The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, has requested
for the Maldives’s support for Ghana’s candidacy to the United Nations (UN) Security Council.
She made the request on Tuesday, June 7, 2021, during a meeting Abdulla Shahid, the Foreign Minister of the Maldives.
During the meeting, she indicated that as a candidate vying for a non-permanent seat on the Security Council, it is important to share Ghana’s priorities and also exchange ideas on areas of possible collaboration to advance the work of the Council.
She said Ghana and the Maldives share similar aspirations, which is an expression of the unwavering commitment of the two countries to the multilateral system and institutions.
She enumerated the following as Ghana’s priorities for its tenure on the Council:
i. Commitment to the critical agendas of conflict prevention, post-conflict reconstruction and multilateralism at the heart of UN peace and security agenda;
ii. Promotion of Human Rights, sustainable development, peace and security in advancing the work of the Security Council, especially at a time when the UN is mobilising all Member States towards combating the COVID-19 pandemic;
iii. Strengthen partnerships between the UN and continental and regional organizations such as the AU and ECOWAS in conflict prevention, peacekeeping operations and special political missions;
iiii. Address conflicts caused by environmental factors such as land degradation, desertification, drought and climate change.
Madam Ayorkor Botchwey underscored Ghana’s readiness and willingness to collaborate with him during his Presidency of the General Assembly.
She recalled the fact that Ghana supported the Maldives in the campaign for election to the Presidency of the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly.
By Melvin Tarlue