The Balanced Obligation in an Era of Global Pandemic: Ghana’s Foreign Policy in a Limbo

This paper examines Ghana’s foreign policy under the COVID-19 pandemic and its implications for relations with its neighbors. It examines the country’s national interest as is reflected in the policies advanced in the midst of the pandemic, particularly issues bothering on the closure of borders and what it says of the long-held position of “good-neighborliness.” The work attempts at understanding how in the midst of pandemics countries can strike a balance between national interest while equally honoring their international obligations. It dwells mainly on analyzing official documents and policy directives as juxtaposed against the various obligations of the state as a responsible member of the international community. We argue that being a responsible member of the international community requires adherence to the well-established practices and norms of international relations even in the midst of a pandemic; states ought to learn how and when to strike the right balance.