Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire sign ITLOS MoUs

The governments of Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire have signed the Joint Commission for implementation of the ITLOS Agreement.

In all three MoUs and one strategic agreement which covers six thematic areas were signed by the two West African countries at the seat of government, the Flagstaff House in Accra on Tuesday, 17 October.

The Special Chamber of the International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) ruled in favour of Ghana in the three-year-long maritime dispute.

The Chamber in a unanimous decision on Saturday, September 23, 2017, ruled that there had not been any violation on the part of Ghana on Côte d’Ivoire’s maritime boundary.

The Chamber rejected Côte d’Ivoire’s argument that Ghana’s coastal lines were unstable.

Accordingly, the two countries have signed the agreements on the implementation of the ruling by the tribunal.

Speaking after the signing ceremony, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said among other things that: “If there is no will to make the words on paper live in the lives of people, they will remain exactly that – words on paper.

“I am very confident that in President Ouattara, I have a partner who is determined to translate the words we find on paper to concrete actions to the benefit of our people.

“That political will, that determination that will move into an area of greater intellect is what will give meaning to the work that we have done these last two days.”

He said it is obvious that if Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire remain in harmony and are determined to work together, “the benefits will inure not just to our population, but to the wider group of people in our West African region.”

“We should, and can be and I believe that now we are making it clear to the world that we are determined to be the vehicles that make possible for the greater cooperation and integration of the people of West Africa.

“That has to be our future, and today we are pointing to that future, a future of cooperation, a future that can allow us to go over artificial divisions like language and buildings.”