President John Dramani Mahama has warned that the global multilateral governance system, established after the Second World War, is collapsing, calling for urgent action from Africa and the Global South to safeguard their interests.
Speaking at the Accra Reset convening on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, President Mahama said: “Our world as we know it is at an inflexion point. The global multilateral governance system, universally agreed and accepted after the 2nd World War, is breaking down.”
He added that countries are increasingly acting unilaterally, pursuing narrow national interests at the expense of global cooperation. “Bilateral relations among nations are increasingly transactional, and many state and non-state actors are acting unilaterally in pursuing their own national and parochial interests,” he noted.
Highlighting Africa’s historical dependency on external aid, President Mahama urged the continent to seize control of its future. “Africa has lagged behind in the past decades, following liberation from colonialism, and has been trapped in cycles of conflict and multidimensional poverty. Africa has thrived on handouts and humanitarian assistance from the developed world. While no specific name has not been coined yet for the new global system that will emerge, Africa intends to be at the table in determining what that new global order will look like,” he said.
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He also drew lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, pointing out Africa’s late access to vaccines: “But for the immunological profile and resilience of the African population, many millions would have died in the pandemic.” The crisis, he said, underscores the need for Africa to develop its own capacity to act independently.
President Mahama framed the Accra Reset initiative as a practical blueprint for action rather than a policy statement. “If we could mobilize the world to fight a disease, why can’t we mobilize to fight poverty? To fight dependency? To fight the systems that keep brilliant young Africans locked out of the future,” he said.
The President urged African nations to unite, build regional industries, and exercise sovereignty over critical resources. “What if we pooled our negotiating power on critical minerals, so we capture value, not just extract raw ore? What if we built regional manufacturing hubs that create millions of jobs for our young people? What if we produced our own vaccines, our own medicines, our own technology?”
He called for a new global coalition built on shared vision and mutual respect: “The Accra Reset is not seeking permission. We’re building momentum. The question is not whether the world needs this. The question is whether we have the courage to build it.”
The Accra Reset initiative aims to reshape Africa’s development model by fostering economic sovereignty, regional collaboration, and inclusive growth for the continent’s youth and future generations.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
