President John Dramani Mahama’s Accra Reset initiative is gaining significant international momentum, with a growing coalition of current and former global leaders aligning behind the vision, according to Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
The initiative, which places health sovereignty for the Global South at its core, has emerged as a focal point of high level global engagement, particularly following President Mahama’s recent interventions at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Writing on developments surrounding the initiative, Hon. Ablakwa said the Accra Reset continues to resonate with world leaders who share concerns about inequitable global systems and the need for practical solutions that prioritise resilience, self reliance, and cooperation among developing nations.
He noted that the initiative is increasingly being viewed as a credible platform for advancing shared interests in health security, economic reform, and sustainable development.
“In Davos President Mahama announced new members of the Presidential Council which now include current Presidents and Prime Ministers of South Africa, Kenya, India, Brazil, Egypt, Barbados, DRC, Indonesia and Nigeria.”
Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
According to the Foreign Affairs Minister, the participation of these leaders strengthens the Accra Reset as a global platform capable of influencing policy conversations on health sovereignty and development cooperation.
He stressed that the challenges confronting the Global South require collective leadership and coordinated responses that move beyond dependency and short term interventions.
Circle of Guardians for Accra Reset
Beyond the Presidential Council, President Mahama also unveiled a Circle of Guardians made up of former heads of state with deep experience in governance, diplomacy, and development.
This group includes former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former Malawian President Joyce Banda, former Ghanaian President John Agyekum Kufuor, former Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, and former President of Mauritius Ameenah Gurib Fakim.
Hon. Ablakwa described the Circle of Guardians as a critical advisory pillar of the Accra Reset, bringing moral authority, institutional memory, and practical wisdom to the initiative. He said their involvement reflects confidence in President Mahama’s leadership and the seriousness of the agenda being advanced.
In addition to former presidents, President Mahama announced a further Circle of Guardians composed of former prime ministers from different parts of the world. This distinguished group includes Gro Harlem Brundtland of Norway, Hailemariam Desalegn Boshe of Ethiopia, Gordon Brown of the United Kingdom, Helen Clark of New Zealand, P J Patterson of Jamaica, and Romano Prodi of Italy.
Former African Union Chairperson Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma has also joined the circle, adding continental institutional depth to the advisory body. President Mahama said the diversity of experience within the Circle of Guardians would enrich the Accra Reset by ensuring that perspectives from both the Global North and South inform its direction.
Global South Building Domestic System
He emphasised that health sovereignty is inseparable from broader questions of economic justice, climate resilience, and global governance reform. The Accra Reset initiative is anchored in the belief that countries of the Global South must build stronger domestic health systems while working collectively to challenge structural inequalities in global health financing, vaccine access, and research capacity.
President Mahama has repeatedly argued that the COVID 19 pandemic exposed deep vulnerabilities in existing systems and demonstrated the urgent need for reform driven by those most affected.
Hon. Ablakwa noted that Ghana’s leadership of the initiative has elevated the country’s international standing, positioning it as a convenor of ideas and partnerships rather than a passive recipient of aid. He said President Mahama continues to offer what he described as inspirational global leadership at a time when trust in multilateral systems is under strain.
According to the Foreign Affairs Minister, the Accra Reset is also reinforcing Ghana’s diplomatic engagements by opening new channels of cooperation with countries that are willing to co create solutions to shared challenges. He said these partnerships are grounded in mutual respect and a shared commitment to improving outcomes for ordinary citizens.
“We shall keep working hard to uplift the image of our country as we co create solutions with willing partners to resolve the challenges afflicting the people we serve,” Hon. Ablakwa wrote, adding that Ghana remains committed to principled leadership and constructive engagement on the world stage.
With global interest in the Accra Reset continues to grow, the expanding coalition of leaders involved lends credibility to the initiative and increases its potential to influence international policy debates.
For Ghana, the initiative represents not only a foreign policy statement but also a reflection of President Mahama’s broader vision of leadership that links national renewal to global responsibility.
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