Ghana has taken a step towards enhancing its efforts in combating terrorism and transnational organized crime by partnering with the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT). The collaboration was solidified through the signing of a Letter of Agreement (LoA) between the two parties.
The LoA will facilitate the provision of technical assistance to Ghana under the United Nations Countering Terrorist Travel (‘CT Travel’) Programme. This program is designed to help build national capacities to mitigate threats associated with terrorist travel, utilizing Advance Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Records (PNR) to detect and prevent suspicious activities.
The agreement was signed by Mauro Miedico, the Director of UNOCT, and Albert Kan-Dapaah, Ghana’s Minister for National Security, during a ceremony in Budapest, Hungary. Mr. Miedico commended the Government of Ghana for its cooperation and collaboration with UNOCT, highlighting the importance of the partnership in strengthening national and regional security.
Mr. Kan-Dapaah, on the other hand, expressed gratitude for the support provided by UNOCT and reiterated Ghana’s commitment to effectively implementing the agreed measures. The LoA will enable the UN to continue assisting Ghana in enhancing its capabilities to detect and intercept terrorists and other criminals, in line with relevant Security Council resolutions.
The UN Countering Terrorist Travel (‘CT Travel’) Programme, launched in 2019, is a global initiative aimed at helping Member States prevent, detect, investigate, and prosecute terrorist offenses and other serious crimes. The program adopts a ‘’One-UN’’ approach to deliver comprehensive and customized assistance to beneficiary Member States, promoting regional cooperation and sharing best practices in passenger data exchange.
Currently, the Programme works with 76 Member States worldwide, with 57 of them benefiting from its technical assistance. The collaboration between Ghana and UNOCT signifies a significant step towards strengthening the country’s security infrastructure and addressing the challenges posed by terrorism and transnational crime.
