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James Gyakye Quayson
Mr James Gyakye Quayson, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, has called on African countries to deepen continental cooperation and integration to address the continent’s growing socio-economic and political challenges.
He said Africa’s future prosperity and global relevance would depend largely on the ability of leaders and citizens to uphold the ideals of Pan-Africanism and collective development.
Mr Quayson made the call on Monday during Ghana’s commemoration of the 63rd anniversary of African Union (AU) Day at the forecourt of the State House in Accra.
The colourful ceremony brought together members of the diplomatic corps, government officials, traditional authorities, schoolchildren, and representatives of regional and international organisations.
Activities marking the occasion included a guard of honour mounted by security personnel, cultural performances by schoolchildren, and the ceremonial raising of the flags of Ghana and the African Union.
The event formed part of activities held across the continent to commemorate Africa Day, observed annually on May 25 to mark the establishment of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 1963, now the African Union.
The Africa Day commemorates the formation of the OAU on May 25, 1963, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, by 32 independent African states seeking to promote unity and support liberation struggles across the continent.
The organisation later transformed into the African Union in 2002 with an expanded mandate focused on integration, peace, governance, and socio-economic development.
Today, the AU continues to champion initiatives such as Agenda 2063 and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which seeks to create the world’s largest free trade area and strengthen economic integration among African countries.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Quayson noted that the founding fathers of the OAU, including Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, envisioned a united Africa capable of charting its own destiny through solidarity and cooperation.
He said Dr Nkrumah recognised early that Africa’s liberation and development could not be achieved through fragmentation.
“Pan-Africanism remains as relevant now as it was in Nkrumah’s era,” the Deputy Minister stated.
“The core principles of the African Union, including unity, solidarity, peaceful coexistence, respect for sovereignty, democratic governance, human dignity, and sustainable development, continue to serve as the moral and institutional foundations upon which we must build the future of our continent.”
Mr Quayson noted that despite Africa’s abundant natural resources and youthful population, the continent continued to face serious challenges, including youth unemployment, economic inequality, climate vulnerability, insecurity, and unfair global trade systems.
He said such challenges required deeper continental collaboration rather than isolation.
“The challenges confronting our continent demand not isolation but deeper continental cooperation and collective resolve,” he added.
The Deputy Minister reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to the African integration agenda under President John Dramani Mahama’s administration.
Ghana remained committed to promoting free movement, economic cooperation, democratic governance, and people-centred diplomacy within the framework of the African Union and the AfCFTA.
Mr Quayson announced the official launch of Ghana’s e-Visa system on the AU Day, describing it as a practical step towards promoting intra-African mobility, tourism, and business opportunities across the continent.
He said the initiative demonstrated Ghana’s belief that African borders should become “bridges of opportunity and partnership rather than barriers to progress.”
The Deputy Minister urged Africans to reject negative perceptions about the continent and instead focus on its enormous potential.
“Africa possesses the youngest population in the world, immense natural wealth, extraordinary cultural capital, and boundless human ingenuity,” he said, adding that the “African century” would require courageous leadership, accountable governance, and commitment to the Pan-African vision.
Ambassador Kufa Edward Chinoza, Dean of the African Diplomatic Corps and Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Ghana, highlighted the significance of this year’s AU theme, which focuses on sustainable water availability and safe sanitation systems under Agenda 2063.
He said water and sanitation remained critical to Africa’s economic transformation, public health, food security, and climate resilience.
Ambassador Chinoza commended Ghana for its role in advancing continental causes and referenced the recently adopted United Nations resolution declaring the transatlantic slave trade and slavery as crimes against humanity.
Source: GNA