In October, 2013, upon invitation from the European Group of Think Tanks, I-2DP, represented by its Executive Director, Ambassador Nana Bema Kumi, participated in a meeting held in Brussels as part of the preparations for the forthcoming Africa/EU Summit scheduled to take place in April, 2014, in Brussels.
A training programme was organized by the Institute of Diplomatic Practice and Development Policies { I – 2DP } for junior diplomats and other officials at the Nyansapo House in, Accra, from 19th to 24th May,2013.
Nine Ghanaian participants, who were from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, the Ministry of Trade and Industries as well as the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning were joined by two participants from the European Centre for Development Policy Management, {ECDPM} in Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Lectures on Diplomatic History, Diplomatic Correspondence and Protocol, International Development Cooperation with emphasis on the need for a more aggressive economic integration in Africa, in line with the AU focus on an emerging African Renaissance which outlines New Approaches to Development Policies and Economic Diplomacy; Multilateralism and the related subject of The United Nations at Work as well as International Law in Diplomatic Practice, The Art of Negotiations reinforced with a lecture on The Importance of Research and Data in Negotiations, Economic Diplomacy, Understanding Financial Markets, and Challenges of World Trade were well received. These were marinated with interactions in class and Group Work Presentations.
Twenty four selected AU PSD officials successfully completed intensive training programme on Operational Planning and Budgeting of Programmes from April to May, 2013 at the Institute of Diplomatic Practice and Development Policies (I – 2DP) in Accra.
The resource persons for the training programme were Messieurs Alexander Kwame Archine and Gilbert Atta Boakye with Ambassador Nana Bema Kumi as the Course Director. Their presentations were both original and well researched, spiced with their experiences over the years in the related fields of Finance and Development.
From their oral and written assessment, participants rated the delivery by the two resource persons as being ‘Very Good’ and ‘Excellent’.
I – 2DP began this year’s training programmes from 17th to 22nd March, 2013 at the Nyansapo House in Accra with mid-career diplomats and officials. Eleven ghanaian participants, who were from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration and the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning were joined by one participant from the Sierra Leone Foreign Ministry.
They were instructed by highly qualified professionals. Highlights of the programme included an address on ‘The Overall Japan-Africa Relations: With Eyes on TICAD V” delivered by former UNESCO Director-General, Ambassador Koichiro Matsuura at the Accra International Conference Centre.
Presentations were made on New Approaches to Development Policies; Economic Diplomacy; the Politics of Integration and The Art of Negotiations. The programme ended on the high note of an address by the Deputy Commandant of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, Brigadier-Gen B F Kusi, on the all-important subject of ‘Peace and Security in Africa’.
In 2013, I – 2DP began its efforts at capacity building in diplomatic practice for African officials with a course directed by the Executive Director of I – 2DP, Ambassador Nana Bema Kumi in February, 2013 at the African Centre for Peace and Security Training (ACPST) which is within the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in Addis Ababa.
The twenty-two (22) participants from seventeen (17) African countries were addressed on the core subject of Strategic Negotiations with emphasis on Climate Change Negotiations, Arms Trade Talks, Conflict Resolution Negotiations as well as Natural Resource Contract Negotiations by seven resource persons from different African countries and the African Diaspora.
