UN Resident Coordinator raises UN flag during International Day of UN Peacekeepers ceremony

On 29 May 2009, Ghana joined the international community in marking the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers by holding a number of activities, including a parade, a flag-raising ceremony and a wreath-laying ceremony in Accra. A photo exhibition and radio and television discussions were also organized.

The parade included two all-female contingents from the Ghana Armed Forces and the Ghana Police Service under the command of Captain Abena Acheampong.  Addressing them, the Reviewing Officer, Dr. Kwesi Appiah-Kubi, who is also the Deputy Minister of the Interior, noted that this year’s theme for the celebration - Women in Peacekeeping: The Power to Empower - “acknowledges the role and achievements of women peacekeepers that has enabled many citizens of the world to co-exist peacefully.”

Dr. Appiah-Kubi said Ghanaian women peacekeepers have participated actively in several peacekeeping missions as medical and nursing officers and deminers. They also participated in the monitoring of ceasefire agreements and borders between states, protecting civilians, assisting in the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of combatants, supporting the organization of elections, promoting human rights, assisting in training, reforming domestic security, restoring the rule of law and delivering humanitarian assistance.

He pointed out that Ghana has, since 1960, provided troops, police officers and other personnel to UN peacekeeping operations as its “contribution to the maintenance of international peace and security.” This effort, he said, has been recognized globally and the performance of its personnel has been described as “one of the finest in the world.”

The Reviewing Officer pointed to the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre in Ghana which adequately prepares UN, regional and sub-regional forces for peace service operations as an “eloquent testament of Ghana’s commitment to global peace and security.”

The UN Resident Coordinator, Mr. Daouda Toure, said this year’s theme which focused on the contributions of women to UN peacekeeping operations has brought to the fore the changing face of peacekeeping. He mentioned UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security which recognized that women bore the brunt of armed conflicts and should have a commensurate role in their prevention and resolution. This led to the involvement of more women and the expansion of their role in
peacekeeping.

He recalled that when UN Peacekeeping was first established in 1948, most peacekeepers were from Europe and the Americas and all were men. Peacekeepers now come from 117 countries all over the world including Ghana with increasing numbers of women serving in military, police and civilian capacities.  Ghana is now the second highest contributor of female peacekeepers, after India.

Mr. Toure noted that in many cases “women are better placed to carry out interviews with victims of gender-based violence, working in women prisons, assisting female ex-combatants during the process of demobilization and reintegration into civilian life and mentoring female cadets.  By their shining example they inspire women and girls, demonstrating that women and girls can do anything in the realm of politics, security, law and order, medicine, journalism, engineering, etc.”

He promised that the UN system in Ghana will continue to give the necessary administrative and logistical support to Ghana to continue its good work in peacekeeping activities all over the world to assist the United Nations in maintaining international peace and security.

The Resident Coordinator congratulated all Ghanaians who have served and continue to serve in all aspects of peacekeeping, especially female peacekeepers, for their distinguished services to Ghana and the United Nations.

The UN Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, in his message, presented by Mr. Toure, said the UN’s efforts to involve more women in peace operations was not to “achieve parity for its own sake: the imperative is to draw on the unique and powerful contribution women can make.” He said female peacekeepers offered new skills and styles and often they could better “communicate with local women, generating a greater sense of security while serving as an example of women’s empowerment.”  Mr. Ban called on Member States to contribute more female personnel to UN peacekeeping operations.

At the ceremony in Accra, the Reviewing Officer, Dr. Kwesi Appiah-Kubi, hoisted the Ghana flag while the UN Resident Coordinator, Mr. Daouda Toure, raised the flag of the UN.

Four wreaths were laid. The Reviewing Officer laid one on behalf of the Government and People of Ghana, the UN Resident Coordinator on behalf of the UN, the Chief of Defence Staff, Major-General Peter Blay, on behalf of all security services while Mrs. Margaret Danso Archer laid the last wreath on behalf of all widows.

In 2008, 132 peacekeepers including 10 women lost their lives in the service of peace. Ten Ghanaians were also among the dead and their names were read by Mr. Toure. 

