Discussions for the establishment of the Council on Foreign Relations-Ghana as a think-tank on Ghana’s foreign policy and international relations modelled on similar well-established think tanks such as the Council of Foreign Relations in the US and Chatham House in the United Kingdom started in 2008 when Ambassador Kabral Blay-Amihere, then serving as Ghana’s Ambassador Cote d’Ivoire floated the idea with a number of like-minded Ghanaians including Ambassador, D.K. Osei, Secretary to the President of Ghana (2001-2009) and J.K. Mensah, Director General of the Research Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Relations.
After months of consultations, the Council On Foreign Relations was duly registered as a private company limited by guarantee under the name –Council on Foreign Relations on February 22, 2011. The founding members of the Council, who constituted the first members of the Executive Council were:
- Ambassador D.K. Osei
- Ambassador Kabral Blay-Amihere
- Kojo Bentsi-Enchill, Esq.
- Brigardier-General Francis Asiedu Agemfra
- Abraham Agbozo, Esq.
- Kwaku Sakyi-Addo
- Egbert Faibille, Jnr., Esq
- Ambassador Lawrence R.A. Satuh
- Dr. Linda Akua Opongmaa Darkwa
The Council was not able to take off and fulfill its aims and objectives after its registration in 2011. Meanwhile in the ensuing years as global events unfolded with no informed and educated public discourse from veritable experts in diplomacy and international affairs, the need for the revival of the Council became more pressing.
Renewed discussions initiated by Ambassadors D.K. Osei, Kwame Tenkorang and Kabral Blay-Amihere in 2018 have resulted in the second chapter of the Council an enlargement of the original Executive Council, and the adoption of the name, Council On Foreign Relations Ghana to distinguish it from other existing Councils in the world.