GAF holds seminar for Defence Attaches
The Ghana Armed Forces organized a seminar for 11 newly appointed Defence Attaches, in Accra on Tuesday.
It was to equip participants with the requisite knowledge and skills to enhance their roles in foreign relations practice.
The four-day seminar is also intended to help the Defence Attaches and their spouses to familiarize themselves with contemporary practices and protocols in foreign relations.
Dr Vladimir Antwi-Danso, Senior Research Fellow of the Legon Centre for International Affairs and Diplomacy, University of Ghana, delivering a presentation on the topic: “The Dynamics of Contemporary International Affairs”, said the evolution of international systems started since 1945.
He said states exist in an environment over which they have only partial control.
Dr Antwi-Danso said some of the characteristics of this environment were imposed upon a given state including the number of neighbours it had, their capabilities and their regime structure.
He said some of the economic problems associated with international affairs include global Poverty, disease and hunger, food security, aid effectiveness, free and fair trade and water and sanitation.
Dr Antwi-Danso said Regional Integration Arrangements (RIA) has dominated the world as a new phenomenon of organizing global society and that the belief was that the future of global society would be a society of regional and sub-regional groupings.
Dr Antwi-Danso said the RIAs were not effective because of globalization, activities of non-state actors such as multi-national corporations and intra-state conflicts, imprudent economic management of states and interference from global institutions or powerful states.
Brigadier General Bobson Gbemmi Saagbul, Chief of Staff, Ghana Armed Forces, said it has been an accepted practice in international military diplomacy for military establishments to deploy small detachment of service personnel in countries that have strong bilateral relations with.
Brig Gen. Saagbul said Ghana has since independence benefited from the numerous relations and cooperation it has established with friendly nations across the globe.
He said that the Defence Attaches are the advocates of Ghana’s military and security interests and advisers to the ambassador and staff of the various embassies.
Brig Gen. Saagbul said the participants would be taken through key issues, including Foreign Service regulations, diplomatic practices, protocol and comportment at post, diplomatic life abroad and the role of the spouse.
Source: GNA