A Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong, has encouraged Ghanaian experts and professionals to pursue career opportunities within global organisations and regional bodies of which the country is a member.
3He said increasing Ghana’s representation on such groups was not only vital for the country’s interest within the international system, but would enhance her global image, lend credibility to her participation in the efforts of the bodies to address global challenges as well as promote national development.
Speaking at the inauguration of a Candidature Unit at the ministry on Friday, he said the ministry would provide the needed support to qualified candidates to ensure their success in the community of nations.
The event which brought together diplomats, heads of some state institutions, and envoys, was on the theme “Advancing inclusive and sustainable development through quality Ghanaian human resources at the international level.”
Established in September last year, the Unit is tasked to ensure a coordinated approach to the management of candidatures for all international organisations and regional bodies of which Ghana is a member.
It is also to ensure the full representation of Ghana in international bodies in three broad categories; elected country positions, elected or appointed national expert position, and competitive recruitments.
Mr Ampratwum-Sarpong said the strategic exercise would help the country contribute its quota to assisting developing countries achieve economic security; overcome poverty; promote peace and security; coordinate coronavirus disease (COVID-19) response and establish norms for trade negation agreements.
“The diversity of international staff of international agencies is key to finding solutions in a world where one size does not fit all. For Ghana, promoting the employment of its experts and other citizens for intentional posts is as much in our interest as it is in the interest of the global community,” he said.
Since January this year, Mr Ampratwum-Sarpong said, the Unit had helped secure international positions including election onto the United Nations (UN) Security Council and the Subsidiary Bodies of the UN Economic and Social Council, and the election of Prof. Alex Dodoo, Director General of Ghana Standards Authority as President of the African Organisation for Standardisation.
To ensure organisational coherence on matters of candidature, he said, a coordinating mechanism had been established within the ministry as well as Ghana’s missions abroad to review candidature and make recommendations to the Unit with an external consultative mechanism to support the Unit.
In a pre-recorded message, the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps who is the Colombian Ambassador to Ghana, Claudia Quintero, lauded the establishment of the Unit and pledged the support of the community to its work.
Diplomat and Vice President of the Council on Foreign Relations Ghana, a foreign affairs think tank, Kabral Blay-Amihere, urged Ghanaian officials and professionals to learn other foreign languages to give them an upper hand over their competitors.
The Director of the Unit, Matilda Alomatu Osei-Agyeman, thanked the ministry’s local and global stakeholders for their support and called for continued collaboration for the effective running of the unit.
BY JONATHAN DONKOR
