Ghana will today climax its week-long commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the United Nations with a flag hoisting ceremony at the forecourt of the Accra International Conference Centre.
The week-long national commemoration under the theme “UN@80: Ghana and the UN – Shared Responsibility for a Better Tomorrow,” builds on the global theme “UN at 80: Building Our Future Together.”
Among the tall list of dignitaries to grace the occasion are President John Dramani Mahama, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Minister of the Interior, Alhaji Mubarak Muntaka, members of the diplomatic corps, traditional leaders, members of selected Civil Society Organisations and students.
Marking a significant milestone, the 80th anniversary of the United Nations (UN), is not just an opportunity to celebrate but also a period to reflect.
For we in Ghana, this is more than a ceremonial birthday. It is a chance to highlight the country’s longstanding partnership with the UN, to assess how far both of us have come, and to pose the question: where do we go from here?
It is important to emphasise that since joining the UN shortly after independence in 1957, Ghana has been a dependable member through peacekeeping, multilateral diplomacy and development cooperation.
Indeed, the programme of activities lined up during the week-long commemoration, including the peace walk, tree-planting under the initiative “8 Trees for 8 Decades,” high-level dialogue on multilateralism and sustainable finance, and today’s flag-raising and photo exhibition of eight decades of Ghana-UN cooperation, underscores this narrative of partnership and shared effort.
What makes today’s commemoration important is the way it seeks to tie Ghana’s national story to global challenges and opportunities.
The UN at 80 is invoked as a moment not purely of nostalgia but of renewal: reforming institutions, accelerating climate action, promoting inclusion, and lifting up voices from the Global South.
As the UN Resident Coordinator in Ghana puts it, this anniversary invites us to ask difficult questions: “Are our institutions fit for purpose? Are our partnerships equitable? Are our commitments matched by action?”
In this light, today’s event should prompt our society to recognise our own responsibility. After all, peace works must be local. Climate resilience must be national.
Development must be genuine, inclusive and accountable.
Symbols matter: the tree planting, the walk for peace, the photo exhibition — they speak to the roots of sustainable progress, not just the listing of achievements.
The government’s involvement through key ministries signals a consensus that domestic action must mirror global aspirations.
Ghana’s stability has allowed it to play regional leadership roles, but emerging threats (security, economic, climatic) mean vigilance and innovation remain vital.
Furthermore, climate justice and sustainability through tree planting are more than symbolic, especially given that Ghana’s ecosystems and vulnerable communities face real pressures.
As we move from aid to self-reliance as a country, the question remains — how do we ensure that no one is left behind: youth, women, marginalised groups?
Ghana’s voice in global forums remains important today as it was yesterday, and the UN’s legitimacy depends on genuine global equity.
As such, even though today’s event may be ceremonial, its significance is deeper than imagined.
It invites us to re-engage with the ideals of the UN which include peace, dignity and cooperation. These cannot serve as abstractions but as daily work.
In a world fracturing, the anniversary offers a moment of solidarity and a prompt for action.
As Ghana raises its flag alongside the UN, it symbolically reaffirms that the global is local, and the local global.
We on The Ghanaian Times believe that today’s event can serve as a catalyst for a public wake-up call that the age of the UN is not over, that the challenges are not over, and that Ghana’s role in shaping a better tomorrow is as relevant as ever.
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