Currently, more than 3,300 Ghanaian soldiers and police officers are serving in United Nations peacekeeping operations around the world including in Afghanistan, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Georgia, Kosovo, Lebanon, Liberia, Sudan, and the Western Sahara.

The photo exhibition that followed the parade, flag-raising and wreath-laying ceremonies were jointly organized by the United Nations Information Centre in Accra, the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Armed Forces. The over 80 pictures from various missions vividly showed female peacekeepers engaged in a variety of roles such as patrols, medical service, interaction with local women, humanitarian assistance, map-reading, weapons training, physical training, at workshops to up-date skills, and as mechanics working on broken down vehicles.

Mr. Daouda Toure, UN Resident Coordinator delivering his address at the World Press Freedom Day commemoration in Accra, 4 May 2009

Ghana joined the rest of the world in marking World Press Freedom Day on 4 May 2009 with a symposium and a flag-raising ceremony. The theme for the celebration was “Media, Dialogue and Mutual Understanding.”

Speaking on the topic “Media, Dialogue and Mutual Understanding: The Role of the Government,” Ghana’s Minister of Information, Mrs. Zita Okaikoi, pointed to the need for increased collaboration between the media and the government and dialogue and mutual understanding among various segments of society to accelerate national development.

She reiterated the Government’s commitment to “finalizing the Right to Information Bill and the National Broadcasting Law to promote the free flow of public information and pluralism in the media.” Mrs. Okaikoi, however, stressed that freedom and independence of the media did not mean the “freedom to carry inflammatory items and hate utterances to incite one group against another and cause national disunity.”

Rather, “dialogue and mutual understanding among all sections of society are pre-requisites for peace in a nation in order to ensure unimpeded development and should also aim at bringing about deeper mutual understanding among peoples belonging to different cultural, ethnic, social, political and religious backgrounds.”

The Minister mentioned the Government’s efforts to strengthen the capacity of the National Media Commission, which insulates the media from Government’s interference, and to support the Ghana Institute of Journalism and the National Film and Television Institute in training media professionals to improve efficiency in the media and information sector to enhance national development. 

The UN Resident Coordinator, Mr. Daouda Toure, discussed ways in which the UN system worked with the media, such as co-operation with the Ministry of Information and the National Media Commission to train journalism students and media associations in media ethics and development reporting, including the Millennium Development Goals; press tours to United Nations supported project sites to increase advocacy and highlight the impact of development projects; training of district information officers and the refurbishment of the Ghana International Press Centre. He hoped these activities “will breed generations of responsible journalists whose rights will always be respected.”  He also read the Secretary-General's message for the day.

The message for the day from the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was read by Ms. Becky Tandoh of the Communications and Information Unit of UNESCO. The Director-General mentioned the potential of the media to raise awareness about different cultures, religions and peoples to change attitudes and stereotypes, to dispel mistrust and suspicion and to promote tolerance.

The President of the Ghana Journalists Association, Mr. Ransford Tetteh, condemned attacks on journalists noting that that it was only in an atmosphere of tolerance and civility that freedom of expression could flourish and promote constructive political development. He urged the Ghana Police Administration to speed up investigations into the death of Samuel Ennin, a former Ashanti Regional Chairman of the Ghana Journalists Association.

Solidarity messages were presented by representatives of the Private Newspaper Publishers Association of Ghana, the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association, the Ghana Community Radio Network and the sponsors of the celebration, Accra Brewery Limited.

On 24 March 2009, students at the Ghana Institute of Languages were briefed by the National Programme coordinator of United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) in Ghana, Ms. Afua Ansre.  Her topic was “Women and Men United to end violence against Women and Girls.” Ms. Ansre addressed students of the Ghana Institute of Languages in Accra as part of activities to mark the Institute’s Students Representative Council week.

Ms. Ansre explained that violence was not only physical assault but any act that tended to degrade another person and violated his or her human rights. Ms. Ansre stated the need for both men and women to work closely together to completely stop violence against women and girls. To this end, men and women must educate one another about their rights, call for reforms of practices that violate the human rights of women and girls and report human rights abuses to security agencies.  

