In a further testament to his global iconic status as a champion of good governance, peace building and international diplomacy, the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has been decorated with the Mahatma Gandhi Award for World Unity.
This worldwide accolade was donned on the Rt. Hon. Bagbin at the 26th International Conference of Chief Justices of the World (ICCJW) which took place in Lucknow, India from November 19 to 24, 2025.
“… his unstinting support to children’s appeal for world unity and world peace and for a safe and secure future for over 2.5 billion children of the world and generations yet-to-be-born,” organisers of the Conference applauded the Speaker.
Presenting the award to Ambassador Jonathan Rexford Magnussen who received it on behalf of the Speaker, Prof. Sandeep Srivastava, Project Leader of ICCJW eulogized Rt. Hon. Bagbin for his deep commitment to sowing peace across the world, and his passionate drive to protect thousands of children worldwide from the ravages of war.
According to Prof. Sandeep Srivastava, the world is in dire need of leaders like Rt. Hon. Bagbin who secretes the milk of love and kindness to nourish children into becoming the Mahatma Gandhis, Kwame Nkrumah’s and Nelson Mandela’s of tomorrow.
On behalf of the Rt. Hon. Speaker, Ambassador Magnussen expressed profound gratitude to the organisers of the 26th ICCJW for the recognition accorded Ghana’s Speaker, and pledged the Rt. Hon. Bagbin’s continued commitment to championing unity and peace in the world.
Ambassador Magnussen noted that not only is Rt. Hon. Bagbin a global parliamentary colossus with enormous respect and influence on international parliamentary affairs, he is an acclaimed peace broker who is currently a member of the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s Task Force charged with resolving the Russia-Ukraine war.
The 26th ICCJW was convened to address rising global wars, climate-induced crises, and fractured governance at a time when, according to the UNHCR Global Trends Report for 2024, conflicts displaced over 123.2 million people globally in 2024.
The Conference resolved that the world desperately needs a renewed framework for collective security, and that the United Nations can draw inspiration from Article 51 of the Indian Constitution, which advocates for the promotion of international peace and security, maintaining just and honourable relations, respect for international law, and the settlement of disputes through arbitration.
A major highlight of the Conference was the conferment of awards on world leaders who symbolized global unity and peace.
The awardees included the Indian Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh and Speaker Bagbin.
The Mahatma Gandhi Award for World Unity adds to a streak of honours and leadership positions conferred on Ghana’s Speaker of the Eighth and Ninth Parliaments for his international statesmanship and global democracy-enhancing credentials.
Source: Parliament
