ghananlpcommunity/ghana-gov-speeches-sentences huggingface dataset:
I am confident that with the conclusion of the Domestic Debt Exchange programme we will experience stability in the exchange rates, inflation and interest rates, bringing businesses and families some respite.
Speaker, with the successful completion of the DDEP, we believe that with the sustained support of Ghanaians and this august House, we will recover from this economic crisis sooner rather than later as indicated by H.E President Akufo-Addo.
I am confident of this, that the Lord who has begun this good work will carry it on to completion as Phil.1.6.
We will, therefore, encourage Hon.
Members to support the Government secure Board approval for the IMF programme to restore macro-economic stability, ensure debt sustainability as well as provide critical social protection for the benefit of Ghanaians.
Speaker, I thank you, the House and fellow Ghanaians for the attention.
God Bless our Homeland Ghana
King Mohammed VI, has delivered a speech to the 33rd Summit of the League of Arab States, which kicked off on Thursday in Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain.
The speech was read on his behalf by the Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch.
Read the speech below; "My dearest brother, Your Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Chairman of the Thirty-Third Arab Summit, your majesties, excellencies and highnesses, first of all, I would like to express my sincere thanks and deep appreciation to my dearest brother, Your Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, for your kind invitation to attend this Arab Summit.
I wish our sister nation, the Kingdom of Bahrain, every success in chairing this Thirty-Third Arab Summit.
I also wish to extend my sincere thanks to my esteemed brother, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and to His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, for successfully chairing the previous Arab Summit.
Your majesties, excellencies and highnesses, the convening of this important summit at this critical juncture - both regionally and at the global level - attests to our common desire to tackle pressing issues facing our Arab Ummah, based on a forward-looking and realistic vision aimed at helping us improve the current situation and rise to security and development challenges.
In this regard, the difficult circumstances affecting the Palestinian question today as a result of the blatant Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip only enhance our determination to make sure the Palestinian issue remains at the core of efforts to establish a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.
In this respect, I wish to reiterate our firm support for our Palestinian brothers and sisters to help them regain their legitimate rights through the establishment of their independent, sovereign state on June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, based on the two-state solution.
The current reprisals in the Gaza Strip have revealed grave violations that are at odds with the provisions of international law and international humanitarian law.
I, therefore, reiterate my strong condemnation of the killing of innocent people.
I also stress that imposing a new reality in the Gaza Strip and attempting to forcibly displace Palestinians are unacceptable acts.
They will only aggravate the situation and further fuel violence and instability.
In this regard, I wish to reaffirm that the Gaza Strip is an integral part of the Palestinian territories and of the unified Palestinian state.
I must also insist on the need to accelerate the steady provision of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians in the entire Gaza Strip and to make sure defenceless civilians are better protected.
As Chairman of the al-Quds Committee, and working in close coordination with my brother, His Excellency Mr.
Mahmoud Abbas, President of the State of Palestine, I shall continue to exert all possible efforts to preserve the legal, historical and cultural status of the Holy City.
Through the fieldwork carried out by the Bayt Mal al-Quds Agency, which is the executive arm of the al-Quds Committee, I have made sure concrete plans and projects continue to be implemented.
The aim is to preserve the cultural identity of the Holy City, improve the social and living conditions of its inhabitants, and support their steadfastness as well as their continued presence in the City.
As for the painful and unfortunate conditions suffered by some sister Arab nations, the Kingdom of Morocco hopes that the situation will soon stabilize in these countries, and that dialogue and peaceful initiatives will prevail, instead of the logic of force or military solutions, thereby contributing to practical, effective and sustainable settlements.
Your majesties, excellencies and highnesses, I regret to say that inter-Arab economic integration has yet to reach the level to which we aspire, even though our countries have all the ingredients for success.
It must be emphasized, in this regard, that this situation is not an inevitable destiny.
However, it requires the adoption of a realistic vision firmly rooted in joint action and a commitment to the principles of good neighbourliness, respect for the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, and a pledge to refrain from interfering in their affairs or sow the seeds of division and secession.
Having said that, I cannot but regret, once again, that the Arab Maghreb Union has not been able to play its natural role with respect to supporting co-development in the Maghreb countries by ensuring, in particular, the free movement of people, capital, goods and services between the five countries making up the Union.
Your majesties, excellencies and highnesses, the future of our Arab Ummah hinges on the formulation of a common strategic vision, making sure there is genuine political will to consolidate its unity and close its ranks in order to serve the common interests of our people and fulfil their aspirations for greater understanding and integration among its members.
