Kafi Asante Addai, circa 1980
Kofi Asante Addai (born 1939) is a Ghanaian lawyer, diplomat, and politician who served as a Minister of State in Ghana and as Ghana’s Ambassador to the United Nations.
Early Life
Kofi Asante Addai was born in 1939 in Akuapem, Ghana, to parents Okyeame Kodwo and Aba Yaa. He attended Achimota School, where he obtained a Higher School Certificate in 1961. He then moved to the University of Ghana, where he obtained a Bachelor of Laws degree in 1964.
Career
Kofi Asante Addai began his career as a lawyer, practicing law in Ghana from 1965 to 1968. In 1968, he moved to the United States to pursue graduate studies, earning a Master of Laws degree from the New York University School of Law in 1970. After returning to Ghana, he was appointed a High Court Judge in 1976. In 1978, Addai was appointed Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. In this role, he served as the Chairman of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group from 1988 to 1994. He also served as the Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) from 1987 to 1994. In 1995, Addai was appointed Ghana's Ambassador to the United Nations, a role he held until 2000. From 2000 to 2002, he served as a Member of Parliament, representing the Akuapem North Constituency. In 2004, Addai was appointed a Member of the Council of State by Ghana's President John Agyekum Kufuor. He held this position until 2008. Addai has served on numerous international and regional boards and committees, including the International Criminal Court, the International Court of Justice, the African Union, and the United Nations.
Honors and Awards
Kafi Asante Addai. ca. 2010
In 2010, Kofi Asante Addai was awarded the Order of the Volta by Ghana's President John Atta Mills. This is the highest national honor given in Ghana.