The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has called for a new world order that will manage conflicts better, deliver justice, regain trust in leadership of all sectors of society, provide hope and optimism for the people, and promote peace, love and happiness.
The Rt. Honourable Speaker Bagbin also proposed a reform of the United Nations Charter, given its inadequacy in the face of current global realities, to make it more responsive, democratic, inclusive, and aligned to modern-day governance requirements
He advocated for a United Nations structure that will create an equitable, just and sustainable future for all, prescribe behaviour and enact enforceable laws to regulate the conduct of nations in areas where the global community is most challenged.
Rt. Hon. Bagbin was speaking at 24th International Conference of Chief Justices from across the world, organized by the City Montessori School in Lucknow, India under the theme “Uniting the world for children through enforceable world law and effective global governance” with sixty-three (63) countries participating in the conference.
To achieve the new world order, Rt Honourable Speaker Bagbin proposed a new global governance structure of four equal arms – the executive, legislature, judiciary and civil society (including the media).
He argued that “the tripod of three arms of government – executive, legislature and judiciary – is not working well coupled with malfunctioning checks and balances”.
Rt. Hon Bagbin described CSOs as the backbone of positive change that can contribute to transformative reforms and hold governments and international bodies accountable for their actions.
The Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament emphasized “let’s face it, legislatures over the world have not been able to throw light on the operations of the executive nor hold it accountable to the people; neither have legislatures succeeded in self-regulation nor post legislation scrutiny. The proposed four world governance institutions must be truly equal, and work on the principles of checks and balances, openness, transparency and accountability”.
Rt. Hon. Bagbin said leaders had a responsibility to ensure that they bequeath to the next generation a world that is inhabitable, that meets the aspirations of the youth, and that secures the integrity and dignity of the human race.
He also touched on contemporary global challenges requiring concerted and urgent attention.
According to him, the depletion of the ozone layer, global water scarcity, hunger, poor sanitation, the loss of biodiversity and extinction of certain species due to the exponential growth in population are areas which need immediate attention.
Rt. Hon Bagbin again highlighted conflicts in the Korean Peninsula, Russia-Ukraine, the Sahel, Israel-Hamas, and issues around Artificial Intelligence (AI), and its potential existential threat to humanity.
He emphasized the need for the global community to prioritize laws and governance interventions that safeguard the future of children and develop mechanisms to hold governments accountable for acts that violate children’s rights such as child labour, child marriages, trafficking, and exploitation.
Speaker Bagbin took the opportunity to encourage governments across the globe to protect children’s rights and guarantee their survival and development, by upholding their legal obligations under the UN Conventions on the Rights of the Child.
“We must ensure all children are allowed to be children, to grow, learn, and play in a safe, inclusive and caring environment, and in dignity,” he stated
Addressing the youth, he stated “You have innovation and energy to build a better society. You are the best placed to lead this transformation. You must compel governments to consider more resilient safety nets for the vulnerable, and demand participation in government”. He admonished.
Story: Radiogoldlive.com
