By: Hannah Dadzie
The week-long Conference of Heads of Mission and Orientation Programme for Ghana’s newly appointed envoys has ended in Accra with a renewed call for excellence, economic diplomacy, and Pan-African solidarity. The closing ceremony and awards night highlighted Ghana’s forward-looking foreign policy while celebrating past statesmen for their contributions to the country’s diplomatic success. Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, expressed confidence in the newly appointed envoys, describing their presence as a fresh perspective and energy for the Foreign Service.
“Distinguished newly appointed envoys, we have great confidence in your abilities. Your presence signifies the infusion of fresh perspective and energy into our esteemed Foreign Service. The team spirit and synergy that have been built over the five-day training period will enable you to work in unison in our collective quest towards national building,” the Chief of Staff said.
“I have no doubt that this joint event of the Conference of Heads of Missions and the orientation of newly appointed envoys has enabled our participants to exchange knowledge and ideas that will inure to the benefit of our esteemed diplomatic service and bring practical gains to the good people of Ghana,” he added.
The five-day Orientation Programme, which ran from the 1st to 5th of this month, provided a platform for knowledge exchange, practical training, and strategic policy direction, equipping the new ambassadors and high commissioners to represent Ghana with renewed vigor on the global stage. Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, underscored government’s commitment to a proactive and economically driven foreign policy anchored on peace, security, non-alignment, and African dignity.
“This conference has revitalized our collective diplomatic spirit and sharpened our focus on promoting Ghana’s interests and values on the global stage. Economic diplomacy is a cornerstone: prioritize industrialization, trade value addition, investment, and partnerships that create jobs, facilitate technology transfer, and ensure sustainable development for Ghanaians,” Mr Debrah said.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, commended the envoys for their commitment throughout the orientation programme and urged them to build on Ghana’s strong diplomatic reputation, which has seen Ghanaians rise to lead global bodies, including the United Nations.
“The high levels of commitment that you brought to bear, your punctuality, your professionalism, your dedication is a clear testimony that you will be assuming your responsibilities with those same values, and Ghana will be the better for it. I commend you for the sheer commitment that you have demonstrated this week,” Mr Ablakwa said.
“This is the country that has produced a UN Secretary General, has produced many presidents of ECOWAS, leaders of the AU and other international organizations. And because of our predecessors and the tremendous effort they put in to open the doors for us, everybody in the international community knows that once you are a diplomat from Ghana, you represent excellence, you represent the can-do spirit, you represent Pan-Africanism, you represent justice, you represent fairness and you represent hard work,” the Foreign Affairs Minister added.
In a show of regional solidarity, Senegalese Minister for Pan-African Integration and Foreign Affairs, Madam Yassine Fall, reaffirmed her country’s commitment to deepening ties with Ghana.
“Ghana and Senegal have been leaders in Africa in terms of African Union, African solidarity, Pan-Africanism and lending a hand to other African countries. Our political and diplomatic exchanges, recently illustrated by regional high-level visits by both presidencies, testify to the vitality of our partnership,” Madam Fall noted.
She also encouraged the ambassadors to build bridges and amplify African voices on the international stage.
“On this happy occasion, I would like to extend my warm congratulations to the new ambassadors of Ghana. I therefore wish them every success in their mission. With the conviction that wherever they are, they will prove to be worthy representatives of Ghana and indeed of all Africa,” the Senegalese Foreign Minister said.
A key highlight of the ceremony was the recognition of five distinguished diplomats, Ambassadors Richard Maximillian Akwei, Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas, James Victor Gbeho, Chris Kpodo, and Dr. Obed Asamoah, whose decades of service have shaped Ghana’s international reputation. Their contributions were hailed as an enduring legacy which should inspire the next generation of diplomats.
As the curtains came down on the week-long event, participants echoed a shared sense of renewed purpose. With the baton now passed to a new crop of envoys, Ghana’s diplomatic frontlines are poised to combine tradition and innovation, safeguarding the nation’s interests while championing Africa’s collective voice in an evolving global order.
