Foreign policy positions of the NPP and NDC: An assessment by GhIIA

This was an advisory brief issued by GHIIA Research in November 2024. As the Minister Designate for Foreign Affairs prepares to face the Appointments Committee of Parliament, we revisit this crucial document. The lead researchers on the report are Cherk Klutse, Kukua Kukubor and Ethel Darko

Since the inception of the 4th Republic through the enactment of the 1992 Constitution, Ghana has consistently held elections every four years. These elections are typically accompanied by a critical prelude—the launch of political party manifestos.

Manifestos serve as a reflection of each party’s vision, plans, and promises, offering voters a roadmap for the future that they aspire to deliver once in power. More than just campaign rhetoric, these documents often translate into policy blueprints for governance.

Manifestos have become a cornerstone of Ghana’s democratic process. In established democracies, they not only provide an impartial basis by which governments are held accountable but also empower citizens with the knowledge to measure the success of the ruling party against its own stated goals. Ultimately, manifestos embody the policy intentions that shape a country’s future.

As the 2024 General Elections approached, political discourse intensified, with the release of party manifestos being at the forefront of national conversations. The two dominant political parties, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have both unveiled their respective visions for the country, with foreign policy taking a central role.

Foreign policy, a vital component of these manifestos, reveals how each party envisions Ghana’s interactions on the global stage, shaping its international relationships and advancing its national interests.

This article aims to critically evaluate and compare the foreign policy positions articulated in the 2024 manifestos of the NDC and NPP, providing insight into how each party plans to steer Ghana’s diplomatic and international engagement strategies over the next electoral cycle.

New Patriotic Party (NPP) manifesto for Election 2024- Foreign Policy

On August 18, 2024, the New Patriotic Party launched its Manifesto under the theme: Selfless Leadership, Bold Solutions for Jobs and Business. Led by Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia as the Presidential candidate, the governing party made 11 main promises for Ghana’s Foreign Policy, to be implemented between the years to 2025-2029.

Dr Bawumia with other leaders on the panel were the president of Guinea, Alpha Conde, who is also AU Chairman and Mr Ashish Tkakkar, Founder of Mara Group and Mara Foundation at the 5th World Government Summit on the Sunday, 12th February and ended Tuesday 14th February in Dubai, UAE.

These promises and policy positions are;

1. Pursue a ‘Women in Diplomacy’ programme for Ghanaian women to take more leadership roles in international organizations.
2. Digitization of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration will continue, to improve efficiency and digital security in consular services (passport & visas), as well as diplomatic communications.
3. Implementing an e-visa policy for all international visitors to Ghana, to make visa acquisition fast and convenient.
4. Implement a visa-free policy for all nationals of African and Caribbean countries visiting Ghana.
5. Foreign Missions and Regional Integration.
   • Optimize spend by our Diplomatic Missions by sharing cost with other African countries e.g. sharing diplomatic services to reduce the cost of administrative functions and provisions of services such as Consular services.
   • Implement the recently established Consular Fund in order to improve Consular services to Ghanaian citizens abroad in emergency situations, and in light of the security threats in the Region, enhance our collaboration with neighbouring countries to provide a safe environment for our citizens’ to be secure and to pursue business in a peaceful environment.
6. Enhanced collaboration with the Caribbean region

• Further improve Ghana’s engagement with the Caribbean by establishing diplomatic missions and leveraging shared historical and cultural ties. This strategy aims to unlock economic opportunities, deepen diplomatic relations, and collaborate in addressing global challenges. The establishment of more Ghana Embassies in the Caribbean will propel trade, investment, tourism and cultural exchanges, creating jobs and promoting sustainable development both regions, and – extend our Caribbean relations to include non-Anglophone countries.

7. Coordination of Foreign Policy: the Ministry will take the lead to ensure overall coordination and coherence on integrated subjects before relevant intergovernmental bodies such as SDGs and Climate Change.
8. To ensure full participation of dual citizens in the growth and development of Ghana.
9. Peace and Security. -Work with The ECOWAS commission and the African Union Commission (AUC) in accordance with United Nations Security Council Framework Resolution 27/19 to present an Accra Initiative-led counter terrorism operation under the African Union (AU) for United Nations Security Council mandate and funding from United Nations (UN) assessed contributions, and promote in international forums, the importance of investing in community resilience, especially women’s entrepreneurship, businesses and infrastructure development, as part of a counter-terrorism strategy to prevent recruitment and radicalization in vulnerable communities.
10. Modernization of the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
11. Ghanaians in Diplomacy.

