Ghana To Host 2023 United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping Ministerial Meeting in Accra.
By Olusiji Balogun
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, together with senior officials of the United Nations, have announced that Ghana will host the 2023 United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping Ministerial Meeting in Accra, Ghana from 5th to 6th December 2023. The announcement was made during a press launch at the United Nations Secretariat in New York on Friday, 22nd September 2023.
Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey was joined by the Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Mr. Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the Under-Secretary-General for Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance, Ms. Catherine Pollard and the Under-Secretary-General for Operational Support, Mr. Atul Khare. In her opening remarks, Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, stated that the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial Meeting will help secure the much-needed political support .
Member States are being encouraged to create or strengthen bilateral and triangular partnerships to ensure proposed improvements are sustainable and have the required impact.
“Ghana and Africa’s contributions to peacekeeping are advancing beyond troop contributions to offering a vital forum in which countries can unite and collaborate on innovative strategies to address current challenges and discuss the future of peacekeeping,” said Atul Khare, who heads up Operational Support for the UN.
“I look forward to the formation of partnerships amongst participants to enhance the effectiveness of our peacekeepers, elevate the quality of their medical care, and foster environmentally responsible operations.”
The meeting in Accra is the latest in a series of high-level events that have seen world leaders pledge resources to help UN peacekeeping missions fully implement their mandates.
Generous contributions by various Member States at similar meetings have helped generate rapidly deployable military units, key aviation assets, better medical capacities, and helped advance the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda.
