The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa (MP), received the Minister for Justice and Security of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, H.E. David Van Weel, on Tuesday, 21st July, 2026, in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Accra.
Welcoming the Dutch delegation, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa lauded the longstanding productive collaboration between Ghana and the Kingdom of the Netherlands which have yielded tangible results over the years.
Hon. Ablakwa highlighted the growing security challenges confronting Ghana, including violent extremism in the sub-region, organized crime, drug trafficking, particularly the increasing threat posed by the use of synthetic drugs, as well as money laundering and illicit financial flows. He observed that drug abuse among Ghanaian youth had become a major national security priority concern and reiterated Government’s commitment to addressing the challenge. He further emphasized Ghana’s determination to combat organized crime through effective law enforcement while upholding the rule of law. He noted that, since criminal networks operate across national borders, a coordinated international response is required to fight them. He underscored the need for stronger collaboration among law enforcement agencies, justice institutions and Foreign Ministries to effectively combat evolving transnational threats.
Ghana’s Foreign Minister expressed appreciation to the Government of the Netherlands for its continued support in many spheres and welcomed their proposal to deepen bilateral engagement through a more structured framework for cooperation. He mentioned, for instance, its support in strengthening Ghana’s border management capacity through the provision of modern security screening equipment at the country’s ports of entry, noting that, the technology had significantly enhanced the work of Ghana’s security agencies in checking illicit trafficking. The Minister indicated that, Ghana’s impending Chairmanship of the African Union presents an opportunity to push for continental-level cooperation in combating transnational organized crime through intelligence sharing, harmonized legal frameworks and stronger partnerships between Europe and Africa.
On his part, H.E. David Van Weel commended the growing cooperation between Ghana and the Netherlands, particularly following the successful High-Level Consultative Conference on the Next Steps to the Landmark United Nations Resolution on the Trafficking of Enslaved Africans. He observed that both countries share common concerns regarding transnational organized crime, terrorism, violent extremism and illicit financial flows. He therefore proposed institutionalizing the existing bilateral dialogue through a more permanent cooperation framework while expanding participation to include other European partners. The Dutch Minister also welcomed the close collaboration between Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security, describing the partnership between diplomacy and justice institutions as a strong foundation for advancing bilateral cooperation.
The Ministers signed a Letter of Intent at the end of their discussions which reaffirmed the commitment of the two countries to strengthen cooperation in combating organized crime, terrorism, violent extremism, drug trafficking and related transnational threats. They agreed to continue discussions about establishing a more structured mechanism for collaboration between the two countries.
