{"id":95799,"date":"2025-09-25T19:09:16","date_gmt":"2025-09-25T19:09:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=95799"},"modified":"2025-09-25T19:09:16","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T19:09:16","slug":"ghanas-president-mahama-un-general-assembly-address-asserts-africas-power-shift","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=95799","title":{"rendered":"Ghana\u2019s President Mahama UN General Assembly address asserts Africa\u2019s power shift"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n \t<\/i> Read Time:<\/span>5 Minute, 54 Second <\/div>\n\n <\/div>
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President John Mahama\u2019s address at the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly was a pivotal statement, brilliantly synthesising Ghana\u2019s domestic economic turnaround with a firm demand for global institutional reform.<\/p>\n

The speech continues to drive continental dialogue, resonating deeply with Ghanaian aspirations for economic self-reliance and global recognition. This dual focus strategically reframes Ghana\u2019s internal achievements as leverage for demanding a greater African voice on the world stage.<\/p>\n

Reset agenda delivers economic relief<\/h3>\n

The President highlighted tangible successes in Ghana\u2019s reset agenda<\/em>, following the start of his non-consecutive second term in January. He reported that inflation had dramatically fallen from 23.8% in December 2024 to 11.5% in August 2025. This restoration of price stability directly impacts the cost of living for every Ghanaian family.<\/p>\n

At one point, Bloomberg recognised the Ghana cedi as the best-performing currency in the world. This appreciation has eased pressure on imported goods while boosting national pride. The improved sovereign credit rating reflects growing investor confidence and market approval for fiscal discipline. This rapid turnaround serves as empirical evidence, challenging external narratives that often dismiss African states\u2019 capacity for effective macroeconomic management.<\/p>\n

24-Hour Economy ignites hope for jobs<\/h3>\n

The 24-Hour Economy Initiative offers hope for increased employment and stronger domestic activity. President Mahama explicitly described the initiative as one that will \u201ctransform Ghana\u2019s economy.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the average Ghanaian, this policy is directly linked to expectations of secure, better-paying jobs. It signals renewed public trust that elected officials are prioritising Ghana\u2019s interests. The initiative also represents a proactive, domestically driven solution to unemployment, reducing dependence on volatile global aid or foreign investment for job creation.<\/p>\n

Africa\u2019s demographic future demands respect<\/h3>\n

Mahama emphatically declared, \u201cThe future is African!\u201d<\/em> He cited UN projections that by 2050, over 25% of the world\u2019s population will be African, and one-third of all young people aged 15 to 24 will reside on the continent.<\/p>\n

This demographic power is the central driver for Africa\u2019s \u201chuge\u201d and \u201cconsequential\u201d role in global affairs. The President insisted that African resilience and the continent\u2019s ability to make a \u201cstrong comeback\u201d must be acknowledged, challenging views rooted in \u201ccenturies of racism, colonialism, imperialism, and the resulting implicit bias.\u201d<\/p>\n

By pivoting the conversation from poverty to power, Mahama asserted that global stability itself is contingent upon African development and inclusion.<\/p>\n

Demand for UN reform and financial justice<\/h3>\n

Mahama directly challenged the global power structure. He called for a permanent African seat on the UN Security Council, complete with veto power. He stressed that the current structure is outdated and violates the UN Charter\u2019s principle of \u201csovereign equality.\u201d<\/p>\n

Highlighting the deep injustice of Africa\u2019s minimal representation at the UN\u2019s founding, the President linked this historical exclusion to the present global financial architecture, describing it as \u201crigged against Africa.\u201d He demanded a \u201creset\u201d of this system to allow greater African influence.<\/p>\n

Mahama also argued that veto power should not be absolute, urging for a mechanism that would allow the General Assembly to challenge a veto\u2014a proposal first suggested by Nelson Mandela three decades ago.<\/p>\n

This comprehensive critique marked a shift from requesting aid to insisting on structural parity, positioning Africa as a global agenda-setter.<\/p>\n

Sovereignty and reparations drive foreign policy<\/h3>\n

The President\u2019s push for sovereignty over natural resources struck a major chord. He declared that the era of parceling out \u201cvast concession areas to foreign interests\u201d must end, insisting Ghana must \u201cnegotiate better for a bigger share\u201d of its resources.<\/p>\n

