Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, has launched a book written by Ambassador Daniel Kofour (DK) Osei.
The book is titled: ‘Privileged Conversations – Adventures Of African Diplomat.’
The book shares lessons on diplomatic initiatives for West Africa, launched by the UN, ECOWAS, France, in times when West Africa was considered one of the volatile regions of the world including during the tenure of former President John Agyekum Kufuor, when there was armed conflicts in Liberia and Sierra Leone.
President Kufuor wrote the foreword to the book.
Ambassador D.K. Osei served as Secretary to Mr Kufuor when he was a President of Ghana.
Currently the President of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR-Ghana), Ambassador D.K. Osei’s book chronicles his experiences as a diplomat and his personal life’s lessons which could be beneficial to young diplomats.
The book has 13 chapters and 157 pages.
Chapter 8 captures activities around the Limann era; chapter 9 looks at the post December 31st revolution in Ghana. Chapter four captures Ghana-Gambia relations.
In a statement to launch the book virtually on Monday, September 14, 2020, Ms Ayorkor Botchwey expressed the belief that the Council on Foreign Relations can tap into the knowledge captured in the book in projecting Ghana’s foreign policy strategy.
“I say with conviction that Amb DK Osei is a man whose utility in Ghana’s diplomacy and influence in governance, is well known by many in this country and abroad, and acknowledged by his peers and collaborators,” she said.
Ambassador D.K Osei is eminently qualified to bring us into the fold of these “privileged conversations” and I would like to commend him for the time and effort that he has invested in producing the “Privileged Conversations”, a book that provides an insightful and coherent account of some events of major diplomatic significance, according to the Minister.
“In the introductory chapters of his book, the Author thoughtfully provides his readers useful information on his eventful early life and some of the fortuitous interests he developed. This background helps us to better understand the Author’s personality and the success that he has achieved in his career path. At the same time, I cannot ignore his lifelong exploits which are captured in the sub-title of the book, “Adventures of an African Diplomat”,” she added.
“Indeed, shortly after being recruited into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in September 1976, and on account of his French language skills, the Author, then a relatively young Foreign Service Officer, found himself included regularly in various delegations that were constituted to engage neighbouring countries to resolve differences.”
“This diplomatic exposure in the era of rampant military interventions in Africa must have contributed enormously towards shaping the Officer’s skills.”
The Author in a masterly manner weaves his experiences into the account on the relations between Ghana and her West Africa neighbours and provides the reader, an insightful historical description of some of Ghana’s diplomatic engagements, she noted.
“As we may well be aware, one of Ghana’s major foreign policy objectives is to maintain “Good neighbourliness”. Having served as Deputy Foreign Minister during former President John Agyekum Kufuor’s term of office, I am aware of the challenges we faced and the lessons learnt, especially in our region and across Africa, most of which have been well-documented in the book.”
In his foreword, Mr Kufuor said: “as the African continent has sought to overcome the legacy of colonialism, exposure to the cross currents of global rivalries, including the jostling for advantage of multinational corporations, ethnic and ideological divisions and the breakdown of national systems, the role of diplomacy has been underestimated.”
“This is perhaps explained by the complexities of nation building and development in a region whose wealth has long been an attraction to the outside world. Clearly, forging a national consensus, establishing democratic governance and the institutions that buttress them are essential to ensuring the rights and well-being of the people of this region,” he wrote.
“What Ambassador Daniel Kofour Osei (DK) has demonstrated in this rich and “hard to put down” book, is that diplomacy is indispensable in unlocking the solutions we so desperately need.
Even more importantly, the book exposes us to the importance of diplomatic practice- the knowledge, skills and methods that are essential for success.”
” The experiences recounted in this book, including networking abilities, curiosity about the human condition, emotional intelligence and courage are proof of the experience and expertise required of a diplomat.”
“It is also proof of the importance of investing in the training and production of the most able diplomats as a precondition for achieving or maintaining international peace and security, human rights and sustainable development. I can relate to some of the lessons shared by the author on diplomatic initiatives for West Africa, launched by the UN, ECOWAS, France and others, as well as those on what worked and what did not, are of particular significance. In my capacity as Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Governments of ECOWAS and later as Chairman of the African Union I had to grapple with many of these issues. History shows that empires and states took advantage of all their resources, including diplomatic acumen, to do better than their rivals and competitors.”
“The singular lesson of our contemporary times is that cooperation, rather than competition, offers us all the conditions to overcome the rapidly changing and ever growing challenges of an interdependent, shrinking world.”
“I am convinced that Ghana needs diplomats of the calibre and preparation described in the book to succeed. Equally true, the world needs the calibre of such diplomats to create the conditions that respond to the aspirations of all the peoples of this world, including for securing our climate.”
“Today as we struggle for global leadership and national will to reverse climate change, achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs), including in our case, through achieving Ghana and Africa Beyond Aid, the knowledge and practice of diplomacy remains the indispensable tool for bridging differences and moving towards a brighter and securer future.”
“It is my hope that politicians, policy makers, international civil servants, scholars, researchers, students and indeed all who are concerned about the seeming inability of our world to change course for the better, will read this extraordinary book.”
“The author served for eight years as my Executive Secretary, so I have the privilege of knowing that this is perhaps the first of many books that he intends to write. We keenly look forward to seeing many more books after this one.”
By Melvin Tarlue