President John Dramani Mahama has begun his engagements on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York with a meeting with Alex Soros, Chairman and Founder of the Open Society Foundations (OSF).
The meeting, held on Sunday, September 20, focused on potential partnerships to support efforts to strengthen the integration of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Soros, an investor and philanthropist who has previously engaged with President Mahama, expressed interest in exploring support for the regional integration agenda.
The engagement also served as a precursor to a presidential roundtable being coordinated by the Open Society Foundations, bringing together a select group of presidents and CEOs of major global foundations.
Organisations expected to participate include the Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation, Open Society Foundations, Hewlett Packard, Hilton, Rockefeller, Humanity United, Anglo American, Chandler and UBS Optimus, among others.
The discussions are expected to provide an opportunity for President Mahama to engage international philanthropic organisations on possible partnerships and support for regional integration and development priorities.
The meeting forms part of President Mahama’s diplomatic engagements in New York during the 81st UN General Assembly, whose high-level week runs from September 22 to 29, 2026.
President Mahama is expected to deliver Ghana’s statement during the General Debate on Thursday, September 24, as he participates in other high-level engagements on the margins of the Assembly.
