Dakar, 05 November 2024 - As part of its continued engagement to promote peace and stability in West Africa and the Sahel, UNOWAS, in close collaboration with the National Peace Council (NPC) of Ghana, supported the organization of National Stakeholders’ Forums which took place in five strategic locations in: Tamale, Kumasi, Cape Coast, Ho and Accra.

Aiming at building trust to ensure the holding of credible, inclusive, and peaceful general elections on 7 December 2024, the Forums brought hundreds of participants made up of traditional leaders, representatives of political parties, security agencies, civil society organizations, state institutions, trade unions and the judiciary, among others.

Speaking at the National Stakeholders’ Forum in Ho last week, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Leonardo Santos Simão, stressed the importance of peaceful conduct of elections, urging leaders and citizens alike to foster trust and cooperation throughout the electoral period. “Ensuring a violence-free election is everyone’s responsibility. I encourage all stakeholders to uphold peaceful elections through responsible individual actions, collaboration, and consistent dialogue. Leaders at every level bear a particular responsibility to promote a peaceful electoral environment,” he stated.

The Special Representative also underlined the importance of inclusive decision-making, advocating for the voices of women, youth, and persons with disabilities to be considered. “Women, youth, and persons with disabilities occupy vital roles in society, and their perspectives deserve special attention,” he added.

Today, at the closing of the last Forum in Accra, the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations Office for West Africa, and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Barrie Freeman, commended the tireless efforts of the National Peace Council’s leadership and staff, all stakeholders: members of  the Electoral Commission, political parties and their candidates, state security institutions, religious leaders, traditional leaders, civil society organizations, women and youth associations and the media to ensure peaceful elections that reflect the will of the people.

Echoing the Special Representative’s statement, she appealed to all stakeholders, and to the country’s political leaders and their supporters, to address and mitigate all risks associated with the electoral process and to work together towards a peaceful outcome that reflects the hard-won gains of Ghana’s democratic culture and the aspirations of her people.

In pursuit of the objectives of the Pact for the Future adopted in September during the UN General Assembly, UNOWAS, in coordination with its partners, will continue to accompany Ghana on its democratic path, to ensure that democracy delivers the development its citizens deserve.