National Peace Council leads inter-party dialogue to strengthen democratic peace and social cohesion

The National Peace Council (NPC), in collaboration with CRS Ghana, the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), the National Media Commission (NMC) and UNDP Ghana, has convened an inter-party dialogue to promote social cohesion and strengthen Ghana’s democratic peace.

The dialogue held on Wednesday in Accra focused on strengthening trust and dialogue among political parties, promoting responsible political communication, addressing inflammatory rhetoric and media excesses, and enhancing cooperation on peacebuilding and electoral security.

Participants also examined ways of preventing political tensions from undermining national unity and social cohesion.

According to the NPC, the dialogue forms part of the broader Political Party Trust Building Programme, which was adopted by consensus as one of the Ada Recommendations to promote dialogue, trust and consensus-building among political parties and key governance actors.

The Council stressed that Ghana’s democratic resilience extends beyond the conduct of credible elections, noting that it also depends on the ability of political actors and citizens to manage differences peacefully, communicate responsibly and maintain open channels of dialogue.

The NPC further underscored the importance of prioritising peace despite political differences, stating that while diverse political views shape the choices of Ghanaians, the country’s shared commitment to peace must remain a unifying force.

The dialogue brought together representatives of political parties, the Electoral Commission, media associations and other key governance stakeholders to reflect on Ghana’s democratic journey, lessons from previous elections and strategies for sustaining peace before, during and after elections.