The government has reaffirmed its commitment to peace, inclusive governance, and regional security to promote stability in the country.

The Minister for the Interior, Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, who reaffirmed this, called for inte­grated regional peace and security architectures that position women as “active agents in conflict preven­tion and democratic consolida­tion.”

“Peace is not merely the absence of war, it is the presence of justice, inclusive governance and respect for human dignity,” he said.

He was speaking on behalf of the President, John Dramani Mahama at a high-level forum on conflict prevention and women’s political participation held on Friday in Accra.

Organised by the Australian High Commission in partnership with the Embassy of Liberia in Ghana, the High Commission of Sierra Leone in Ghana, the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) and the West Africa Democracy Solidarity Net­work (WADEMOS).

Themed: “Amplify­ing Women’s Voices in Democratic and Political Transitions”, the forum brought together political leaders, diplomats, civil society actors, and regional experts from Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Australia.

The minister stated that the forum reflects the shared commit­ment of Ghana and its interna­tional partners to promoting peace, stability and inclusive governance in West Africa.

Mr Muntaka noted the coun­try’s evolution from a history of military interventions to a thriving constitutional democracy, adding that “We have transitioned into a stable democratic state that up­holds constitutional governance.”

He highlighted that his ministry was collaborating with the Nation­al Peace Coun­cil to de-escalate tensions in over 300 identified hotspots nationwide.

Highlighting Ghana’s regional role, the Minister described West Africa as “a region of enormous promise” but acknowledged the persistent threats of terrorism, violent extremism, piracy, and socio-political unrest.

He called for integrated regional peace and security architectures that position women as “active agents in conflict prevention and democratic consolidation.”

For her part, the Australian High Commissioner to Ghana, Ms Berenice Owen-Jones, affirmed her country’s deepening engagement with Africa and its global leader­ship on peacebuilding.

“Australia is doing this by being active, by exercising agency, and by contributing our efforts to the balance of power in our region and our world,” she said.

Ms Owen-Jones announced Australia’s increased voluntary con­tribution of $15 million annually to the UN Peacebuilding Fund and its leadership in developing a declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel, with sup­port from Sierra Leone and other humanitarian actors.

Underscoring gender equality as “a primary predictor of peace, even more so than a state’s wealth or political system,” she reaf­firmed Australia’s commitment to the Women, Peace and Security agenda.

The Liberia’s Ambassador, Ms Musu Ruhle, made a call for sys­temic reforms to elevate women’s political participation beyond tokenism.

• “Representation alone is not transformation. We must ask, whose voices are heard, and whose remain silenced?, true empower­ment demands structural change in political parties, electoral financing, customary law, and transitional justice,” she stated.