Peace Council, Stakeholders Reviews Ghana’s Counter-Terrorism Framework

The National Peace Council (NPC) joined stakeholders at a three-day forum to review Ghana’s National Framework for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism in Accra.

The forum organised by the National Counter-Terrorism and Fusion Centre (NCTFC) with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), engaged a broad coalition of stakeholders, including representatives from government institutions, security agencies, civil society organizations, telecommunications experts, and religious bodies.

The NCTFC Director, Brig. Gen. Ba-Taa-Banah, in a remark cautioned against complacency despite Ghana’s current record of relative domestic peace and security. “That we haven’t recorded any casualties on home soil is a product of a fine mix of measures,” he stated. “But it doesn’t mean we are immune, nor does it give us room for complacency. All stakeholders involved in this holistic approach must remain vigilant and proactive,” he stressed.

The primary objective of the engagement was to review the 2019 framework to ensure its continued relevance in light of emerging threats. Participants focused on evolving challenges such as artificial intelligence-driven disinformation, sophisticated terror financing networks, and online radicalization.

The review process has already covered 11 of the country’s 16 administrative regions, incorporating consultations with citizens, professional bodies, and local stakeholders.

Security officials at the Accra forum assessed the implementation of the existing framework, identify gaps, and shared recommendations to strengthen Ghana’s preventive and response mechanisms.

The NPC Executive Secretary, Dr. George Amoh, stated current complementary efforts by the Council to bolster national security. He touched on the ongoing work through its “DRIVE” Index project and the development of a conflict map, which he believes will serve as a valuable supplement to the counter-terrorism framework.

He also shared the Council’s bit introduce a Peace Index to measure the level of peacefulness across constituencies, as well as the development of a National Peace Strategy. According to the Executive Secretary, these initiatives are intended to complement the efforts of the National Security Secretariat and the nation as a whole.