This means we should devote special attention to our human resources - especially Arab youth - and enhance their skills and qualifications.
We should, in particular, make sure modern means and methods are acquired in the areas of education and training, and create more job opportunities for young people in various sectors to help them engage in political life and be part of our nation’s economic and social fabric.
Properly trained principled, responsible youth are the true wealth of our nations.
Giving them such training is the best way to enhance the standing of our countries and make sure our nations can effectively tackle the crucial issues facing them and be influential actors in their respective regional and international environments.
May God grant us success for the well-being of our Arab Ummah, and help us achieve our peoples’ legitimate aspirations.
Wassalamu alaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh."
Former United Nations General Secretary, Kofi Annan has re-emphasized the need for Africa to embrace democracy to enable the continent to grow.
He said despite the gains made through the democratic process in electing governments on the continents "many of our own African leaders are tempted to revert to the bad old ways of Big Man rule."
Delivering this year's 'Kronti ne Akwamu' lecture at the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons auditorium, Mr Annan said "democracy is crucial for Africa’s progress.
In fact, as the title of this lecture suggests, democracy is a prerequisite for Africa’s progress."
According to him, some have argued that "enlightened authoritarian leadership is more conducive to economic development, drawing on a familiar (and short) list of examples", although this cannot be said for Africa.
Read the speech below: I am happy to have been invited to deliver this year’s Kronti ne Akwamu lecture.
This lecture series has established its reputation in our country’s political and intellectual life over more than a decade.
Democracy depends on the lively participation of organised civil society in political life.
Politics is too important to be left only to the politicians.
By organising such events, CDD Ghana is making a valuable contribution to our democracy, which is still comparatively young.
In a relatively short space of time, Ghana has earned a reputation as something of a democratic role model in Africa, organising six credible elections and two peaceful transitions of power.
Yet, despite this glowing international reputation, we Ghanaians know that each election has generated a worrying degree of violence and uncertainty.
In this lecture, I will recall the benefits of democracy, the challenges of organising peaceful and credible elections and the road ahead for Ghana, and Africa as a whole.
After the end of the Cold War, I thought we had all understood and accepted that democracy is, to quote Winston Churchill, “the worst form of government, except for all the others.”
I am afraid those hopeful and exciting days are behind us: today, one hears more and more politicians and pundits, as well as ordinary people, speak about the shortcomings of democracy, and the need for more authoritative leadership.
The problem is that authoritative leadership can be a slippery slope towards authoritarian leadership.
In this worrying international environment, many of our own African leaders are tempted to revert to the bad old ways of Big Man rule.
So let me be very clear about this: democracy is crucial for Africa’s progress.
In fact, as the title of this lecture suggests, democracy is a prerequisite for Africa’s progress.
Some still argue that enlightened authoritarian leadership is more conducive to economic development, drawing on a familiar (and short) list of examples.
The list is short because enlightened leaders are few and far between, whether in democratic or authoritarian systems.
But when you entrust all power to one person, and he or she proves not to be as enlightened as you had hoped, can you hold that leader to account, or get him/her out of office?
Even strongmen who start out with good intentions seldom keep them.
“Power corrupts.
Absolute power corrupts absolutely”, pointed out Lord Acton.
Africa knows this from experience: after a promising start at independence, most of the continent suffered under incompetent dictatorships for decades.
The result was not only a dismal economic record, but also widespread human rights abuses, egregious corruption and the absence of the rule of law.
I n fact, the evidence suggests that, by and large, democracy is conducive to economic development, but that is not the crux of the matter.
Professor Amartya Sen famously made the point that the academic debate on the relative merits of authoritarianism and dictatorship for economic growth obfuscates the fact that democracy is progress in and of itself, because freedom is development too.
Ghana has thrived under democracy since it was reintroduced, and our society as well as our economy, has thrived as a result.
Yes, our country has its problems, but all countries have problems.
But democracies always tend to look worse than they are because media and civil society magnify their problems, whereas dictatorships suppress information about their problems.
In the long run, however, criticism and public debate should lead to reform, which makes democracies resilient, while dictatorships are fundamentally brittle.
This reminds me of Aesop’s fable of the oak and the reed.
The oak looks strong, but cannot bend, and so it gets knocked over by a storm, whereas the reed looks weak.
But because it can bend with the wind, it survives the storm.
Today, almost every leader claims to govern by democratic principles and organises periodic elections, most of which are open and fair.
But there are many leaders who manipulate the system to make sure they win.
