Global Institutions Must Reflect Modern Realities – Veep
The Vice President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, has called for urgent reforms to global governance systems.
She insisted that international institutions must become more responsive to contemporary realities if they are to maintain legitimacy in an increasingly unequal world.
She made the call while speaking at the Oxford Africa Conference 2026 at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.
Delivering the keynote address, the Vice President stated that Africa’s limited representation in key global decision-making bodies, particularly the United Nations Security Council, continues to reflect a structural imbalance in global power relations.
She stressed that legitimacy in governance is not determined by representation alone, but also by outcomes that directly affect citizens, especially in developing countries.
According to her, many governments continue to operate under severe structural constraints, including high borrowing costs, rising debt burdens, and unequal access to international finance conditions she said undermine growth, stability, and opportunity across developing economies.
The Vice President described this situation as one of the defining governance challenges of the current era, questioning whether global and national institutions can adapt quickly enough to remain credible amid rapid global change.
She reiterated that without meaningful reform, the global system risks deepening existing inequalities and weakening trust in international institutions that are expected to promote fairness and shared progress.
On Ghana’s economic situation, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang acknowledged encouraging signs of recovery and reform, pointing to improving macroeconomic indicators, rising investor confidence, and ongoing institutional reforms as positive developments.
However, she cautioned against premature celebration, warning that progress must be consolidated to ensure long-term stability and sustained economic growth.
She emphasized that policy discipline and institutional strengthening remain critical to maintaining the gains being recorded and preventing setbacks in the reform process.
The Oxford Africa Conference is organised by the Oxford University Africa Society (AfriSoc), a student-led platform that brings together policymakers, scholars, entrepreneurs, and global leaders to advance dialogue on Africa’s development and future trajectories.
