Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has held a high-level diplomatic meeting with the Deputy Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, Her Excellency Amb. Selma Malika Haddadi, on the sidelines of the ongoing 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The bilateral engagement focused on aligning continental priorities ahead of President John Dramani Mahama’s assumption of the African Union Chairmanship.
Discussions centered on Ghana’s strategic vision as outlined in the AU Chairmanship Strategy Document, commissioned directly by President Mahama to outline key milestones for his leadership.
In a official statement following the meeting, Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa revealed that the discussions provided an opportunity to assess the current state of the continental body while reinforcing key targets under Agenda 2063.
“Had a really forward-looking and substantive meeting with the Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Her Excellency Amb. Selma Malika Haddadi in the margins of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York,” Hon. Ablakwa stated.
He added: “Our discussions focused on Ghana’s priority areas when President John Mahama assumes the Chair of the African Union as contained in Ghana’s AU Chairmanship Strategy Document which was commissioned by President Mahama. We also reviewed the state of the AU and President Mahama’s vision for attaining Agenda 2063.”
A central plank of the deliberation was the continental push for reparatory justice. Ghana and the AU Commission agreed to deepen cooperation to bolster international solidarity following the landmark Ghana-led UN resolution that formally designated the transatlantic slave trade as the gravest crime against humanity.
To advance this effort, Ghana and the AU are scheduled to host a series of joint high-level side events in New York, including an executive session targeting the Restitution Pillar of Reparatory Justice.
Hon. Ablakwa highlighted: “Ghana and the AU will additionally strengthen our collaboration to offer more impetus and continental solidarity to the Reparatory Justice Agenda following the Ghana-led UN resolution declaring the transatlantic enslavement as the gravest crime against humanity. Ghana and the AU are set to lead a number of initiatives here in New York including our high-level side event on the Restitution Pillar of Reparatory Justice.”
Ambassador Selma Malika Haddadi commended Ghana for its proactive measures, noting that Ghana’s strategic preparations for the upcoming 2027 chairmanship were finalized six months ahead of schedule. She noted that Ghana’s timely framework should serve as a benchmark for member states assuming the Union’s leadership in the future.
Concluding his statement, Hon. Ablakwa expressed optimism about the unified efforts across the continent: “The AU Deputy Chairperson commended Ghana for the inspiring preparation for the President Mahama Chairmanship in 2027 which was concluded six months ahead, and stated that this should become the blueprint moving forward. God bless our efforts for continental African Unity and may the dreams of Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah be fulfilled.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana