Mr. Simon Arthur Nyamikah is the Director, Americas Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Before attaining the position of Director, Mr. Nyamikah had held several position at the Ministry.

Between August and September 1993, he served as the Chairman of a Five-Member United Nations Team that assessed the UNDP Country Programme for Syria and Yemen in New York, USA. Over a period of two years, between 1992 and 1994, he handled Ghana's Peacekeeping Operations around the world and served concurrently as an Observer Delegate at the United Nation's Security Council. The two positions were held when he served at Ghana's Permanent Mission to the United Nations from 1990 - 1994.

From 1994 to 1997, Mr. Nyamikeh held the position of Assistant Director, International Organisation and Conference Bereau of the Foreign Affairs Ministry. He was posted to London in 1997, where till 2001, he served as the Counsellor / Economic and Political at the Ghana High Commission. While serving at the Ghana Mission in London, Mr. Nyamikeh also had responsibilities for the International Mobile Satelite Organisation (IWMARSAT) and the Cab International, and aspects of the Commonwealth as well as International Maritime Organization (IMO).

At the end of his duty tour in London, he returned to Accra and was subsequently appointed Deputy Director at the Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He held the position of Deputy Director between September 2001 and January 2003. Since 23rd February, 2007, Mr. Nyamikeh has been on posting at the Embassy of Ghana in Paris as the Head of Chancery with additional responsibilities for Economic Affairs. He is also the Deputy Permanent - Delegate to UNESCO (Paris).

Mr. Simon Arthur Nyamikeh, who is married with five children was born on 21st April, 1955 at Half-Assini. He graduated from the University of Ghana in 1982 with a Bachelor's degree in French and Russian. Between September and December 1986, he attended a post-graduate certificate course in Public Administration at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration, GIMPA. Before then, he had completed a four - month certificate course in International Relations, at the Academie for Social Science, Sofia, Bulgaria between April and August of that same year.

From January to December 1988, Mr. Nyamikeh attended further post - graduate programmes. Between January and August, he studied for a post graduate diploma at GIMPA, before spending the last four months of that year in Berlin, Germany where he studied for an advanced certificate in Development Diplomacy at the German Foundation for International Development (D.S.E.). He has attended a number of conferences in addition to serving on a number of international bodies.

BUREAU OF THE AMERICAS

The Bureau of the Americas has the responsibility to assist the Ministry in the formulation and implementation of Ghana's foreign policy with respect to the States in the Americas region. This task enjoins the Bureau to play advisory as well as co-ordination roles in the general conduct of Ghana's relations with the region.

The Bureau processes political reports and dispatches received from our Missions in the region and makes the necessary proposals and recommendations to the Ministry. The report covers mainly topical events and may have bilateral as well as global significance with implications for Ghana's foreign policy objectives.

THE COMPOSITION OF THE BUREAU

The Bureau consists of a Director and a complement of five (5) Foreign Service Officers: one FSO A2, FSO A3, One FSO A5, one FSO C2, and one FSO B6.

THE SCHEDULES OF OFFICERS

Each of the three (3) Branch "A" officers are assigned schedules relating to a number of countries in the Americas. The countries are Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Guyana, Haiti, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, USA, Guatemala, Honduras, St. Lucia, Suriname, Uruguay, Barbados, Canada, Colombia, Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Granada and Panama.

With the exception of the US, Canada and Mexico, most of the countries in the region are located in the South American continental mass and on the peninsula of Central America.

Together with a number of small island states in the Caribbean, the total number of countries in the region is about thirty (30). Notwithstanding the large number of countries in the Americas, Ghana has only five (5) resident Diplomatic Missions there: in Canada, US, Cuba and Brazil.
These Missions also have concurrent accreditation to those countries in the region where Ghana does not have a functioning diplomatic presence.

Ghana also maintains a number of consular posts manned by designated Honorary Consuls in certain cities throughout the region.

GHANA'S RELATIONS WITH THE REGION- AN OVERVIEW

For several decades since independence, Ghana has continued to promote warm and friendly relations with all states in the region. A number of states, especially in South America, share with Ghana membership of either the Group of 77 or the Non-Aligned Movement.

These two organisations have been at the forefront of the demand for the restructuring of global economic and social relations to benefit the aspirations of developing countries.

Ghana has fruitful relations with the countries in the region. Notable among them are the U.S, Canada, Cuba, Brazil, Mexico and Jamaica.

GHANA / U.S RELATIONS

Ghana has warm and cordial relations with the U.S. This was further strengthened with the historic visit to Ghana in March 1998 by President Clinton.

There is generally a high level of economic co-operation between the two counties in areas such as agriculture, health, education, trade, energy and in the military. The level of co-operation has been enhanced over the years by the exchange of high level official visits between the two countries.

Furthermore, the two countries have supported each other on policy decisions at the UN, and at the forums of other international organisations. The holding of Trade and Investment Exhibitions and Conferences in Ghana and the US has also enriched the level of co-operation.

There has been long and sustained military co-operation between Ghana and the US which has been of immense benefit to the Ghana Armed Forces. For example, Ghana received six (6) modern helicopters in the year 2000 for the Ghana Armed Forces at the cost of US$ 12 million.

The Ghana Navy also received a donation of three (3) coastguard ships from the U.S. to further enhance the capacity of the Navy to patrol and protect Ghana's territorial waters. The donation was made within the framework of the African Crisis Response Initiative (ACRI)

The ACRI has been redesigned under a new programme called Africa Contingency Operations Assistance (ACOTA). The new programme seeks to train individual countries in peacekeeping and humanitarian crisis operations. ACOTA is also aimed at enhancing the ability of African militaries to work together. ACOTA's programmes are customised, in contrast to those of ACRI.

Another fundamental change is placing emphasis on training trainers, not just troops. The U.S. believes that ACOTA will help maintain and sustain a high level of readiness among African Forces.

Another area of co-operation worth mentioning is trade. According to the Ministry of Trade in 2001, Ghana's imports from the US totalled $249.62 million, as against exports of $113.52 million.

The Government has encouraged Ghanaian businessmen to take full advantage of the AGOA facility. In this connection, the President's Special Initiative on promoting textile, garments, and other exports to the US market is a step in the right direction. The PSI is expected to increase Ghana's export receipts by $4 Billion annually.

Under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), Ghana is the eighth largest sub-saharan african exporter to the US market. In 2002 Ghana’s export under AGOA amounted to $50 million. A new target of $62.5 million was set for 2003.

MILLENIUM CHALLENGE ACCOUNT (MCA)

In May, 2004, the US selected Ghana as one of the first batch of sixteen (16) Third World countries to benefit from the US government's Millenium Challenge Account facility of US$1 billion for the 2004 financial year.

The invitation from President George Bush to President J. A. Kufour and five other African leaders to attend the recent G8 Summit at Gleneagles to represent the voice of Africa is also a strong manifestation of the mutual trust, respect, and the shared values that bind our two countries.

GHANA/CANADA RELATIONS

Ghana's relations with Canada have been marked by a rich tradition of friendship and fruitful co-operation. Canada has consistently supported Ghana in the fields of energy development, water supply, modern farming methods, science education, technical assistance and basic human needs in rural areas. Indeed, Ghana is the largest recipient of Canada's foreign aid in Sub-Sahara Africa.

The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Canada's official development agency, announced a shift in Canadian aid policy from its traditional project-based approach towards a more programmatic form of development co-operation. This has led to Canada committing itself to increasing its official development assistance (CIDA) to selected countries.

Indeed, CIDA's Enhanced Partnership relationship, under which increased aid will be directed at a select group of countries which meet the criteria of good governance and low level of corruption, is a manifestation of Canada's attempts to maximise the effectiveness of its aid programme. We are grateful that Ghana has been selected as one of the Six African countries to benefit from the enhanced programme.

GHANA/CUBA RELATIONS

Relations between Ghana and Cuba, which date back to the early days of Ghana's independence, remain very cordial and are nurtured by the exchange of high level visits and continuous collaboration in vital areas of Ghana's development.
Meetings of the Ghana-Cuba Joint Commission have been the main vehicle through which co-operation between the two countries has been effected. More than ten sessions have been held alternatively in Accra and in Havana.

The 12th Session of the Ghana-Cuba Joint Commission was held in Accra from 19th to 21st April 2004.

