He stated that the management of the boundaries had a human face and that efforts towards proper boundary management should be done in the interest of the people of the countries involved, especially those directly affected along the boundary communities.

Mr Owusu-Bio said this in Accra yesterday at a three-day joint Ghana and LaCote d’Ivoire Boundary Commissions introductory meeting.

 The meeting was organised to develop a framework for future co-operation  on issues of cross-border co-operation in security, socio-economic and other issues of common interest to both countries.

It was also aimed at operationalisation and re-affirmation of land boundaries and also implementation of the 2017 International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) ruling.

“The successful implementation of mutually agreed decisions by stakeholders at this introductory meeting will not be possible if citizens of our border communities are not involved  in the formulation and most importantly the implementation phases,” he said.

Mr Owusu-Bio said it was important to safeguard the peace and security of both Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire due to the emerging security threats along the boundaries, which was as a result of political unrest in some neighbouring African countries.

“This is the time for both countries to jointly demarcate, delimit and reaffirm their common land and maritime boundaries, as well as jointly ensure the proper management of the boundaries,” he said.

Mr Owusu-Bio said the Boundary Commissions of both countries cannot achieve all the set targets for the collaboration, but rather efforts and support from various partners and stakeholders from both countries was much needed.

The Deputy Minister urged the participants to prioritise cross-border co-operation in every aspect of their deliberations.

The National Co-ordinator of the Ghana Boundary Commission (GhBC), Major General Emmanuel Kotia, said the mandate of the commission was to engage a neighbouring country to amicably resolve land and maritime disputes among many important tasks.

He said the commission over the years have been engaging neighbouring countries to build the necessary relationship,  goodwill and consensus to enable  Ghana live peacefully with them, including  La Cote d’Ivoire based on agreed defined international boundaries .

He said at the end of the meeting, both countries would be aiming to come out with a blueprint to address current challenges of  their common land boundaries which include  destruction of boundary  pillars and landmarks along their common international boundary line.

“We shall also be aiming at providing guidelines for early warning mechanisms on all issues that  can endanger our good relations that currently exist among our border communities by jointly undertaking sensitisation and other cross-border developments and programmes,” Maj Gen. Kotia said.