Madam Simone Giger, the Ambassador of Switzerland to Ghana, says inclusion and consensus-building are vital to strengthening democracy, ensuring that citizens feel actively involved in their nation’s governance.
She emphasized the importance of inclusivity in politics and the benefits it had brought to Switzerland.
Ambassador Giger was speaking at an event to celebrate Swiss National Day held at the Swiss Residence in Accra.
Present at the event was the Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Francis Asenso-Boakye, government officials, traditional leaders, civil society representatives and members of the diplomatic community.
Ambassador Giger asserted that an inclusive and participatory approach was a remedy for the growing disenchantment with democracy around the world, including in Africa.
“There is widespread doubt about whether democracy can truly deliver and bring citizens closer to the goal of shared prosperity,” she noted, referencing the latest Afrobarometer report.
The Swiss envoy said forging compromises and building consensus around issues of national interest were crucial elements in any nation-building effort.
Drawing examples from Swiss experience, she noted that despite the slow decision-making process of consensus seeking, decisions made were longstanding “because everybody feels they have a stake in the process and its outcome.”
“A good start for rebuilding faith in democracy is by introducing bridge-building and consensus-oriented
approaches that take into account the needs and aspirations of all social groups,” Ambassador Giger added.
She said such an approach was not alien to Ghanaian values and expectations, as reflected in the Akan adage “ti koro ŋko agyina,” which emphasizes the value of collaboration and working together to achieve common objectives.
Ambassador Giger highlighted the longstanding cordial relationship between Switzerland and Ghana.
The visit to Ghana by former Swiss President and Federal Councilor for Foreign Affairs, Ignazio Cassis in his first to the Gulf of Guinea – in November 2023, and Ghana’s active participation in the Swiss-organized Summit on Peace in Ukraine, held in Switzerland in June 2024, she said, was testament of the relationship between the two countries.
Furthermore, the Ambassador drew attention to the fact that Switzerland became Ghana’s number one export partner in 2023, with exports from Ghana to Switzerland amounting to $3 billion.
Ghana also retained its position as Switzerland’s second-largest trading partner in Sub-Saharan Africa, topped only by South Africa, she further stated.
