Honourable James Gyakye Quayson, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs led Ghana’s delegation to the IX Ministerial Meeting of the Zone of Peace and Cooperation of the South Atlantic (ZOPACAS) held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from 7th to 10th April, 2026.
The Meeting focused on strengthening cooperation in key priority areas including maritime security, ocean governance, climate change, transnational illicit activities, global commons and peace and security in the South Atlantic.
Addressing the meeting, the Deputy Minister advocated for the inclusion of United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/RES/80/250, in the Declaration of the Meeting and further called for strengthened maritime cooperation between the Yaoundé Architecture in the Gulf of Guinea and ZOPACAS Member States across the South Atlantic to enhance information sharing and coordinated maritime security operations.
The Deputy Minister reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to maintaining the South Atlantic as a Zone of Peace and underscored the implications of maritime insecurity for international shipping routes, trade flows and global economic stability.
