Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey attends 44th ordinary session of AU's executive council

Ghanaian

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, actively participated in the 44th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the African Union (AU).

The session, themed "Educate an African Fit for the 21st Century: Building Resilient Education Systems for Increased access to Inclusive, Lifelong, Quality and Relevant Learning in Africa", took place at the AU

Read full articleHeadquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from February 14th to 15th, 2024.

During her address at the session, Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey emphasized the urgent need for the operationalization of the African Humanitarian Agency.

She highlighted the continent's recurring humanitarian crises stemming from conflicts or natural disasters and stressed the necessity for an agency to coordinate and lead humanitarian efforts efficiently.

Hon. Ayorkor Botchwey advocated for the delegation of powers from the Assembly to the Executive Council to facilitate the consideration and adoption of structures for the African Humanitarian Agency and the African Inclusive Markets Excellence Centre during the 45th Ordinary Session.

Regarding the issue of AU-Wide Bank Accounts outside the continent, the Minister expressed Ghana's support for repatriating funds from the United States of America and Europe to Africa. She emphasized the importance of equitable representation in locating AU bank accounts on the continent.

On the sidelines of the AU Executive Council Meeting, Hon. Ayorkor Botchwey participated in a consultative session of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Ministerial Committee. The session focused on member states’ applications for international and regional statutory positions.

Additionally, the Minister held a bilateral meeting with the Director-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel, Jacob Blitehstein. The discussions centered on bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest.

Ghana reaffirmed its commitment to the African Union's objectives, including fostering greater unity and solidarity among African countries and achieving enhanced regional development as outlined in the AU Agenda 2063.