President Akufo-Addo has assured that he will continue to respect the ECOWAS protocols on democracy and position Ghana as a positive influence on other African countries in terms of democratic consolidation.

According to him, he has no plan of tampering with Ghana’s democratic credentials as a beacon of democracy on the continent; thus has vowed to respect the two-term presidential limit and conduct a credible democratic general election in 2024.

He also vowed to hand over power peacefully when his time is up.

The President speaking at the 2^nd edition of the Kofi Annan Peace and Security Forum held at the Kofi Annan International Peace Keeping and Training Centre, Teshie-Accra, charged his colleague heads of state to uphold the tenets of the ECOWAS protocol on democratic governance.

He said, “Ghana is often touted as a beacon of democracy in Africa. Since 1992, it has won plaudits for her democratic credentials. Five presidential transitions, three of which resulted in the peaceful transition of power from one political party to the other.

"We want to be seen as a positive influence in other African countries that continue to face challenges with democratic consolidation.

“As president of Ghana and current chair of the authority of ECOWAS states and governments, I pledge to continue to respect the tenets of the ECOWAS protocol on democracy and good governance,” he said.

On peaceful political transitions, he called on ECOWAS head of states “to take the pledge and support them as they continue to work towards democracy and good governance in their respective countries.”

He noted that ECOWAS ensures that credible democratic elections are held in countries where governments have been overthrown, especially Mali and Guinea.

According to President Akufo-Addo, Ghana will make sure Africa's voice is heard through her non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council as the continent faces security challenges.

He stressed that the maintenance of peace and security remains a big challenge on the African continent, and the issue has been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, which has led to some heads of state undermining the democratic credentials of their countries.

About the Kofi Annan Peace and Security Forum

The Kofi Annan Peace and Security (KAPS) Forum was initiated in 2019 as an annual event to bring together political leaders, diplomats, scholars, and experts to dialogue and take steps to address contemporary peace and security issues on the African continent.

The KAPS Forum was established in honour of the memory of Kofi Annan for dedicating his working life to the cause of global peace and security.

The 2021 edition of the forum will adopt a hybrid format and focus on the theme: ‘Democracy in the Context of Complex Crises in West Africa’.