Asiakwa (E/R), Oct. 2, GNA - The annual Global Peace Games in commemoration of the United Nations (UN) International Day of Peace was held at the Asiakwa SOS Village in the East Akim District in the Eastern Region on Friday with a call on children to respect authority in society.

About 300 children drawn from the SOS Village, Bunso, Osiem and New Tafo schools took part in the games. The Deputy Minister for Women and Children's Affairs, Mr J.B Danquah-Adu, who made the call in his opening address, asked the children to study hard to become useful citizens in the future, so as to maintain the relative world peace.

The Deputy Minister, who is also the MP for Abuakwa North constituency, said games should be an integral part of the school's syllabus to unearth the talents of the children in order to nurture them to win laurels for the country.

The Co-ordinator of the UN Global Peace Games in Ghana, Mr Olivet Nyarko, said the programme was organized in partnership with SOS Village, Play Soccer and Right to Play, NGOs that provide community-based recreational facilities and improving the lives of disadvantaged children through sports respectively. He explained that the games was also sought to help develop the youth's leadership skills and sense of individual responsibility to make the world a better place for all.

In a speech read on his behalf, the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Yaw Barimah, commended the organizers for extending the programme to the region and urged the organizers to make it an annual affair in the region.

He said the Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) was committed to any programme aimed at consolidating the peace in the country and would therefore not hesitate to offer any support for the future organization of the event.

The UN Secretary General, Mr Kofi Annan's message, which was read on his behalf by the UN Volunteer Officer in Ghana, Ms Norma Messan, called for honouring those, who had suffered from violence and armed conflicts due to the break down of peace in those societies. He asked all to endeavour to carry out important decisions on peace taken by the just ended UN world summit to ensure that the paramount message of the UN was not eroded. Oct. 2, 05