At the invitation of Sister Cities International, H.E. Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, led a high-level Ghanaian delegation to Washington, D.C., to participate in the 70th Anniversary Sister Cities International Homecoming Conference from 22–25 July 2026.
Accompanying the Vice President were Hon. James Gyakye Quayson, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs: Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim, Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs; H.E. Victor Emmanuel Smith, Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States; and other Senior Officials government officials.
The Conference brought together government leaders, mayors, diplomats, development partners, academia, business leaders, and civil society representatives to examine the growing role of city diplomacy in advancing international cooperation, sustainable development, economic growth, and people-to-people relations.
The Vice President delivered the keynote address at the Opening Ceremony and reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to strengthening international partnerships through city diplomacy. She highlighted the potential of sister-city relations to promote trade, investment, tourism, innovation, technology transfer, educational exchange, climate resilience, and sustainable urban development.
The visit also included participation in the Africa Regional Forum, the Presidential Luncheon, the Mayors’ Matchmaking Session, engagements with Sister Cities International officials, and a meeting with the Ghanaian community at the Ambassador’s Residence. The programme further included visits to the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the Eisenhower Memorial Center.
Sister Cities International was established in 1956 to promote peace, mutual understanding, and international cooperation through citizen and city-to-city diplomacy.
The 70th Anniversary Homecoming Conference commemorated seven decades of international municipal cooperation and provided a platform for participants to discuss practical partnerships in trade, investment, education, culture, innovation, public health, digital transformation, climate action, and sustainable urban development.
Ghana’s participation was consistent with the Government’s foreign policy objectives of promoting economic diplomacy, decentralisation, multilateral cooperation, diaspora engagement, and inclusive national development.
