UN Secretary-Gen. Praises Ghana

On Ghana’s 50th Anniversary, Secretary-General Praises Its Role on World Scene New York, Mar 6 2007 5:00PM

As Ghana marks its 50th anniversary today, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today congratulated the West African country, one of the first to attain independence, for serving as an example for freedom movements across the continent and also for its enthusiastic support for the world body.

The people of Ghana can look proudly back at their history and know that their country served as “an inspiration to the freedom struggles of people all over Africa,” Mr. Ban said in a statement delivered in the capital Accra by his Special Adviser on Africa, Legwaila Joseph Legwaila.

Mr. Ban hailed the previous UN chief, Ghanaian Kofi Annan whose tenure ended at the end of last year, as his “esteemed predecessor” and “great son of this country who made an indelible contribution to the United Nations and its mission for a better world.”

The Secretary-General also lauded the country for its provision of troops for peacekeeping operations in countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Timor-Leste, Lebanon, Liberia and Sierra Leone. “Many Ghanaians have made the ultimate sacrifice and lost their lives in the cause of peace,” he said. “To them and to your nation, the United Nations owe a debt of gratitude.”

In his message, Mr. Ban also referred to other roles Ghana plays to support the UN, including its work as a member of the Security Council and its dedication to the Millennium Development Goals, a set of targets to a set of targets that aim to eliminate a host of social ills by 2015.

“As you celebrate this milestone, I am confident that Ghana and its partnership with the United Nations will continue to flourish and that you, as a nation, will remain a formidable champion of global peace and democratic governance in Africa,” he said.