Eminent Personalities vs Professional Expertise in Conflict Resolution: A Critical Review of Ghana’s Peace Council Act (ACT 818 of 2011)

Authors

  • Charles Ohene-Amoh Ghana National Peace Council, Ghana https://orcid.org/0009-0005-2877-9364
  • Emmanuel Badu Amoah Ghana National Peace Council, Ghana
  • Prince Albert Koomson Ghana National Peace Council, Ghana

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54536/jirp.v3i1.6741

Keywords:

Act 818, Conflict Resolution, Eminent Personalities, Mediation, Peace Council

Abstract

The interaction between eminent individuals and professional knowledge within Ghana’s Peace Council, as stated in the Peace Council Act (Act 818 of 2011), is critically examined in this paper. It investigates the effects on the efficacy, legitimacy, and sustainability of peacebuilding initiatives in Ghana of relying more on well-known people than on experts in conflict resolution. The paper evaluates the benefits and drawbacks of giving celebrity status precedence over technical conflict management knowledge by thoroughly examining the legal framework and its real-world applications. The results emphasise the necessity for a well-rounded strategy that strengthens peace initiatives in Ghana by utilising both specialised skills and credible leadership.

Author Biography

  • Charles Ohene-Amoh, Ghana National Peace Council, Ghana

    Charles Ohene-Amoh holds PhD in Social Studies with a focus on Peace and Human Rights from the University of Education Winneba. He also holds Four Master's degrees (M.A Peace and Development, M.Ed. Teaching in Higher Education, M.A Human rights Education, M.Phil. Human Rights and Master of Divinity) from the University of Cape Coast, University of Education, Winneba and Christian Leadership University (USA).

References

Aboagye, F. B., & Bah, A. M. S. (2004). Peacekeeping in West Africa: The way forward. KAIPTC.

Aning, K., & Danso, S. (2012). Appraising the peace architecture in West Africa: The ECOWAS peace and security mechanism (KAIPTC Occasional Paper No. 33). KAIPTC.

Boafo-Arthur, K. (2013). Ghana: One decade of liberal statehood. Zed Books.

Cho, J., & Landau, D. M. (2023). In search of the golden formula: Trends in peace mediation research and practice. Civil Wars, 25(2–3), 317–340.

Lederach, J. P. (1997). Building peace: Sustainable reconciliation in divided societies. United States Institute of Peace Press.

Miall, H., Ramsbotham, O., & Woodhouse, T. (2011). Contemporary conflict resolution (3rd ed.). Polity Press.

National Peace Council Act. (2011). Peace Council Act, 2011 (Act 818). Government of Ghana.

Osei-Tutu, E. (2020). The role of traditional authorities in Ghana’s peace architecture. African Journal on Conflict Resolution, 20(2), 55–72.

Stedman, S. J. (1997). Spoiler problems in peace processes. International Security, 22(2), 5–53. https://doi.org/10.1162/isec.22.2.5

United Nations Peacebuilding Support Office. (2018). Peacebuilding in practice. United Nations.

United States Institute of Peace. (2011). Skills and competencies for peacebuilders. United States Institute of Peace.

Downloads

Published

2026-05-09

How to Cite

Ohene-Amoh, C. ., Badu Amoah, E. ., & Koomson, P. A. . (2026). Eminent Personalities vs Professional Expertise in Conflict Resolution: A Critical Review of Ghana’s Peace Council Act (ACT 818 of 2011). Journal of International Relations and Peace, 3(1), 13-19. https://doi.org/10.54536/jirp.v3i1.6741

Similar Articles

1-10 of 12

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.