The Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has been appointed as a member of the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s (IPU) Task Force on the Peaceful Resolution of the War in Ukraine. The appointment was announced in a letter from the IPU Secretary-General, Martin Chungong, who expressed confidence that Speaker Bagbin’s vast leadership experience and diplomatic skill would strengthen the Task Force’s efforts to promote peace between Ukraine and Russia.
The IPU Task Force, established in March 2022 as an ad-hoc body, was created to support dialogue and foster parliamentary diplomacy aimed at ending the ongoing conflict. Since its inception, it has held over thirteen meetings and undertaken missions to Kyiv and Moscow, including one in July 2022. The Task Force also maintains regular consultations every six months with Ukrainian and Russian parliamentary delegations during IPU Assemblies.
In a period where diplomatic communication channels between the two nations remain limited, the IPU Task Force serves as one of the few consistent platforms for engagement. Speaker Bagbin’s inclusion brings renewed hope and energy to the group’s mission. As a veteran peace negotiator with extensive experience in mediation and governance, he is expected to play a pivotal role in facilitating dialogue, participating in in-person meetings, hearings, and consultations with both Ukrainian and Russian counterparts, and supporting global diplomatic efforts toward a peaceful resolution to the war.
