During his speech to the 78th session of the UN General Assembly in New York on September 20, 2023, President Nana Akufo-Addo bravely challenged the apparent hypocrisy of rich countries.
He highlighted the striking contrast between these wealthy countries’ proclamations of democracy and their frequently at odds conduct inside the UN.
President Akufo-Addo highlighted the sadness and disillusionment Ghana had during its recent term as a non-permanent member of the Security Council in his speech.
While these large countries support democracy, fairness, and justice on a global scale, he emphasised that they frequently put their own interests ahead of the interests of mankind in the UN.
“Ghana is currently serving out the second of its two-year term on the Security Council as a non-permanent member. This is the third time in the 66 years since we joined the UN, the first post-colonial African nation to do so, that we have had the privilege of serving on the Council. Mr President, it has been a sad and disappointing experience for us.
“We have witnessed at first hand, over and over again, that the big powers of the United Nations might be preaching democracy, fairness and justice around the world, but are happy to practice the opposite here at the UN, prioritizing parochial interests over those humanities,” he said.
The Ghanaian leader pointed out that “We cannot continue to preach equality and good governance around the globe, we cannot insist on peace and justice in the world, when our global organisation is seen by the majority of its members and the people of the world as hampered by an unjust and unfair structure.
“Mr President, the Assembly has quite properly chosen the rebuilding of trust as critical in restoring stability and prosperity to our world. We cannot rebuild that trust when the organisation that should bind us is seen by many as helping to perpetuate an unfair world order, which is reinforced by an inequitable, dysfunctional global financial architecture.”
