Mahama Leaves Ghana for UN General Assembly as Accra Reset and Reparatory Justice Take Centre Stage
Accra, Ghana — September 20, 2026: President John Dramani Mahama has left Ghana for New York to participate in the 81st United Nations General Assembly, beginning a week of diplomatic, economic and diaspora engagements that will place Ghana’s development priorities, the proposed “Accra Reset” and reparatory justice on the international agenda.
Mahama’s departure was confirmed by Ghana’s Information Services Department and the Ghana News Agency, with the Presidency outlining a programme that includes two high-level side events, Ghana’s national address during the General Debate, meetings with international leaders and business executives, and an engagement with Ghanaians living in the United States.
The 81st session of the UN General Assembly is being held under the theme “Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations that Delivers for All.” The UN says the 81st session opened on September 8, 2026, while the high-level General Debate is scheduled for September 22 to 26, with additional high-level meetings during the week.
Mahama to host Accra Reset event
One of the central events on Ghana’s programme will take place on Monday, September 21, when Mahama hosts a High-Level Event on the Accra Reset.
According to Ghana’s Information Services Department, the event will bring together world leaders to discuss “Full Circle: Making Global Development Work Again.” The meeting forms part of Ghana’s stated efforts to contribute to discussions on Africa’s development and international economic cooperation.
The Accra Reset has featured prominently in Mahama’s international engagements in 2026, with the government presenting it as part of a broader discussion about the relationship between developing countries and the global economic system.
At the UN meeting, discussions are expected to take place against the backdrop of wider international debates about development financing, economic transformation, multilateral cooperation and the Sustainable Development Goals.
The UN’s 81st session is itself focused on rebuilding confidence in multilateral institutions while responding to changes affecting countries and communities around the world.
Reparatory justice event scheduled for Wednesday
Mahama is also scheduled to host a second high-level side event on Wednesday, September 23.
The event, titled “From Commitments to Action on Reparatory Justice: Advancing International Cooperation for the Return and Restitution of Cultural Properties and Heritage,” will examine international cooperation surrounding historical justice and the return of cultural property.
Ghana has previously advocated greater international discussion of reparatory justice and the historical consequences of slavery and colonialism. The planned UN event will bring the subject into the wider diplomatic programme surrounding the General Assembly.
The issue also intersects with questions about the ownership, protection and restitution of African cultural objects held outside the continent.
The September 23 meeting is therefore expected to bring together government representatives and other international stakeholders to discuss how existing commitments could translate into practical cooperation.
Ghana’s UN address scheduled for September 24
President Mahama is scheduled to deliver Ghana’s official statement during the main General Debate on Thursday, September 24.
The General Debate is one of the central events of the annual UN General Assembly, providing heads of state and government with an opportunity to outline their countries’ positions on international and national priorities.
The United Nations has scheduled the General Debate for September 22 to 26, with further meetings continuing later in the month.
For Ghana, Mahama’s address will provide an international platform for presenting the government’s priorities and discussing the country’s position on global development and international cooperation.
The Presidency has not indicated that the General Debate speech will be limited to a single issue. However, the wider programme for the visit places development, investment, Africa’s position in global affairs and historical justice among the major themes of the trip.
Investment and business meetings
The New York visit will also include an economic component.
According to the government’s programme, Mahama is expected to meet business leaders and executives of multinational companies as part of efforts to strengthen partnerships and encourage investment in Ghana.
He is also scheduled to participate in a US-Ghana Presidential Roundtable organised by the US-Africa Chamber of Commerce.
Another planned engagement is the ringing of the NASDAQ Closing Bell. The event is intended to form part of Ghana’s efforts to promote the country as an investment destination.
The economic engagements come as Ghana continues to focus on investment, economic recovery and private-sector participation as part of its broader development programme.
The President is also expected to speak at the Council on Foreign Relations and attend the Ocean Panel Leaders’ Meeting.
Engagement with Ghanaian diaspora
The presidential itinerary also includes a direct engagement with Ghanaians living in the United States.
Mahama is scheduled to host a Town Hall meeting with the Ghanaian community in New York on Friday, September 25.
The meeting is expected to provide an opportunity for the government to communicate with members of the Ghanaian diaspora about national development priorities and receive questions and feedback from citizens living abroad.
Diaspora engagement has become an important part of Ghana’s international outreach, particularly because Ghanaians living outside the country remain connected to the economy through investment, remittances, professional networks and family relationships.
The New York town hall will therefore form the final major public engagement listed in the President’s official programme for the visit.
Who is travelling with the President?
The delegation accompanying Mahama includes First Lady Lordina Dramani Mahama, Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, other cabinet ministers, senior officials from the Presidency and additional government representatives.
The delegation reflects the broad scope of the visit, which combines diplomatic meetings, economic engagements, multilateral discussions and diaspora outreach.
The President’s trip comes as world leaders gather in New York for the high-level week of the UN General Assembly.
The UN has identified the 2026 high-level week as a period for advancing international cooperation, the Sustainable Development Goals and collective action on major global challenges.
What to watch from Ghana at the UN
Attention will now turn to Mahama’s September 21 Accra Reset event, the September 23 reparatory justice discussions and Ghana’s General Debate address on September 24.
The visit will also provide opportunities for Ghanaian officials to hold bilateral and commercial meetings alongside the formal UN programme.
For Ghana, the week brings together several strands of its international agenda: development financing, investment, Africa’s role in global decision-making, historical justice and engagement with the Ghanaian diaspora.
Mahama’s departure marks the beginning of the country’s participation in a major week on the UN diplomatic calendar, with Ghana scheduled to take part in both the formal General Assembly proceedings and a series of events outside the main debate.
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