Salutations
Her Excellency Epsy Campbell Barr, the Vice President of Costa Rica
Minister For Foreign Affiars, Hon. Shirley Ayorkor-Botwey,
Minster for Tourism, Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Awal,
Dr. Natalia Kanem, the UN Under-Secretary-General,
Executive Director of UNFPA,
Chief Executive Officer, Ghana Tourism Authority,
Members of the Diplomatic Corps,
The Media,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good morning.
On behalf of His Excellency, the President of Ghana, Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo, I extend an official hearty welcome to my Sisters, Her Excellency Epsy Campbell Barr, the Vice President of Costa Rica, as well as Dr. Natalia Kanem, the UN Under-Secretary-General, and Executive Director of UNFPA. I say a big Akwaaba.
I trust that in the past couple of days of your visit, you had deep reflections on the African narrative as seen through the Ghanaian lens.
By virtue of the very chequered and multi-layered history involving slavery, colonialism, fleeing from oppressive conditions, our forefathers were forced out of the motherland. Their descendants, some of whom have returned today have evolved into a heterogeneous, albeit recognisable, group of people with a unique cultural history and heritage.
The very context for their existence has exposed this group of Africans to being intimately acquainted with the effects of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. People of African descent have a story only they can tell and should not be side-lined in discussions on the advancement of the protection of rights and demanding for equity.
These deep-seated biases still prevail in the world we live in, with Afro-descendants struggling to find a sense of belonging in a land where they were born, but which rejects them at every turn. Please join me while I salute every single Afro-descendant who bravely challenges the order of the day by continuing to resist all forms of racial discrimination.
Afro-descendants are Africans, no matter where they come from. It is noteworthy that the Africa Union has since taken a decision to recognize and regard Africans in the Diaspora as the “sixth region” of Africa. This is in order to emphasise the representative relevance of the group to Africa on a global scale.
To this end, people of African Descent living outside the continent irrespective of their citizenship and nationality and who are willing to contribute to the development of the continent and the building of the African Union make up the 6th Region of Africa – North, West, East, Central, South and the Diaspora.
As a tribute to their hard work and tireless efforts to letting the voices of people of African descent be heard, the world has seen a proliferation of the several racial equality bodies on a national and regional level. Such efforts have guided the United Nation’s Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent to perform its mandate of studying the problems of people of African descent and proposing the solutions to this complex narrative.
Such solutions have included the commemoration of the First International Day for People of African Descent which took place on the 31st of August 2021 in San José, Costa Rica. I am proud to say that Ghana was well-represented at this historical event.
In 2019, the Government of Ghana set up an initiative for Africans living in the diaspora dubbed the “Year of Return” that brought the global African family to the continent through Ghana as a gateway. Subsequently a ten-year project christened “Beyond the Return: A Decade of African Renaissence” is being implemented by the Government.
It aimed to promote the recognition and respect for the diversity of the legacy, culture, and contributions of people of African descent to the development of societies, as well as deepen that bond through tourism and trade. And as fate would have it, it was launched right here in Kempinski Hotel.
So, my sisters, choosing Ghana for this high-level engagement was not a mere coincidence but a fortuitous event endorsed by our ancestors. It is for this reason that despite the setbacks, I give my highest assurances of the continued willingness of our government to carry it through to its expected end.
As a government priority we are rebuilding the tourism sector by designing it in a more sustainable and resilient fashion. It is also one of the sectors that was the hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic. This resulted in a highly uncertain outlook since many lost their jobs when businesses which operate in the industry made huge losses. In the spirit of leaving no one behind, global co-operation is required to minimise job losses and to foster post-pandemic recovery in Ghana and beyond.
Admittedly, the pandemic has given us the opportunity to rethink conventional methods for achieving objectives including, in tourism. In this light, the Government of Ghana has revised trade policies to restore traveller confidence, support tourism businesses to adapt and survive, promote domestic tourism and support safe return of international tourism.
As part of the recent Easter celebrations, we have also witnessed increased participation in what used to be a popular event in Kwahu in the Eastern Region before the pandemic hit. These policies will be implemented by providing clear information to travellers and businesses, limiting uncertainties, strengthening co-operation within and between countries and building more resilient, sustainable tourism sector.
Your Excellencies, As proclaimed by the UN General Assembly, the theme for the International Decade for People of African Descent (2015 to 2024) is based on three pillars: Recognition, Justice, and Development. Ghana remains committed to the practice and advocacy of these three pillars which are also reflected in the African Union (AU) whose Charter emphasises the right to equality and non-discrimination enjoining states to remove all obstacles that prevent the equal enjoyment of all human rights.
Further efforts have been made to deepen efforts towards advocacy by promoting education on equality and awareness-raising. By this, states are enjoined to celebrate the launch of the International Decade for People of African Descent at the national level and develop national programmes of action and activities for the full and effective implementation of the Decade.
While I conclude, I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincerest gratitude to the UNFPA Ghana Country Office for the important work they do for women and girls in Ghana. I would like to highly commend the departing Country Representative, Mr. Niyi Ojuolape for his selfless service to the people of Ghana, especially his support for the work of the First and Second Lady’s Offices.
He has demonstrated exceptional leadership, agility, innovation and passion in delivering on UNFPA’s transformative results during his tenure of office. I wish him all the best in his next assignment, knowing full well that he will continue to be a shining example of strategic leadership and excellence across the globe.
I urge all Africans to embrace people of African descent, because we are one people by blood. I also reaffirm Ghana’s commitment to champion the objectives of the International Decade of People of African Descent as envisioned by the UN General Assembly. Even at the AU level, these issues will continue to be emphasised and with the urgency it deserves.
On a personal level, I remain available to contribute my quota in any way possible and I assure you the support of government and the support of the people of Ghana on this journey.
Thank you.
