The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has stressed the need for creating awareness, and sensitizing residents of border communities to sustain the peaceful and progressive relationship between Ghana and its neighbours. He made the call at the floor of Parliament in commemoration of the 2024 African Border Day yesterday. It was under the theme “Educate an African Fit for the Twenty-First (21st) Century: Building Resilient Education Systems for Increased Access to Inclusive, Lifelong, Quality, and Relevant Learning in Africa.” The Minister noted that border communities bear the brunt of border-related challenges, and called for their involvement in the decision-making processes to foster a sense of ownership and responsibility. He said an all-encompassing approach, which involves all stakeholders, must be implemented to ensure that the country continues to experience peace and development along its boundaries. He believes that such an approach would have a greater impact and assist the country in its efforts to build resilient border governance. The Lands Minister commended the Ghana Boundary Commission for its outstanding work in promoting and securing Ghana’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. He stressed that education serves as a powerful tool in promoting inter-cultural dialogue, tolerance and mutual understanding. He called for cross-border exchanges, economic cooperation and joint development projects to overcome barriers, and create stronger border communities. “By empowering our youth to become active agents of change within their communities, we can create a formidable defence against the forces of violence and extremism which often target vulnerable populations, including youth in border communities,” he stressed. He also lauded the Ghana Boundary Commission’s efforts in promoting peaceful co-existence with neighbouring countries, and resolving boundary disputes through peaceful cooperation. “The Ghana Boundary Commission has led efforts to promote peaceful co-existence with our neighbours through regular sensitization and cross-border activities with neighbouring countries. We are called upon to recognize the crucial significance of educating our citizens, particularly those living in border communities, about the importance of land and maritime boundaries and their role as stakeholders in safeguarding our international boundaries,” he added. Mr. Jinapor stated that the Ghana Boundary Commission had worked tirelessly over the years to reaffirm and safeguard the international boundaries, ensuring that Ghana’s territorial sovereignty. “The Commission’s work in upholding international law to resolve boundary disputes through peaceful cooperation has been recognized across the continent, with several countries engaging the Commission to learn from their experience,” he added. To achieve a greater impact, he stressed the importance of engaging and empowering border communities, including traditional authorities, border security committees, Municipal and District Assemblies in border areas and other relevant stakeholders. This, he noted, would create awareness of the significance of boundaries and the contribution of stakeholders in border governance. The African Border Day commemorates the significance of the African Union Border Programme and the Niamey Convention, which aims to promote integrated border governance and cross-border cooperation.