The Minister for the Interior, Mr Ambrose Dery, has opened a 3-day Regional Conference on International Cooperation on Border Management and Security in Accra to discuss border management and security in the cross-border areas of Ghana with Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire and Togo.
Addressing the conference, Mr Dery called for comprehensively streamlining efforts to facilitate the movement of goods and people while maintaining peace and security.
“This conference is an affirmation of the value of international partnership, the value of working together as governments of neighbouring countries, security services and as actors from the public and private spheres towards the common goal of having a safe and orderly movement of people and goods across the borders,” he said.
The Minister disclosed that under the Security Governance Initiative between Ghana and the U.S Government, the Government of Ghana had established a National Border Security Technical Working Group to work with a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Advisor and experts to address the border and security challenges.
According to him, some progress has been made so far. The team undertook many constructive steps, including joint security operations among Ghana, Togo, Cote D’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Nigeria and Kenya.
Touching on the African Continental Free Trade Area (ACFTA), the Minister said it was established to create a single continental market for goods and services. He added that there was a need for all stakeholders in the cross border areas to work together to achieve the tenets of the ACFTA.
The conference was organised by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development and the Ghana Immigration Service. It brought together stakeholders and critical representatives working in border management to exchange and share experiences on issues of common interest.
ISD
