The Council on Foreign Relations-Ghana (CFR-GH) has launched its first edition of a Journal christened “the Baobab” which highlights the ideals and legacy of the late Kofi Annan, a former UN Secretary-General and a world leader.
The Journal provided a platform for an independent contribution to the general discourse on diplomacy, foreign policy and international affairs.
The Council adopted the name “Baobab” to symbolise the Council’s intent to be a resource to Africa and society.
The Journal described the late Annan as a world icon who believed in peace and security, sustainable and inclusive development as well as human rights and rule of law.
The 104-page book has 13 chapters, which focuses on topics including: the biography of the late Kofi Annan, Ghana in United Nations Peace Operations, A tool of its Foreign Policy, Rethinking a new Global Order and Partnerships for Peace in West Africa and the Sahel: Challenges and Opportunities.
The Council also launched its annual report for 2019, encompassing the activities and views on major international events particularly on those which have a bearing on the West Africa sub-region and the continent.
The report covers activities on topics as varied as review of development in the sub region and on the continent as a whole, crisis of multilateralism, the impact of climate change, Ghana-Nigeria retail trade dispute and xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
Professor Henrietta Mensah-Bonsu, President of Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, said the Council would serve as the location for mediated solutions to issues of national importance as its relate to the foreign policy of the country.
She explained that such mediated solutions were products that comes from an intense engagement between scholars dedicated to intellectual consistency and practitioners whose experience in the field may be at pair with such prestige intellectual discourse.
“A well-researched articles become an invaluable intellectual resource when busy practitioners take position on certain issues or advance a course to which the country may have committed itself”, she said.
Mr Daniel K. Osei, the President CFR-GH, said the legacies of the late Annan were important to global development, hence, the Council felt committed to promoting his ideals.
He said the maiden edition and subsequent editions of the Journal would continue to reflect the zeal to help promote the understanding of and an improvement in international relations.
“It is the hope of the Council that policy advisors, international civil servants, research fellows, academics and other professionals interested in international affairs will contribute articles to the subsequent editions”, he added.
The Council was inaugurated on February 26, 2019 by President Akufo-Addo to enhance the advancement of Ghana’s foreign policy and her relations within the comity of nations.
The Council since its establishment had hosted a number of lectures from distinguished personalities on the international arena and produced documentary on Ghana’s role in the international space since independence.
