Ghana’s Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang has called for stronger institutions, effective governance and increased cooperation among countries of the Global South while addressing the 2026 Global South Academic Forum in Shanghai, China.
Speaking at the Forum, held under the theme “Global South Political Parties: Governance and Modernisation,” she reflected on the historical struggles for political independence, drawing on the Pan-African vision of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and liberation movements across Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.
She stressed that political independence is only the beginning, noting the need to build strong institutions, productive economies and systems that respond to citizens’ aspirations.
The Vice President highlighted lessons from China’s development experience while emphasising that countries must pursue solutions suited to their unique histories and circumstances.
She also called for stronger collaboration in research, education, technology and innovation, alongside a more equitable international order that ensures fairer global financial arrangements and stronger representation for the Global South in international institutions.
She urged participants to embrace respectful disagreement, learn from one another’s experiences and sustain partnerships aimed at developing practical solutions to shared challenges.