He expressed frustration at the image of \u201cpoverty-stricken, disease-ridden rural communities\u201d living near vast foreign-controlled concessions. Mahama also announced plans to introduce a UN motion recognising the slave trade as the \u201cgreatest crime against humanity\u201d and demanding reparations.<\/p>\n

This Pan-African call seeks historical redress for the wealth created by the twelve and a half million Africans forcibly taken. He underscored the hypocrisy of governments that once paid reparations to former slave owners for the loss of their \u201cproperty\u201d\u2014enslaved people.<\/p>\n

By linking resource control to historical injustice, Mahama unified economic nationalism with the Pan-African struggle for dignity and financial equity.<\/p>\n

Strong stances on Cuba, Gaza, and Sudan<\/h3>\n

Mahama used Ghana\u2019s UN platform to advocate strongly on foreign policy. He called for the removal of the blockade on Cuba, recalling that the Cuban people \u201cshed their blood on African soil in the fight against apartheid.\u201d This aligned with Kwame Nkrumah\u2019s principle: \u201cWe seek to be friends of all and enemies to none.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

On the Middle East, he condemned the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. He described a two-state solution as a \u201creprieve for the hundreds of thousands of innocent people\u201d facing \u201ccollective punishment and forced starvation.\u201d Using a striking analogy, he said: \u201cIf it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, well then\u2026 it must be a duck.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

He also highlighted the \u201cworld\u2019s largest humanitarian crisis\u201d in Sudan, contrasting the limited aid for 12 million new refugees with the extensive support extended to those from Ukraine. Critically, he warned that the denial of visas to President Abbas and the Palestinian delegation \u201csets a bad precedent.\u201d<\/p>\n

In these interventions, Ghana positioned itself as a principled non-aligned actor, prioritising historical solidarity and humanitarian concerns over geopolitical pressures.<\/p>\n

Protecting the global town square<\/h3>\n

Mahama warned that the world is experiencing a \u201cgeneral breakdown of multilateralism.\u201d He argued that the United Nations must be protected as the \u201cproverbial town square\u201d of the modern global village.<\/p>\n

This analogy, deeply rooted in Ghanaian governance culture, underscored the UN\u2019s role as the singular space where nations can gather, air grievances, and build community. He cautioned that unchecked nationalism and disruptive technologies such as AI and social media threaten this vital multilateral space.<\/p>\n

Women\u2019s leadership and Ghanaian excellence<\/h3>\n

Mahama stressed that women\u2019s empowerment is crucial to global success. He congratulated Vice President Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, Ghana\u2019s first female Vice President, ensuring every Ghanaian girl \u201cknows the heights to which she can ascend.\u201d He further called for the appointment of a woman as UN Secretary-General.<\/p>\n

The President also highlighted the global achievements of Ghanaian migrants such as Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong and former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. These examples, he argued, counter xenophobic narratives by underscoring the valuable contributions of Africans worldwide.<\/p>\n

Linking domestic strength to global voice<\/h3>\n

Mahama\u2019s address established a central theme: Ghana\u2019s economic competence is the foundation for Africa\u2019s global confidence. By showcasing domestic success\u2014from inflation control to the \u201cbest-performing cedi\u201d\u2014he legitimised his demand for a reset of the global order.<\/p>\n

The speech functioned as both a state-of-the-nation report and a bold Pan-African blueprint, ensuring Ghana\u2019s voice remains influential in shaping a more equitable future. While diplomatic fallout from challenging global structures may be inevitable, the address sets a principled marker for Ghana\u2019s foreign policy legacy and strengthens the nation\u2019s leadership role within the African Union.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Ghana'sPresident John Mahama\u2019s address at the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly was a pivotal statement, brilliantly synthesising Ghana\u2019s domestic economic turnaround with a firm demand for global institutional reform.
\nThe speech continues to drive continental dialogue, resonating deeply with Ghanaian aspirations for economic self-reliance and global recognition. This dual focus strategically reframes Ghana\u2019s internal achievements as leverage for demanding a greater African voice on the world stage.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_2277560469115098_106292521332774":"","twitter_aToxNzczMzI3Njk4OTg4ODUxMjAxOw==_1773327698988851200":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1972,2113,2128,2889,1883,10,9,1206,9058],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-95799","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-africa","category-features","category-hp-opinion-1","category-nana-karikari","category-national","category-politics","category-popular","category-president-mahama","category-un-general-assembly"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95799","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=95799"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95799\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=95799"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=95799"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=95799"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}