Ghana has partnered with the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) by signing a Letter of Agreement (LoA) to enhance efforts in combating terrorism and transnational organised crime. 

This agreement will expedite the provision of technical assistance to Ghana under the United Nations Countering Terrorist Travel (‘CT Travel’) Programme, which aims to build national capacities to mitigate threats associated with terrorist travel. 

The programme utilizes Advance Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Records (PNR) to detect and prevent such activities.

The agreement was signed by Mauro Miedico, the Director of UNOCT, and Albert Kan-Dapaah, Ghana’s Minister for National Security. The signing ceremony took place in Budapest, Hungary, during the Forum Celebrating the 5th Anniversary of the UN’s Countering Terrorist Travel Programme. 

Mr. Miedico expressed gratitude to the Government of Ghana for its ongoing cooperation and robust collaboration with UNOCT, emphasizing the partnership's importance in strengthening national and regional security.

Mr. Kan-Dapaah acknowledged the support provided by UNOCT and reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to implementing the agreed measures effectively. 

The LoA will enable the UN to continue assisting Ghana in enhancing its capabilities to detect and intercept terrorists and other criminals, in line with Security Council resolutions 2178 (2014), 2396 (2017), and 2482 (2019), which require Member States to ensure that airlines provide API and PNR data to relevant national authorities.

The UN Countering Terrorist Travel (‘CT Travel’) Programme, launched in 2019, is a global initiative designed to help Member States prevent, detect, investigate, and prosecute terrorist offenses and other serious crimes. 

This is achieved through the collection and analysis of passenger data, both API and PNR, in compliance with Security Council resolutions, international standards, best practices, and human rights principles. 

The Programme adopts a ‘’One-UN’’ approach to deliver comprehensive and customised assistance to beneficiary Member States, in collaboration with various United Nations bodies and international organisations. 

Currently, the Programme works with 76 Member States worldwide, 57 of which are beneficiaries of its technical assistance, and it promotes regional cooperation by sharing lessons learned and best practices in passenger data exchange.