The Presidency has issued a strict directive prohibiting all government officials from attending the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York without prior written authorisation from the Chief of Staff.
The directive, announced by Presidential Spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu, specifies that no Minister, Deputy Minister, Civil or Public Servant, CEO of a State-Owned Enterprise, Political Appointee, or government staff may accept invitations to the UNGA or associated side events, panels, receptions, or bilateral engagements without “the express, prior written approval of the Chief of Staff.”
The order extends to invitations from the United Nations, its agencies, development partners, think tanks, NGOs, private sector entities, and any third parties.
It also strictly forbids “self-initiated participation, observer attendance, or attendance funded by external parties,” suspending all pending or previously accepted invitations until they are re-authorised. Requests for consideration must now be submitted in writing through the relevant supervising Minister to the Chief of Staff.
The communiqué warned that “any official who flouts this directive will face strict sanctions” under the codes of conduct for public officials. According to the Presidency, the measure aims to ensure “a lean, coherent, and cost-effective national representation” that aligns with President John Dramani Mahama’s ‘Resetting Ghana’ priorities.
The directive follows a recent Cabinet pronouncement on international event participation and seeks to curb expenditure while focusing government resources on domestic agendas.
