President John Dramani Mahama has called for a renewed and action-oriented Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), urging member states to protect their independence in decision-making and turn the movement’s resolutions into practical action.
Addressing the first Conference of Heads of State and Government of the Non-Aligned Movement in Belgrade, Serbia, on September 1, 2026, President Mahama recalled the words of Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, at the movement’s founding conference in 1961.
He noted that 65 years later, the call for non-aligned countries to play an active role in resolving global challenges remains relevant.
President Mahama stressed that the strength of NAM should not be measured only by its large membership but also by its ability to work together on issues affecting its members and the wider world.
“We must strengthen consultation and coordination among member states, particularly within the United Nations and other multilateral institutions where our interests converge,” he urged.
He called for NAM summits and ministerial meetings to focus more on key issues where the movement can make a meaningful impact.
President Mahama pointed to Ghana’s recent role in securing international support for a resolution on the transatlantic slave trade as an example of what collective action can achieve.
He noted that on March 23, 2026, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution A/RES/80/250, led by Ghana and supported by the African Union, recognising the trafficking of enslaved Africans and the racialised system of chattel enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity.
The resolution received 123 votes in favour, and President Mahama expressed appreciation to NAM member states for their support.
On development, he argued that political independence must be supported by economic strength, stressing the need for countries in the Global South to have greater control over their natural resources.
“We cannot accept a global order in which countries of the Global South remain exporters of raw materials and importers of finished goods,” he stated.
He called for stronger collective action on climate change, pointing to fires in Southern Europe, drought and desertification in Africa, and floods in parts of Asia as evidence of the growing effects of climate change.
President Mahama reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to working with NAM members to strengthen multilateralism, promote a fairer international system and give the Global South a stronger voice in global affairs.
He ended his address with a call for the movement to renew its founding spirit and work together with “principle, purpose and confidence” for the benefit of its people.
By: Jacob Aggrey