In other words, rather than impose their rule through brute force, these leaders are tempted to subvert the legal and democratic framework.
It is rule by law, rather than rule oflaw.
Regimes have developed a multitude of methods, some more subtle than others, to ensure that level playing fields are limited to sports competitions only.
This may work in the short run, but it is a dangerous strategy in the long run, for democracies without credible elections are no democracies at all.
As such, they cannot provide societies with the feedback loops and resilience that characterise genuine democracy.
We must remember that elections are a mechanism for the arbitration of political rivalries, and peaceful and democratic rotation of leadership.
If political rivals and their supporters do not believe the electoral process to be free and fair, then they will ultimately resort to less peaceful methods to change political direction.
We must not let the street take the place of the ballot box, but that requires credible elections.
The Global Commission on elections, security and democracy I chaired called credible elections “elections with integrity” and identified five challenges that must be overcome to ensure them.
First, the need to strengthen the rule of law so that elections and the rights of voters and candidates can be protected.
Second, professional and independent national bodies, which can manage elections so that they are credible and the results are legitimate.
Third, greater efforts are needed to build the institutions, processes and behaviors that are vital for genuine multi-party competition and the attribution of political power.
Such elections bestow legitimacy on the winner, provide security for the losers, and end the “winner-takes-all” politics that discourages democratic practice.
Fourth, the integrity of elections requires political equality.
The barriers that prevent voting and wider participation in political life must be removed.
Too often, women, young people, minorities and other marginalized groups are not given a full opportunity to exercise their democratic rights.
Finally, unregulated money in politics undermines voters’ faith in elections and confidence in democracy.
Vote buying and bribery of candidates, including by organized crime, have to be prevented.
Ladies and gentlemen, Africa has come a long way.
I was born into a colonial society where our destinies were determined in London.
We could not choose our own leaders.
Led by Kwame Nkrumah, an earlier generation secured our independence as a free nation – the first African nation to do so.
Our generation ushered in the fourth Republic, enshrining democracy.
But democracy is never fully achieved.
It is always work in progress.
It is up to you, and the next generation, the young men and women in this room, to work towards deepening and sustaining the democratic ideal.
It is your country now.
I hope to have convinced you that deepening our democracy is a crucial struggle, not just for our future prosperity and peace, but also for our fundamental human aspiration to live as free men and women.
I am delighted to be here today as a keynote speaker at this all-important Berlin Economic Forum 2018.
The theme for this year’s forum – “Sustainable Business and Responsible Investments” – could not have been more apt, given the rapidly accelerating and changing international economic and social order.
I appreciate that the forum seeks to raise international awareness on such issues as sustainable development, climate change and environmental responsibility, social and economic inequalities, fair trade, corporate social responsibility, and socially responsible investments, all for the good of mankind and planet Earth.
These are very laudable ideals that must be situated at the core of humanity’s quest to build a fairer world system that serves not only those of us who happen to be alive today but also the generations yet to come.
In the part of the world that I come from, Africa, which is the continent that has more developing countries than anywhere else, there is the stark dearth of industrialization and technological application for economic development.
We have fragile economies, although the continent has more arable lands than any other continent on the globe.
Our lands have lodes of mineral wealth and natural resources, and water bodies that compare favourably with other continents.
For instance, the Congo River, which is one of the world’s mightiest, has been studied to be capable of generating over 40,000 Megawatts of electricity at its proposed Grand Inga dam site.
It is the world’s largest proposed hydropower scheme, and the centerpiece of a grand vision to develop a continent-wide renewable power system for the whole continent and beyond.
But, in spite of this study that was done many years ago, it is yet to attract the requisite investment.
Such an investment, if done, would be responsible as well as sustainable, considering the immense impact it will have on improvement of lives on the most challenged continent on the planet.
Ladies and Gentlemen, without seeking to apologize for the many handicaps Africa suffers, I feel constrained to state that history and geography have, without a doubt, conspired to contribute to some of the continent’s handicaps.
However, over the past two decades, the continental body, the African Union, with its regional groupings and its 55-member nations, has come around to make some specific proposals for tackling the challenges.
They have stated unequivocally that the only way for the nations and the continent to free themselves from the quagmire of poverty and debilitating drawbacks to their development, must be through seeking industrial and economic partnerships, both domestically and internationally.
Africa seeks partners who will come not only with capital but also know how and markets, so that together with them, and in the spirit of sincere and mutual advantage, they would exploit the immense natural resources like arable lands, mighty water courses, advantageous geographical situation of the continent, and a fast-growing educated population within the context of the global market.
