On Sunday, September 20, 2026, President John Dramani Mahama began his engagements on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York with a meeting with Alex Soros, Chairman and Founder of the Open Society Foundation (OSF). The discussion was part of the President’s preparations for the General Assembly’s high‑level activities, whose general debate is set to begin on September 22.
Soros, an investor and philanthropist who has previously engaged with President Mahama, and the OSF expressed interest in exploring partnership opportunities with Ghana to support the Economic Community of West African States’ (ECOWAS) integration agenda. The talks are expected to form part of broader engagements between Ghana and international foundations as the Mahama administration seeks collaborations around regional integration, development and other areas of mutual interest.
Sunday’s meeting also served as a precursor to a planned presidential roundtable coordinated by the OSF with a select group of global foundation presidents and chief executive officers. In a social media post, President Mahama said the roundtable is expected to bring together leaders from major international foundations and organisations, including the Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation, Open Society Foundations, Hewlett Packard, Hilton, Rockefeller, Humanity United, Anglo American, Chandler and UBS Optimus, among others.
The President is also scheduled to host a side event on reparatory justice on Wednesday, September 23, focusing on “From Commitments to Action on Reparatory Justice: Advancing International Cooperation for the Return and Restitution of Cultural Properties and Heritage.” He will deliver Ghana’s official statement during the main General Debate of the UN General Assembly on Thursday, September 24.
