Copyright ghanaguardian
At the closing session of the 2025 Paris Peace Forum, President John Dramani Mahama underscored the unyielding commitment to promoting press freedom, information integrity, and independent journalism, highlighting the country’s leadership role on the African continent in advancing democratic values. The forum, which brought together world leaders, policy experts, and media advocates under the theme “Information Integrity and Independent Media,” focused on strengthening global cooperation against disinformation and reinforcing the role of credible journalism in sustaining democracy. During a high-level discussion with French President Emmanuel Macron and other global leaders, Mahama emphasized that Ghana has long been a continental model for media pluralism and freedom of expression. Mahama recalled that the commitment to press freedom is rooted in its democratic journey since the 1992 Constitution, which guarantees freedom of the press and expression. He noted that under his previous administration, deliberate policies were implemented to ensure media independence and protection of journalists. These include fostering open dialogue with the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), supporting the National Media Commission (NMC), and upholding laws that encourage transparency and access to information. In a major announcement, Mahama disclosed that Ghana is joining the Partnership for Information and Democracy as a full member—a global initiative that seeks to promote truthful and reliable information in the digital age. The country will also contribute to the International Fund for Public Interest Media, a move he described as a reaffirmation of the global leadership in promoting democracy, good governance, and responsible journalism. He further stressed the importance of supporting journalists and media institutions that embody integrity, accountability, and ethical responsibility in their work. According to him, democratic governance can only thrive when the media is free from political interference, economic coercion, and digital manipulation. President Mahama also called for global collaboration to regulate and hold digital and artificial intelligence platforms accountable for spreading misinformation. “We must demand transparency from these platforms and ensure that technology serves truth, not distortion,” he stated, urging nations to treat information as a shared global asset that must be protected for the common good. The president’s participation at the Paris Peace Forum comes at a time when many African nations are grappling with shrinking media freedoms, political censorship, and online disinformation.