This is why the African Union set up the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), staffed by competent technocrats with global exposure to lead in the continent’s developmental efforts.
With this for background, talk of responsible investments should immediately import a thoroughly studied field of investments for legitimate profit for all stakeholders, ideally on a win-win public-private partnership basis.
Almost sixty years after independence, African economies are still trapped in the exploitative colonial mould of largely producing raw materials for export, whether it be in mining, hydrocarbons, forestry resources, or agriculture without any value-addition.
Obviously, this should explain much of the dependency and poverty syndrome the continent finds itself in.
For example, Ghana which is the world’s second-largest producer of cocoa beans earns not more than US$3billion from cocoa exports annually, while the total world cocoa value chain amounts to over US$120 billion annually.
The point here is that there is a great loss to the farmer and the national economy, from the lack of any meaningful and local value addition to the beans to benefit from the value chain.
Examples of such losses of opportunity abound in other sectors of the economy.
Mineral ores like gold, bauxite, manganese, diamonds, and iron have all been extracted and exported without any meaningful value addition over the past several decades by totally foreign companies.
Similarly, our forests have been decimated without much replanting or processing to add value to our forest products locally.
For instance, hardwoods such as Mahogany, Afromosia, Mansonia, Sapele, and many others that averagely take much longer than fifty years to fully mature, have suffered indelible decimation without any value addition in their exploitation, and are now hard to come by.
Between 1990 and 2010 alone, the country lost 34% of its total forest cover which in 1960 covered 60-70% of its land mass.
Therefore, whatever investments that were used in the exploitation of these resources without creating local value-addition to enhance revenues and job-creation for the people substantially, cannot be said to be responsible investments and supportive of sustainable development.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the reality of the global situation would seem that mankind, until very recently, has tended to use the planet’s resources as if these resources were limitless.
In so doing, great damage has been done to the environment, climate, habitats, ecological balance, and even our social relationships, with dangerous chemicals such as arsenic and mercury having found their way into water bodies that serve as drinking water for people.
Some of these occurrences have created conflicts and destabilization of societies.
Mankind has not shown adequate seriousness for the sustainability of whatever we do in search of economic prosperity.
It seems that mankind has been shortsighted, and not comprehending enough of the balance that nature prescribes for sustainable living on the planet.
Paradoxically, it has taken two cataclysmic world wars and scientific and technological revolutions following from them, within the past century, especially after the Second World War, to rudely awaken mankind from its generally inadvertent abuse of the resources of our universe.
Chairman, looking through the rear-view mirror of recent history, I believe that there have been three major points of beneficent radical change in global social evolution which are: the promulgation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 the signing of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the United Nations, in September 2015, and the December 2015 UN Paris Accord on Climate Change at COP-21.
Through all these three promulgations, the community of nations, at least in principle, has at long last come to accept the centrality of the human individual in the affairs of human society, and also the security of the planet, Earth.
The three resolutions prescribe a new paradigm for the pursuit of economic and social evolution with a conscience, and knowledge to underpin sustainability.
It is against this background that I expect investors and entrepreneurs going about their duty of seeking returns on their investments, to, at all material times, consider what is the public good, side by side with the profits on their investments.
And the state should ensure this with enlightened regulations.
The point here is that individual well-being would be best served when situated in a good and stable society.
To be able to realize these lofty ideals, the state must accept to partner the private sector to formulate and implement policies with a shared and enlightened vision, where the state sets the framework of enablement for the private sector to operate as an engine of growth, without undue excesses in the markets.
This should be the way to achieve balance between responsible investments and sustainable development.
Unfortunately, Mr Chairman, the world still abounds in destructive practices across the development divide through the extractive industries, agriculture, deforestation, burning of fossil fuels, industrial pollution, and many others, all in pursuit of profits, without due regard for the safety and security of humanity and the planet.
Ladies and Gentlemen, it is worthy of note that over much of the decades of the twentieth century, the international community did not seem to appreciate and deliberate on the environment and sustainable development until at the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development, dubbed the first Earth Summit – Rio 1992.
Here, economic development was tied to the environment and the sustainability of our world.
At that summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the international community tied the destinies of all peoples of the world together and called for the sustainability of our planet in all our economic development decisions and actions.
Of the 27 Principles that were adopted at this Earth Summit, some salient ones relevant to this discussion are worth mentioning here: Principle 1 : Human beings are at the centre of concerns for sustainable development.
They are entitled to a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature.