Jaishankar Calls for India-Ghana Cooperation on UN Security Council Reform
By Anjali Sharma
UNITED NATIONS – Ministry of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday called for stronger India-Ghana cooperation on reforming the UN including the UN Security Council, noted that the two Global South partners share a similar outlook on the issue.
Jaishankar said in a media interaction after his meeting with Ghana Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa in Accra “In the United Nations, where we last met, Ghana has again been a very powerful voice advocating for realizing and meeting the Sustainable Development Goals, which unfortunately have fallen behind this decade because of multiple conflicts, COVID and other challenges. As Global South partners, we feel we should work together strongly for the reform of the United Nations, including the Security Council. This is an issue where I think our outlook is very similar”.
He stated that India values Ghana’s role in the African Union.
EAM mentioned Ghana’s chairmanship of the AU and ECOWAS in 2027 and expressed appreciation for its commitment to reparatory justice and the restitution of cultural properties.
“We value the role which Ghana has historically played in the African Union context, for which Ghana would be assuming the chairmanship next year, and also the ECOWAS. And we have very deep, longstanding partnerships with both organizations. And I think Ghana’s role there is something which is very widely appreciated in India. We are also members of the Commonwealth. We will both be there when the Commonwealth meets a few weeks from now. There are issues in the Commonwealth which we are both equally devoted to pursuing.”
“We certainly applaud Ghana’s commitment to reparatory justice and the restitution of cultural properties. There was a very important resolution moved in the UN General Assembly by Ghana, followed by a meeting in which we also participated. So, I take this opportunity, Minister, for appreciating what you are doing in that regard,” he added.
“In the United Nations, where we last met, Ghana has again been a very powerful voice advocating for realizing and meeting sustainable development goals, which unfortunately have fallen behind this decade because of multiple conflicts, Covid, and other challenges. We feel that as Global South partners, we should work together strongly for the reform of the United Nations, including the Security Council, and I think our outlook on this issue is very similar,” EAM Jaishankar said.
He added “And again, we feel that as Global South partners, we should be working together strongly for the reform of the United Nations, including the Security Council, and this is an issue where I think our outlook is very similar,”.
Jaishankar said that India values Ghana’s participation in international initiatives introduced by India like the International Solar Alliance and Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.
He said that they held discussions today on other initiatives which might be useful for Ghana to be more closely associated.
“I want to say that as we look at the world, I think the world is moving towards multi polarity, towards its natural diversity, and it’s incumbent on countries like us, who have been through difficult experiences in our history, to stand up as voices of independence, as advocates of strategic autonomy, of countries who really want to determine our own choices and are working together. I think it’s good for both of us. It is good for the region. It is good for the world as well,” he concluded.
