The Chairman of the International Advisory Council for International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA), Baffour Dokyi Amoa, has been reported dead.
He is said to have passed on last Tuesday, October 18, 2022, at the University of Ghana Medical Centre, Legon, in Accra.
The peace advocate, diplomat and former President of the West African Action Network on Small Arms (WAANSA), passed away at the age of 73.
Achievements
His dedication to combating the proliferation and misuse of small arms and light weapons across sub-Saharan Africa took him around the world, while he also contributed to the United Nations (UN) General Assembly’s ratification and adoption of The Arms Trade Treaty in 2014.
Mr Amoa was an active voice in West Africa, and his dedication to a world where peace and development would prevail over armed violence was recognised and respected around the globe.
He was constantly available at the UN and Ghana, and represented civil society in many ways, including serving on the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons.
As President of WAANSA, he was part of the UN’s Programme of Action on Small Arms, whose efforts were endorsed by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and other entities.
This collaboration led to the adoption of the ECOWAS Convention in 2009, and encouraged ECOWAS member states to join the Arms Trade Treaty in 2014 at the UN General Assembly.
Mr Amoa also contributed to the ECOWAS Peace and Security Architecture.
He also served as an International Consultant to the World Council of Churches in Geneva, Switzerland, and other organisations.
Upon his return to Ghana, he established the Centre for Management and Institutional Development (CMID), a management consulting firm.
His work and community involvement took him around the world, including conflict-ridden areas such as Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Educational qualification
After graduating from the University of Ghana in 1977, Mr Amoa began his professional journey as an accountant for the Christian Council of Ghana.
He went on to work as chief accountant for the Nairobi-based All Africa Conference of Churches, serving first at their regional office in Lomé, Togo.
He later earned his Master of Business Administration from the Birmingham Business School at the University of Birmingham in England in 1991.
Religion
Mr Amoa led a life of distinction and purpose guided by his deep Presbyterian faith and ecumenical orientation, which made him particularly enthusiastic about the role of faith-based communities in combatting strife and violence.
As Secretary General of the Fellowship of Churches and Councils in West Africa (FECCIWA), he often travelled across the globe to advocate and speak of the importance of religious groups in humanitarian activities.
Family life
Mr Amoa, during his leisure time, was said to have enjoyed music and cherished spending time with his family and friends.
He left behind a wife, Stella, two sons, Reginald and Philip, and a grandson.
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