Veteran lawyer, Sam Okudzeto, addressing students at the forum
SAM OKUDZETO, a former lecturer of Law, has urged students of the Ghana School of Law to take particularly, keen interest in issues concerning diplomacy and international relations.
Speaking at the maiden edition of the Diplomatic and Foreign Affairs Forum at the Ghana School of Law on Tuesday, the veteran lawyer, highlighting the requisites that constitute a strong legal foundation for prospective lawyers, stressed on the need for the students to know what happens in other countries.
According to him, countries around the world interdepended on each other in various facets of life and that their decisions and choices affected each other.
“There is more to law than meets the eye. You are expected to be employed as a lawyer, advisor or counselor; and you cannot impart what you don’t know,” he stated.
Dignitaries and some GSL SRC executives in a photograph.
“International relations is a must. It will help you in your profession as a lawyer. This is because a knowledgeable lawyer is a great asset; not only to himself and his family, but also to his nation.”
The Diplomatic and Foreign Affairs Forum, held under the theme, “Global Perspectives on International Relations and Law”, is an initiative of the current SRC administration of the Ghana School of Law and aimed at providing a platform for students to meet one-on-one and exchange ideas with industry experts.
The SRC President, Odupong Agyapong Atta-Agyapong, noted that it was “essential that we engage in honest and open discussions that bring to light global perspectives on international relations and law.”
The forum was therefore, an “excellent platform” as well as a“unique opportunity” for students to engage in insightful and thought-provoking discussions on the role of diplomacy and foreign affairs in the world.
UN Resident Coordinator to Ghana Charles Abani, intimated that international relations and law were intricately intertwined, as they provided the foundation for the peaceful coexistence of nations and the resolution of conflicts.
“As aspiring legal practitioners and diplomats”, he counseled, “it falls upon us to understand the global perspectives that shape international relations and law, in order to tackle these challenges effectively.”
The Surinamese Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Fidelia Graand Galon, lamented the seeming lack of interest by African students in the history of international relations, especially as it concerned the salve trade.
She said she had seen many students from other countries including the Netherlands, the United States (US) and Belgium who visit her country to study the history of the African slave trade but was yet to see any student or lawyer from Africa on a similar quest.
BY Nii Adjei Mensahfio