Madam Olubanke King-Akerele, a former Foreign Minister of Liberia on Thursday paid a courtesy call on Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration in Accra.
A statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, which was made available to the Ghana News Agency, said Madam King-Akerele was in the country to express gratitude to Madam Botchwey for acknowledging her commitment towards the establishment of the Kofi Annan Living Memorial (KALM).
Madam King-Akerele is the Board Chair of the Angie Brooks International Centre for Women Empowerment, Leadership and she is the founder of the Kofi Annan Living Memorial (KALM) in Liberia and served in Liberia under ex-President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf from 2006 to 2010.
The statement noted that the visit was also intended to update the Foreign Minister on developments on the Memorial concept as well as present her book on “Accelerating Africa’s Integration through Micro-Regionalism, A Case Study Of Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique growth triangle and its impact.”
The KALM was formally launched this year on March 18, at One United Nations House, although the establishment process was initiated during the 2018 UN Day Observation in the Republic of Liberia.
The statement said it was intended to memorialise the late Secretary-General of the UN, Kofi Annan, through the continuation of his work of peace and service to humanity.
Madam King-Akerele observed the need for Africa and indeed the globe to celebrate and remember those who helped to make the world a better place to live.
“We must acknowledge those who helped to build our societies,” she stated.
“There’s no better way to commemorate Kofi Annan than to promote his ideals which he held so dearly through the establishment of a similar Living Memorial by the entity that he had agreed to establish in 2006.”
Like the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre in Accra, the Kofi Annan Living Memorial Centre in Liberia will train young Africans in conflict prevention.
Madam Botchwey assured Madam King-Akerele of the readiness of the Ministry to work together with her in exploring ways of sustaining the initiative.
She commend the Liberian ex-Minister for taking time off her busy schedule to author a book on accelerating Africa’s integration and informed her about Ghana’s long-standing works towards the integration of Africa.
This Centre, I believe will create a generation that will emulate the values of the late United Nations (UN) Secretary General, she added, the statement said.
The first batch of trainees have passed out.
Source: GNA
