Accra, June 30, GNA - Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has returned home after addressing international conferences in the US and Britain. A statement signed by Mr Frank Agyekum, the former President's Spokesman, said in the US former President Kufuor addressed the United Nations special session at the UN headquarters in New York on the future of UN Peace-Keeping forces where he called for a reshaping of the mandate of the forces to reflect challenges of the modern times to make them more effective.

Former President Kufuor and the former President of Finland and Nobel Peace Laureate Martti Ahtisaari, who also addressed the meeting, were recognized for their contribution to global peace and development. The conference was opened by UN General Secretary Ban-ki Moon and addressed by President of the General Assembly Joseph Deiss and the Under-Secretary of the UN Lakhdar Brahimi

In Britain, the former President was Guest Speaker at the Department of International Development (DFID) review conference of its activities from 2000 to 2010. The conference also mapped out strategies to ensure that funds allocated for poverty alleviation in developing countries are judiciously applied.

He spoke on: "An African Statesman's view on the importance of understanding politics for delivering better outcomes" at the National School of Government in Sunningale.GNA