President John Dramani Mahama has announced Ghana’s intention to table a resolution at the United Nations seeking formal recognition of the transatlantic slave trade as the greatest crime against humanity, while urging broad international support for the initiative.
Speaking at the Presidency on Tuesday during the annual New Year exchange of greetings with members of the Diplomatic Corps, President Mahama outlined Ghana’s foreign policy priorities for 2026, emphasizing diplomacy as a strategic tool for economic transformation, regional stability, and global cooperation. The President extended warm wishes to their respective Heads of State and Governments.
President Mahama stressed that diplomacy remains the most reliable channel for dialogue and coordinated international action. He noted that Ghana’s external engagements continue to be anchored on democratic governance, human rights, rule of law, and inclusive, sustainable development.
Highlighting progress on the domestic front, the President indicated that government fiscal discipline has helped restore macroeconomic stability, contributing to easing inflationary pressures, strengthening the national currency, and improving the trade balance. Ghana’s inflation declined from over 23.4 percent at the end of 2024 to 3.8 percent in January 2026, while the cedi appreciated by 32 percent in 2025.
President Mahama pointed to key policy interventions designed to accelerate growth and enhance investor confidence, including the establishment of the Ghana Gold Board, the rollout of the Big Push Infrastructure Agenda, the implementation of the 24 Hour Economy policy, and the Mahama Cares Programme.
In deepening international economic cooperation, Ghana has concluded labour mobility agreements with several countries and secured visa waiver arrangements aimed at facilitating trade, tourism, and business exchanges. The government recently implemented a visa waiver policy with Morocco on June 6, 2025, which has enabled over 1,300 Ghanaian nationals to benefit from free electronic entry into Morocco.
On the continental front, President Mahama reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to African led solutions to regional challenges and strengthened integration under the African Union (AU) framework. He pledged to continue leveraging his roles as AU Champion for Gender and Development Issues, African Union Financial Institutions, and Reparations to advance Pan African priorities.
In that context, the President announced Ghana’s intention to table the resolution at the United Nations seeking formal recognition of the transatlantic slave trade as the greatest crime against humanity. He urged broad international backing for the initiative, which aligns with Ghana’s advocacy for reparations and reparative justice for Africans and people of African descent.
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, commended the Diplomatic Corps for their continued partnership, describing their role as instrumental in connecting Ghana to global opportunities. He reaffirmed Ghana’s focus on good neighbourliness, economic diplomacy, multilateral engagement, and South South cooperation as central pillars of its development strategy.
Mr Ablakwa underscored Ghana’s leadership within the African Union in championing financial sovereignty, health resilience, regional security, and inclusive empowerment. He assumed office as Foreign Affairs Minister in February 2025 after being appointed in January 2025. The Minister previously served as Deputy Minister for Information and Deputy Minister for Education under President Mahama’s first administration.
In her remarks, the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to Ghana, Imane Ouaadil, congratulated Ghana on its peaceful democratic transition and described the country as a beacon of democracy in Africa. She praised Ghana’s proactive diplomacy, high level multilateral engagements, and leadership in promoting regional peace and humanitarian solidarity.
Ambassador Ouaadil highlighted Ghana’s successful and peaceful transition of power in 2025 as a defining moment in the country’s democratic evolution. She noted that Ghana once again demonstrated its status as a beacon of democracy in Africa by upholding the principles of stability, institutional continuity, and national cohesion.
The Dean of the Diplomatic Corps acknowledged the significant economic progress recorded since January 2025. She emphasized that rigorous fiscal reforms combined with targeted tax relief measures have contributed to stabilizing inflation and the national currency, restoring investor confidence, and revitalizing key sectors including agriculture, manufacturing, services, and construction.
The Diplomatic Corps also recognized the early milestones of President Mahama’s Reset Ghana agenda, which has been presented on global platforms such as the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly and the World Economic Forum in Davos. Ambassador Ouaadil praised President Mahama’s active diplomacy, including strategic engagements at the UN General Assembly and Davos, as well as successful state visits to China and Singapore that secured major investment agreements.
On regional stability, Ambassador Ouaadil applauded Ghana’s efforts to promote dialogue between the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and Sahel countries and its commitment to revitalizing the Accra Initiative. She underscored the importance of collaborative security frameworks in safeguarding the Gulf of Guinea and strengthening regional integration.
The Dean of the Diplomatic Corps commended Ghana’s humanitarian outreach to nations facing crises, including recent missions to Jamaica, Sudan, Palestine, and Cuba, describing Ghana’s foreign policy as compassionate and principled. Ambassador Ouaadil assured the government of the Diplomatic Corps’ continued support in advancing Ghana’s development agenda and strengthening bilateral and multilateral cooperation.
Looking ahead to 2026, Ambassador Ouaadil reaffirmed the Diplomatic Corps’ commitment to deepening cooperation with Ghana through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration. The event concluded with a toast to the health and wisdom of President Mahama, the continued peace and prosperity of the Ghanaian people, and the enduring friendship between Ghana and the international community.
The New Year reception followed closely after President Mahama commissioned five new ambassadors and high commissioners on Monday, February 9, 2026, to represent Ghana abroad. The newly commissioned envoys include Ambassador designate to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Alhaji Said Saleh Sinare, Ambassador designate to the Republic of Mali Lieutenant Colonel Al Hajj Umar Sanda Ahmed, Ambassador designate to the Republic of Cuba Kofi Attor, Ambassador in situ Emmanuel Opeku, and High Commissioner designate to the Republic of Malta Regina Appiah Sam.
President Mahama charged the new envoys to move from passive representation to purposeful engagement, from routine reporting to proactive problem solving, and from presence to impact. The President emphasized that Ghana’s diplomatic missions must become engines of economic growth, pointing to opportunities in trade promotion, tourism, investment attraction, and technology partnerships.
