President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of Ghana has called for urgent global reforms that will address pressing global challenges, including climate change, inequality, and global governance reform.
Addressing world leaders, government officials, and delegates at the United Nations “Summit of the Future” in New York, United States, President Akufo-Addo highlighted the need for multilateral cooperation to tackle pressing global challenges.
“Our theme, ‘Multilateral Solutions for a Better Tomorrow,’ reminds us that no nation, no matter how powerful, can solve today’s challenges alone,” he said.
According to President Akufo-Addo, issues such as the climate crisis and terrorism transcend national boundaries, requiring coordinated global action.
He condemned the rise of isolationism and nationalism, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, pointing out that the pandemic revealed the interconnectedness of all nations and the failure of unilateral solutions to global challenges.
On climate crisis, President Akufo-Addo highlighted Africa’s disproportionate suffering despite its minimal contribution to global carbon emissions.
He therefore called for “climate justice,” arguing that Africa should not bear the brunt of a crisis it did not create.
“We are told to ‘adapt’ and ‘be resilient,’ but how does one adapt to famine, or build resilience when farmers cannot predict the seasons?” he questioned.
On the widening inequality between rich and poor nations, President Akufo-Addo noted that more than 700 million people continue to live in extreme poverty and called for a new global economic order that promotes inclusivity and fairness, urging the world to address the growing gap between the wealthy and those in poverty.
The Ghanaian leader also emphasized the underrepresentation of Africa, a continent of 1.4 billion people, and advocated for the implementation of the Ezulwini Consensus, which outlines Africa’s position on UN reform.
“Africa’s voice must be heard in shaping the future of global peace and security,” he said, urging reforms that would ensure every nation has an equal voice in international decision-making.
The report by Daily Graphic on Wednesday quoted President Akufo-Addo as saying in his address that the world leaders should act decisively and that future generations would judge their actions.
“We cannot be the generation that stood by as the world burned, while inequality widened, and promises of justice went unfulfilled,” President Akufo-Addo added.
GIK/APA