President Mahama Calls for Global Reset to Support Ghana’s National Transformation

President John Dramani Mahama has called for a renewed global development order, arguing that Ghana’s domestic transformation efforts must be matched by reforms in the international system.

Speaking at a High-Level Event on the Accra Reset in New York, President Mahama said the initiative seeks to extend the principles underpinning Ghana’s national reset to the global level.

He stressed that countries in the Global South cannot achieve sustainable transformation if the international systems within which they operate remain unchanged.

“A national reset without a global reset leaves us building on shifting sand,” President Mahama said.

The President also welcomed the report of the Accra Reset Panel, titled A Sovereign Future for Health, recalling his call in Dakar for a bold and accessible approach that would speak directly to citizens across the Global South.

According to him, the report provides a practical framework for strengthening national ownership and reforming the global health architecture.

President Mahama noted that significant institutional structures had been established over the past year to translate the Accra Reset’s vision into concrete policy and action.

These include the establishment of the Presidential Council, the constitution of the Guardians’ Circle and the formation of the High-Level Panel on Reform of the Global Health Architecture and Governance.

He said the structures demonstrate Ghana’s commitment to moving the Accra Reset beyond discussions and towards implementation.

A major focus of the initiative, he noted, is the need for greater control and ownership by Global South countries over health and development programmes.

President Mahama argued that sovereignty should not be limited to governments signing agreements with development partners, but must also involve meaningful control over the design, financing and implementation of programmes.

He, however, cautioned that transferring decision-making authority from international institutions to national governments would not, by itself, amount to genuine sovereignty.

He stressed that meaningful sovereignty must be accompanied by accountable governance and responsibility to citizens.

The A Sovereign Future for Health report sets out ten practical recommendations aimed at reforming the global health system and strengthening the capacity of countries to determine and implement their own development priorities.

President Mahama reaffirmed his commitment to moving the Accra Reset from vision to implementation, with the report serving as a framework for advancing reforms in global health governance and strengthening the voice and agency of countries across the Global South.