The two sides agreed to:

a. Review the Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation during the period 2002-2004.

b. Consider the programme for Economic Scientific and Technical Cooperation for the period 2004-2006.

Both sides expressed the desire to continue cooperating in the following areas: Health, Education, Youth and Sports, Tourism, Culture, Agriculture, Science, Technology and Environment and Industry, Sugar industry, Water Resources, Mining and Pharmaceuticals, Exchange Programmes, Construction, Cooperation with ECOWAS, Justice, Transportation, Joint Ventures in salt production involving Geomineral Company, Commerce and Trade.

Impressed by the performance of the Cuban Medical Brigade serving in the various regions of Ghana, the latter requested that the total number of the Brigade be maintained at 200, including eleven (11) professors for the University of Development Studies, Tamale.

GHANA/BRAZIL RELATIONS

Since Ghana established diplomatic ties with Brazil in 1962, relations between the two countries have been cordial, characterised by friendship and cooperation rooted in the bonds of historical and cultural affinity.

Co-operation between the two countries has been manifested not only at the bilateral level but also at the multilateral level, where the two countries have common membership. Some of these are, apart from the UN and its agencies, the Cocoa Producers Alliance and the Zone of Peace and Co-operation of the South Atlantic (ZPCSA).

Although diplomatic relations between the two countries were established since 1962, there was little bilateral economic activity until the 1980s.

The Agreement for the formation of the Ghana-Brazil Joint Commission was signed on July 3, 1985 at the Brazilian Ministry of External Relations. Former Ambassador Kofi Awoonor and Minister Olavo Setuba of the host Foreign Ministry signed the document on behalf of their respective countries. The Inaugural Session of the Commission was held in Brasilia from July 11-13, 1988.

The long awaited Second Session of the Ghana-Brazil Joint Commission for Co-operation was held in Brasilia on August 4th and 5th, 2004. The Hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nana Akufo-Addo (MP), led Ghana's delegation, while his Brazilian counterpart, Honourable Celso Amorin, led his country's delegation.

The final protocol of the Joint Commission provided for bilateral cooperation in a wide range of fields, including the political, scientific, technical as well as cultural and educational.

On political issues, it was agreed that H. E. Excellency President John Agyekum Kufuor pay an official visit to Brazil at the invitation of the Brazilian President H. E. Luis Inacio Lula da Silva on a date to be decided through diplomatic channels. The Brazilian President was to pay a reciprocal visit in August, 2005.

On economic and trade issues, it was agreed that the economic operators of the two countries would participate in Trade Fairs organised in each other’s country.

On Technical and Scientific Cooperation it was agreed that the two countries would put in place a wide variety of cooperation arrangements spanning the industry, agriculture and health sectors, among others.
In the energy sector, Brazil's PETROBRAS and Ghana's BOST signed a contract for the sale of gasoline, involving 27,000 metric tons per semester, in the period July, 2004 to June, 2005.

GHANA/MEXICO RELATIONS

Though economic and cultural relations with Mexico have remained dormant, there was still great potential for productive co-operation between the two countries.

The Mexican government has been offering scholarships for Ghanaians to study the Spanish language in Mexican institutions of higher learning. The Linguistics Bureau of the Ghana Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for example, has been benefiting from a scholarship scheme for a course in Spanish Language offered by the Mexican Government.

GHANA/JAMAICA RELATIONS

Relations with Jamaica since independence have remained cordial. Co-operation between the two countries borders on technical co-operation in the field of health.

Under existing co-operation, Ghana and Jamaica agreed to fight for the enhancement of South-South Co-operation, to ensure the survival of the third world in the face of the increasingly global competitive market, harnessing efforts to democratise the UN Security Council, strengthen bilateral relations and co-operation in the multilateral arena.

The Jamaican authorities cherish the relations with Ghana because of the ancestral links that a large number of Jamaicans have with Ghana.

At a meeting between the Jamaican High Commissioner to Ghana, H.E. Mr. Carl Marshall, and the former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris, the need to reactivate the Ghana-Jamaica Technical Co-operation as a vehicle for consolidating bilateral relations and strengthening contracts in various fields was stressed.