Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has arrived in Barcelona to join world leaders for a major summit focused on strengthening democracy. She is set to speak at the fourth High-Level Meeting of the “In Defence of Democracy” Initiative on April 18, hosted by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. This meeting will bring together heads of state and senior officials from countries including Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Uruguay, and Spain.
Notable attendees are expected to include Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro, and South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa. Ghana’s participation highlights the increasing role of West Africa in global efforts to promote democratic governance and international cooperation.
Talks at the summit will focus on protecting democratic institutions at a time of increasing global pressure. Leaders are expected to discuss how to counter disinformation, safeguard digital systems, tackle extremism and manage the ethical use of artificial intelligence. They will also examine wider security challenges and explore stronger cooperation between Africa and Latin America, particularly in governance, innovation and sustainable development.
The initiative, launched in 2024, aims to coordinate international action to protect democratic systems. Previous meetings were held in New York in 2024 and Santiago in 2025.
Ahead of the summit, Professor Opoku-Agyemang is due to visit GB Foods in Spain. She will also attend a dinner for progressive leaders at the National Art Museum of Catalonia on 17 April. Her visit will end with a meeting with the Ghanaian community in Spain on 19 April.
Source: Edward Acquah
