Mahama directs release of GH¢300m for flood relief and mitigation
President John Dramani Mahama has directed the immediate release of GHS300 million from the Contingency Fund to support urgent flood relief and mitigation efforts following severe flooding in parts of Accra and other communities in southern Ghana.
Ghana Signs the Pledge to Advance Ocean Accounts by 2030
Ghana has formally signed the Pledge to Advance Ocean Accounts by 2030, committing the country to integrating ocean accounting into its national governance and development planning. The commitment was made on the sidelines of the 11th Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa, Kenya, at the Africa’s Ocean Accounting Dinner, a gathering convened to advance the continent’s ocean accounting agenda. The Pledge was signed on behalf of Ghana by Dr Nii Moi Thompson, Senior Presidential Advisor on the Sustainable Development Goals, Ghana’s Ocean Sherpa and the Chairman of the National Development Commission (NDPC), in the presence of key international partners from the Global Ocean Accounts Partnership (GOAP) and government officials of other African countries.
Our Ocean makes history in Kenya with $6.4 billion in commitments
The Our Ocean Conference concluded in Mombasa with 320 commitments worth $6.4 billion, as Africa hosted the landmark event for the first time and signalled its growing leadership in global ocean governance. More than 100 governments, businesses, and civil society organisations announced 320 new commitments worth $6.4 billion at the 11th Our Ocean Conference, which concluded last week in Mombasa, Kenya – marking the first time the conference has been held on the African continent.
The commitments span ocean conservation, sustainable fisheries, climate resilience and blue economy development, and were made before an audience of more than 5,000 participants, including heads of state, ministers, scientists, Indigenous leaders, youth representatives and business executives.
Ghana to advance reparatory justice at first major gathering since landmark UN resolution
Ghana is hosting a conference to advance the continent’s push for reparatory justice after the adoption of the landmark United Nations (UN) resolution declaring the trafficking of enslaved Africans as the gravest crime against humanity.
Heads of state and government, ministers, civil society representatives, historians, researchers and legal experts representing more than 80 countries are converging in the capital, Accra, for the three-day event, billed Next Steps, which starts on Wednesday. It is the first major gathering on the issue since the resolution was adopted.
The conference will feature an event on 19 June at Osu Castle – a 17th-century fortress in the capital built by the Danish that served as a hub for the transatlantic slave trade – to honour Juneteenth, which marks the end of slavery in the US.
Carlos Queiroz declares Ghana ready for ‘must-win’ World Cup opener against Panama
Ghana head coach Carlos Queiroz has struck a defiant tone on the eve of the Black Stars’ 2026 FIFA World Cup opener, declaring the team is battle-ready for their crucial Group L clash against Panama, despite a turbulent build-up dominated by the high-profile visa refusal of midfield lynchpin Thomas Partey. Speaking at the pre-match press […]
UN80 Update Addresses Efforts to Reform Environmental Governance
The UN updated UNFCCC parties and observers on progress under Work Package 27 of the UN80 reform initiative dealing with environmental governance. During a briefing during the Bonn Climate Change Conference, speakers shared preliminary findings from an assessment of current arrangements, with a view to proposing possible changes and realignments on environmental issues.
The forthcoming report, co-led by the UNFCCC and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), analyzes and maps current arrangements across the areas of science, governance, coordination, and implementation. Initial findings point to fragmentation and highlight opportunities for improved coordination, integration, and synergies to enhance coherence and strengthen global environmental action at all levels. The final report is expected to be available for consideration by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in September 2026.
President Mahama arrives in Belarus, lays wreath at Victory Monument
President John Dramani Mahama has arrived in Minsk to begin a state visit to the Republic of Belarus.
From the airport where he was received by Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Karankevich and a delegation of senior Belarusian officials, President Mahama visited the Victory Monument to lay a wreath in honour of Belarusian and Soviet Army soldiers who died liberating the country in World War II.
The wreath laying ceremony was witnessed by the Governor of Minsk, Vladimir Kukharev Governor, officials of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry, and Ghana’s Ambassador to Russia, Dr Koma Steem Jehu-Appiah.
President Mahama has also visited an agricultural exhibition, Belagro 2026 in the company of the Deputy Prime Minister. On exhibition are latest agricultural equipment, heavy farming and mining machinery, and other sectors.
UNGA 81 President Pledges to Restore Trust, Manage UN Transformation
The UN General Assembly (UNGA) has elected Khalilur Rahman, Foreign Minister of Bangladesh, to serve as President of its 81st session. In a closely contested vote by the secret ballot, Rahman secured 99 votes out of a total of 190, defeating Andreas Kakouris of Cyprus who obtained 91 votes. Rahman’s tenure will be guided by the theme, ‘Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations that Delivers for All.’ He will succeed Annalena Baerbock of Germany, current UNGA President, assuming the presidency on 8 September 2026.
UN General Assembly elects Bangladesh’s Rahman as next president
In the secret ballot, Mr. Rahman secured 99 votes to Mr. Kakouris’s 91. A total of 190 ballots were cast, with no invalid votes or abstentions.
The presidency rotates among the UN’s five regional groups, and the 81st session falls to the Asia-Pacific group. Mr. Rahman will serve a one-year term starting on 8 September.
His presidency will coincide with one of the most consequential processes on the UN calendar: the selection of Secretary-General António Guterres’s successor, whose term ends on 31 December 2026.
Trump Administration to Dismantle Ocean Monitoring System
The $368 million network of instruments collecting data in both the Atlantic and Pacific has been critical to climate and ocean research.
The Trump administration is dismantling a $368 million deep-ocean observation system that was put in place a decade ago to monitor coastal environments, marine ecosystems and powerful currents that affect the global climate.
The National Science Foundation said it would send ships in June to begin removing more than 900 deep-sea instruments anchored off Oregon, Washington State, Alaska, North Carolina, and an area between Greenland and Iceland known as the Irminger Sea.