NPP will be strategic in international engagements

The New Patriotic Party (NPP)government from January 7, 2021, to January 6, 2025, would adopt strategic international engagements by focusing on economic, commercial and business benefits accruing to Ghana.

“During our first term in government, we have been consistent in our efforts to deepen Ghana’s diplomatic footprint and strengthen relations with other countries in pursuit of our national interests.

“The next few years will be challenging in the context of the Coronavirus pandemic. It threatens to shift economic and diplomatic alliances and geopolitics,” the NPP stated in its Election 2020 Manifesto, dubbed “Leadership of Service: Protecting our Progress, Transforming Ghana for All”.

The NPP noted that under the renew mandate of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the government would continue to promote and support ECOWAS and the African Union domestically and internationally.

It would also accelerate the pace of regional and continental integration and engage as a united front in global relations.

The NPP in its manifesto noted that as the host country of the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), be active in seeing to the operationalisation and success of AfCFTA.

The next NPP government would expand the level of engagement with, and promote the interests of the Ghanaian and African Diaspora, and continue to facilitate the election and appointment of Ghanaians to positions in various international organisations.

“To this end, the Foreign Affairs Ministry has created a Candidatures Unit to pursue aggressively vacancies that may occur in various international organisations and recommend, and support suitable Ghanaians to apply.

“Strengthen our engagement, among others, at the multilateral level including; Sessions of the United Nations General Assembly, United Nations and other international Conferences, Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings, and La Francophonie (OIF),” the NPP stated.

The next NPP government would continue the exchange of High-Level Visits consistent with efforts to deepen substantially Ghana’s international diplomatic footprints and strengthen bilateral relations in pursuit of our political, cultural, and economic interests.

“Our next government will strengthen relations with countries in the Americas, the Caribbean, and Asia,” the NPP stated.

The NPP explained that the next Government under Nana Akufo-Addo would introduce chip-embedded passports to keep up with technological advancement and enhance the security of Ghanaian passports and implement the project to issue Machine-Readable Visa Stickers.

The NPP said in 2016 Manifesto, it promised to move Diaspora Affairs

Bureau to the Office of the President, which was done as it worked with the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) in organising the highly successful “Year of Return” Programme.

The Bureau has also been involved in Investment and Trade Missions focusing on Ghanaians in the Diaspora.

The NPP government tasked Ghana’s diplomatic missions to focus on economic diplomacy, through that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has accelerated the creation of an Economic, Trade and Investment Bureau in line with this objective.

It has been aggressively involved in recent investment drives, including; on the Sinohydro project; establish a policy framework to facilitate the return of Ghanaians and people of African descent living abroad.

Other achievements include; being a key partner in the design and implementation of the “Year of Return” Initiative; broaden Ghana’s global reach by strengthening the nation’s ties with the international organisation of La Francophonie.

“Ghana is now an associate member of La Francophonie, with French-speaking President Akufo-Addo attending their meetings. Plans are on the way to become a full member,” the NPP recounted.

The NPP Government works with the African Union (AU) to create the African Continental Free Trade Area, and its Secretariat has since been established in

Accra.

Review existing foreign policy in light of Brexit and new world order; Ghana has been in high-level talks with the UK Government, culminating in the setting up of a Ghana-UK Business Council to facilitate post-Brexit relations.

The NPP Government will enhance Ghana’s role in the activities of ECOWAS and AU; Take a leadership role in getting all groups within ECOWAS to harmonise their objectives.

The NPP said through “our efforts, the President has been appointed the Champion of AU Financial Institutions and AU Gender Champion.

The Government has facilitated links between Ambassadors with MMDCEs to maximise investment and trade opportunities for local authorities to enable direct communication and to connect investors to local authorities directly where relevant.

The NPP Government have facilitated the implementation of ROPAL and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is facilitating the Electoral Commission’s engagement with the Diaspora on the plan for implementation of ROPAL.

“Work for the rapid establishment of an ECOWAS regional market as Ghana is leading efforts for a comprehensive review of the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation scheme to facilitate regional trade,” the NPP stated.