discriminatory involvement of states was crucial in delivering solutions on complex, interconnected global issues.
Mr Bagbin made the call at the launch of the Centre for African Diplomacy and Global Engagement in Accra on Thursday.
The Centre seeks to promote diplomacy to solve global problems and advance activism and research to combat discrimination and modern-day slavery.
Mr Bagbin called for inclusiveness among African countries to fight the current economic and global challenges.
He noted that present global challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian war in Ukraine, were clear indications that countries must work collectively to deliver solutions to the emerging crises.
“The consequent hardship around the world because of the intransigence of global political leadership does not appear to send any reminder about the need for the world to act together in the interest of everyone and to the detriment of no one, and this is a strong message for those who claim to be global powers.
“Inclusivity is therefore the new catch word identified to hold the promise of growth and sustainability in the world today,” he said.
The Speaker pointed out that despite unfavourable global happenings, world leaders had failed to forge a united front to tackle those challenges.
“The world has not learned any lesson about the need to practice inclusiveness, so global hardship visits us. We have to start right after the launch to proactively conduct a series of research work into the happenings around the world and widely publicise the results for the world to know.
“You should be brutally frank with your work in awakening the conscience of the world to the reality of the day and rescue humanity from the abyss that the world seems to be heading towards.”
Mr Bagbin emphasized that what the world needed now was inclusive governance and not individualism.
He urged States to adopt “new tools, skills and competencies to overcome the catastrophic challenges of today.”
The Speaker lauded the establishment of the Centre and said its works and research would benefit the 8th Parliament of Ghana.
Prof. Lord Mawuko-Yevugah, Director and Lead Research for the Centre, said the Centre sought to address the void of global issues in Ghanaian and African governance discourse.
“Ghana seemed to have lost the golden age of Ghana’s foreign policy in African engagement. We need a new set of ideas to impact global issues,” he said.
There are 13 Researchers and Fellows from Africa, US and Canada at the Centre.
GNA