Mr. Chairman, distinguished leaders and members of the fraternal parties of the Socialist International, ladies and gentlemen.
Please permit me to take this opportunity to welcome all of you to Ghana on behalf of myself, as the Leader, as well as the Executive Committee and the general membership of our great progressive National Democratic Congress (NDC).
For us, it is a most significant occasion to be called upon to play host to this important gathering of the Africa Committee, made up of our continent’s social democratic parties within the larger family of the Socialist International movement.
If my memory serves me right, the last meeting of this Committee was held in Cape Verde in October 2000, where crucial issues facing the South were placed firmly on the agenda.
I am personally thrilled at the prospect of the NDC meeting several members of the various Africa delegations from parties which were represented in Sao Paolo in 2003. We look forward to renewing ties with you all.
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, the past decade or so has been extremely difficult for many of our parties, in or out of power.
Our condition as Africans has deteriorated immensely in the face of the expanding crises of disease and inadequacy of resources.
Our efforts to solve the problems of the continent have been hampered by serious setbacks in, low commodity prices, low levels of foreign investment, and a generally poor level of support from the developed sector of the global economy.
All these have reduced our capacity to address our commitment to the most vulnerable segments of our populations who continue to bear the heavy burdens imposed by a world economic system garrisoned by the iron laws of a brutal capitalist order which have little sympathy for the poor.
Under globalization, those of us who find ourselves on the South of the divide have been forced to participate in an unequal marketplace which becomes more and more hostile to those who approach it with primary products and basic commodities.
We continue to be constrained by the practices of this market to receive less and less for our commodities whilst the advanced economies continue to reap huge returns from the sale of the goods they make by processing our primary products.
Our belief in the tenets of social democracy however remains most firm.
This belief is shored up by our boundless confidence in the goodwill and solidarity of not only our fraternal parties in the developed countries, but also more crucially on the common experiences that link us all in the singular endeavour to end, hunger, illiteracy, disease and poverty.
Let us from this meeting, refashion the tools with which to strengthen the bonds of solidarity and common purpose as parties that have an abiding belief in the progressive cause.
As Social Democratic Parties of Africa, the challenges of meaningful development face us. This must be development with a human face, directed towards satisfying people’s needs in the vital areas of, education, health, providing access to basic social amenities such as water, energy, and at the same time guaranteeing social stability and an environment safe for human existence.
It is the hope of the NDC that this meeting of ours in Accra will enable us revisit some of the common issues that concern us as social democrats.
Our ideology which evolved in the burning crucibles of the, struggles, revolutions, and resistance movements against various forms of oppression and social deprivation, is based on the essential values of humanity.
Freedom and equality are compatible allies of justice and humanity.
We look forward to sharing quality time together here in Accra as we seek to further deepen our understanding and commitment to those values which remain essential for our search for a better world without, racism, militarism, and also a world that guarantees equality for all.
Mr. Chairman, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, before I take my seat, I am on behalf of the NDC extending an invitation to all the fraternal parties to please make it a point to send delegations to observe Ghana’s parliamentary and presidential elections slated for early December 2008.
The NDC would very much appreciate your presence as we are convinced that the 2008 electoral process would surely see the NDC adding its name to the list of Social Democratic parties in government.
I welcome you once again to Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah’s Ghana, and I hope you enjoy your stay with us.
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