With vivid examples, she described the various types of violence against women and girls including verbal, physical, economic, psychological, emotional and cultural. She asked the students to reject and speak against practices like "trokosi," labeling old women as witches, mistreatment of household help, widowhood rites and others acts that demean women and girls. She suggested that students at the Institute form an advocacy group to support their colleagues whose human rights may have been violated.

Ms. Ansre attributed the main cause of violence against women and girls to the unequal power relations between men and women and urged women and girls to educate themselves to the highest level to enable them to compete on equal footing with men in all spheres of human endeavor.

She admitted that some women also committed violence against men but such incidents were very low as compared to acts by men. Issues raised by the students included violence against women by pastors, lecturers harassing female students and the attitude of men towards women and girls looking for jobs.

Mr. Matthew Tetteh Amegatcher, Executive Director of Plan Life, a non-governmental organization, strongly supported the involvement of men in activities to stop violence against women and girls. He said education in this direction should start right from infancy to involve both boys and girls and family chores should be done by both boys and girls to erase the notion that women and girls were meant for the kitchen.

He mentioned his plans to form the “Men for Change Club” to target men who engaged in violence against women and girls. He said the Club will make a strong case for men to share in household chores and lobby for a paternity leave bill so that husbands actively compliment the activities of their wives in the home.

According to Mr. Amegatcher, the Club will also look at reproductive health issues, HIV and AIDS, and other practices that violate the human rights of women and girls.

The National Information Officer of the United Nations Information Centre in Accra, Mr. Abraham Nunoo, explained the operations of the UN system, looking at the structure and functions of the six principal organs of the world body.

Students raised questions on the form of sanctions applied against member states that flout the rules of the Organization, efforts by the UN to resolve the long-running Middle East dispute, employment in the UN and the kind of assistance poor countries receive from the Organization.

At the end of the briefing, Ms. Ansre presented UN publications to the Institute for its library.

Some of the participants in the procession which formed part of activities to mark 2009 World Water Day 2009.

A number of activities were organised throughout Ghana to mark this year’s World Water Day, which was observed on 22 March 2009. They included radio discussions, symposia, floats, walks, clean up exercises, flag raising ceremonies and quizzes. All these were aimed at raising awareness about the importance of water, its finite nature and the need to protect water bodies from pollution and drying up.

Government organizations, UN agencies, business entities, research institutions, educational institutions, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the general public either organised their own events or participated in the national or regional events. The Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Water Resources Commission, Ghana Water Company Limited, Aqua Vitens Rand Limited, Water Research Institute, United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Community Water and Sanitation Agency and others organized a symposium, and a procession through some of the principal streets of Accra and crowned it with a flag-raising ceremony.

Guinness Ghana Limited, a beverage manufacturer, organised a sponsored walk to raise funds to purchase water filters for deprived communities while some educational institutions visited water treatment plants. 

The theme for the celebration was “Shared Waters-Shared Opportunities” with a focus on transboundary water. Speaking at the flag-raising ceremony, the Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing mentioned that transboundary waters when well protected, managed and used would affect the successful achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and safeguard human security and development.

He said the theme for the celebration was a wake-up call for Ghana and its neighbours to co-operate to manage their water resources. Mr. Abongo noted that it was based on this that Ghana has played its expected role in the establishment of the Volta Basin Authority for the mutual benefit of the six countries involved namely: Ghana, Mali, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Togo and Benin.

The message of the UN Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon was presented by the UNESCO Representative in Ghana. The Secretary-General said the theme for the celebration highlighted how transboundary water resources can act as a unifying force. He noted that there were about 300 international agreements on water and these demonstrated the “potential of shared water resources to foster trust and promote peace.”  He called for “political will, a flexible policy framework, strong institutions and an inclusive approach” to water issue for all to benefit. Mr. Ban pointed to the impact of the world’s growing population and climate change which has led to scarcity of water and the need to work together to use water judiciously.

The Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing hoisted the Ghana flag while the UNESCO Representative and the UNICEF Representative jointly raised the UN flag.