Former deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs under the immediate past NDC government, Ambassador Kwesi Quartey has been elected as Vice Chairman of the African Union.
Quartey was secretary to former President John Mahama.
He has also worked in Ghana’s Embassies and High Commissions in Cotonou, Cairo, Brussels, Havana, London, and the Ghana Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York makes him the most suited for the role.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo who announced the news shortly after declarations were made at the AU summit being held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Monday afternoon said it was “great news for Ghana.”
Great news for Ghana. Our very own Ambassador Kwesi Quartey has just been elected as Vice Chair of the AU Commission.
— Nana Akufo-Addo (@NAkufoAddo) January 30, 2017
The president further congratulated him as he calls on him to do his best on the new job.
Congratulations to Amb. Kwesi Quartey on being elected as the Vice Chair of the AU Commission. I wish you the very best in your new job.
— Nana Akufo-Addo (@NAkufoAddo) January 30, 2017
Youth without Borders (YWB) Ghana, an NGO with focus on empowering young people, over the weekend urged Ghanaians and leaders of other African countries to endorse the candidature of Ambassador Kwesi Quartey.
The group explained in a press statement Mr Quartey’s diplomatic portfolio is rich as can be beneficial to the au.
“We believe that his recent role as Secretary to Ghana’s fourth democratic President John Dramani Mahama in the Fourth Republic and having served as Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, his contributions towards the development of West Africa and the continent as a whole will enable him deliver excellently and drive Agenda 2063 – the Africa we want and sustainable development for Africa.
“The position of Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC) requires tact diplomacy and advocacy. Ambassador Quartey’s role as Ghana’s Ambassador to Ethiopia as well as the Permanent Representative to the African Union and the United Nations’ Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) with concurrent accreditation to Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, Eritrea, Djibouti, and Rwanda and its relevance to the AUC cannot be overemphasized.
“As a youth development and empowerment organisation, we advocate increased youth participation in AU activities, create and empower an AU Youth Directorate to enable them champion the African youth development agenda. We also expect to see a strong collaboration with the Pan African Youth Union (PYU) and other continental youth groups to be able to work together towards the realisation of the African vision of a united, peaceful and prosperous continent,” the Youth Without Boarders said in their statement.
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