A 6.4-kilometre peace walk was held in Accra on Saturday to herald the 79th United Nations (UN) Day celebration in Ghana and press home the need for peaceful elections.
The event, which lasted about 1 hour and 20 minutes, began at 6:40 AM with participants drawn from the UN community in Ghana, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration (MFARI), personnel from the security services and allied agencies.
They walked from the forecourt of the State House, passed by the Ridge Hospital, Holy Spirit Cathedral intersection, AT head office and Atta Mills High Street, before returning to the starting point via the Accra Sports Stadium.
Along the way, they handed out flyers with peace messages to the public to remind them to help maintain peace as the country heads to the December polls in less than 50 days.
Originally a health-focused event, the exercise was named a “Peace Walk” this year due to the upcoming election.
UN Day is observed annually on October 24, to mark the anniversary of the UN Charter coming into force in 1945 and the work of the UN in promoting peace and sustainable development.
The global theme for this year is “The World needs the UN; the UN needs us” but Ghana has adopted the local theme “Working together towards peace and sustainable development in Ghana for present and future generations.”
The commemoration would be climaxed on Thursday with a flag-raising ceremony and photo exhibition alongside a model UN conference by Ghanaian youth.
Addressing participants after the walk, the Country Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Dr Wilfred Ochan, described the walk as a reminder that peace was a shared responsibility.
“Each step we took together echoed our dedication to building a more harmonious society,” he said.
Dr Ochan said the UN would continue to promote peacebuilding, sustainable development and human rights and reaffirmed UN Ghana’s commitment to continue to work with stakeholders in Ghana to meet the nation’s development priorities.
“I urge all to carry the message of peace beyond today. Encourage all to engage in conversations, advocate for understanding, and take action in daily lives to promote peace and reconciliation,” he said.
The Chief Director of the MFARI, Ramses J. Cleland, said this year’s local theme was chosen not only to highlight and reinforce the nexus between peace and sustainability but to deliberately emphasise the vital importance of ensuring that peace would prevail before, during, and after the upcoming general elections.
He called on Ghanaians to resolve to place the nation above everything else and to remember that precious lives, valuable properties and the attainment of much-needed progress and prosperity depended on concerted efforts to promote peace.
“Together we would ensure that love, understanding and harmony would draw us close and keep us safe. May our collective efforts pave the way for a sustainable future for Ghana and the world,” he said.
BY JONATHAN DONKOR