• Strengthen the Candidatures Unit at the Ministry by improving on the database of potential candidates to ensure Ghanaians are encouraged and supported to take up positions in international organizations, and improve bilingual skills within the Ministry and across government to strengthen our teams engaged in diplomacy at all levels, and to engender better relations in the immediate region

For the purpose of this article, these promises have been broadly categorized into 8 thematic areas:

1. Economic and International Trade Diplomacy
2. Foreign Missions and Regional Integration
3. Ghanaians in Diplomacy
4. Modernization and Digitization of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration
5. Coordination of Foreign Policy
6. Peace and Security
7. Implementing an e-visa policy
8. Women in Diplomacy

National Democratic Congress (NDC) 2024 Manifesto-Foreign Policy

The main opposition party, the National Democratic Congress, also launched its Manifesto dubbed, Resetting Ghana, Jobs, Acountabilty And Prosperity. On August 24, 2024.In this manifesto the NDC put forth 8 “Promises” for the conduct of Ghana’s international relation.

These are the promises made by the NDC on foreign policy:

1. Reinforce cordial and mutually supportive relations with all our immediate and strategic neighbours in West Africa, reactivating erstwhile Permanent Joint Commissions for Cooperation (PJCC) for enhanced good neighbourliness, peace, security, and economic development.
2. Reaffirm Ghana’s commitment to a Union of African States with common economic, foreign, and defence policies and appropriate institutions making her a serious player in a multipolar world including, as a transitional strategy, the re-engineering of ECOWAS and its institutions.
3. Work strategically to reintegrate the fraternal countries of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger into the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for enhanced regional stability.
4. Reaffirm Ghana’s principled multilateralism and insistence on peaceful resolution of disputes amongst nations, renewing our activism at the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement, and other strategic arrangements, to fight threats to global health, peace, security, and sustainable development.
5. Reappraise contemporary strategies (including technological) for achieving bilateral and multilateral representation abroad based on which we can shape the country’s diplomatic and consular missions.
6. Coordinate and leverage Ghana’s hosting of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, in partnership with relevant stakeholders, to drive industriliazation and position Ghana as the transport and investment hub of Africa.
7. Upgrade passport technologies, streamline passport acquisition processes, and develop proactive programmes to promote and protect the welfare and rights of Ghanaian nationals abroad and encourage the participation of Ghanaians in the diaspora in national political and socio-economic development.
8. Protect the inviolability of the premises of all foreign missions in Ghana as required under the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the 1963 Vinea Convention on Consular Relations.

For the purpose of this article, these promises have been broadly categorized into 6 thematic areas:

1. Policy Blueprint and Strategic Frameworks
2. Economic Diplomacy and Trade
3. Regional and Multilateral Engagement
4. Pan-Africanism and Diaspora Engagement
5. Peacekeeping and Security
6. Consular Services

Deductions

The two leading political parties in Ghana have outlined their foreign policy agendas for the next four years. An examination of these proposals reveals that they are consistent with the directive principles of state policy established in the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.

Common Foreign Policy amongst NPP and NDC.

1. Economic and International Trade Diplomacy (NPP Promise 12 &4 and the NDC Promise 2)
2. Foreign Missions and Multilateral Engagement (the NPP Promise 1 and the NDC Promise 3)
3. Peace and Security (the NPP Promise 9 and the NDC Promise 5)
4. Ghanaians in Diplomacy (the NPP Promise 4 and the NDC Promise 2)

Unique to the New Patriotic PARTY (NPP)

1. Modernization and Digitalization of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration (NPP Promise 10)
2. Implementing an e-visa and a visa free policy (the NPP Promise 7 & 8)

Unique to the National Democratic Congress (NDC)

1. Pan-Africanism and Diaspora Engagement ( the NDC Promise 4)
2. Consular Service (the NDC Promise 6)
3. Policy Blueprint and Strategic Frameworks (the NDC Promise 1)

Conclusion

In conclusion, despite the identified differences, the commonalities highlighted can play a crucial role in ensuring continuity and sustainability in Ghana’s foreign policy as we move forward into the future.