Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has expressed support for the Accra Reset Initiative, championed by President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana. Speaking at the Accra Reset Conference on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly in New York, Brown described the initiative as a decisive shift from external dependence to local independence in health governance. He emphasized the need for country-led healthcare systems, allowing local people to make local decisions.
Brown warned that the 2020s are being defined by multiple crises, including conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine, and Sudan, erosion of the rules-based order, unregulated artificial intelligence, nuclear proliferation, and declining humanitarian aid. He stressed that the world must do things differently to address these challenges. Brown called for new principles of cooperation to guide future engagement, citing a declaration signed by 100 global leaders and a poll of 100,000 people in 34 countries.
The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guiteres, also spoke at the conference, emphasizing the importance of public finance in reforming the global health architecture. He stated that public finance must remain at the center of efforts to sustain gains beyond 2030. Guiteres noted that the world still has four years to deliver on promises made in 2015 and stressed the need for a clear division of labor and accountability.
Guiteres highlighted the importance of inclusive service delivery for health and education, enabling economies to grow. He also emphasized that the international financial architecture must create opportunities for investments to flow to countries. The UN Secretary-General noted that Africa has institutions, plans, and frameworks in place, including the African Union, Africa CDC, and the African Medicines Agency.
Former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, also spoke at the conference, calling for a contemporary shift in global south initiatives to meet the new changed reality. He stressed that Africa must adapt its strategies to match the new reality, as the world is no longer the same as when the United Nations and other multilateral institutions were established.
Obasanjo likened the changing global context to a proverb, saying development approaches must evolve. He stated that if the drumbeat is changing, the dancing steps must also change. Obasanjo praised the Accra Reset Initiative as a new dancing step to respond to the changing drumbeat of global development, finance, and infrastructure.
The Accra Reset Initiative has garnered support from various stakeholders, including former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and President John Dramani Mahama. The initiative aims to promote local independence in health governance and shift away from external dependence. Africa is poised to lead the new agenda at multiple levels, with institutions and frameworks in place to support the initiative.
Key points
- The Accra Reset Initiative aims to shift from external dependence to local independence in health governance.
- Former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown praises the initiative as a decisive step towards country-led healthcare systems.
- The initiative has garnered support from 100 global leaders and a poll of 100,000 people in 34 countries.
