--- title: HR 1162. Smith, His Excellency Victor Emmanuel; Ambassador of the Republic of Ghana to the United States of America; recognize collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr1162 cite_as: HR 1162, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1162 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1162.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1162/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72649 date: 2026-01-29 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1161.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1163.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1162.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 1162 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-01-29 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Edna Jackson text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR1162/2025 upstream_id: 2102312 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - ceremonial resolution - Georgia House of Representatives - Ghana diplomacy - Savannah international relations --- # HR 1162. Smith, His Excellency Victor Emmanuel; Ambassador of the Republic of Ghana to the United States of America; recognize ## Text House Resolution 1162 By: Representative Jackson of the 165th A RESOLUTION Recognizing His Excellency Victor Emmanuel Smith, Ambassador of the Republic of Ghana to the United States of America; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, Ambassador Victor Emmanuel Smith is a seasoned Ghanaian politician, diplomat, statesman, and investment consultant whose distinguished career spans more than three decades of public service, diplomacy, and private-sector advisory; and WHEREAS, in all his roles, Ambassador Victor Emmanuel Smith has demonstrated a rare ability to lead with integrity, manage complex negotiations, and facilitate investments with national significance; and WHEREAS, Ambassador Victor Emmanuel Smith’s diplomatic engagements have significantly elevated Ghana’s global profile, notably achieving an 18 percent increase in bilateral trade between Ghana and the Uk during his tenure as High Commissioner; and WHEREAS, he is credited with launching high impact diaspora outreach programs and strengthening B2B collaborations though platforms like the Ghana-Central Europe Business Council; and WHEREAS, he is a patron, board member, and mentor committed to preparing the next generation of leaders and professionals, offering not only his expertise but an unwavering dedication to nation-building; and WHEREAS, Ambassador Victor Emmanuel Smith is not just a man of titles, but a man of impact, one whose legacy continues to inspire national and continental progress. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body commend His Excellency Victor Emmanuel Smith, Ambassador of the Republic of Ghana to the United States of America, for his work connecting Savannah, Georgia, to the Republic of Ghana. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to His Excellency Victor Emmanuel Smith. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia House resolution honors Victor Emmanuel Smith, Ambassador of the Republic of Ghana to the United States, for his work linking Savannah, Georgia to Ghana. ### Plain-language summary This resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives is a ceremonial honor, not a change to state law. It recognizes His Excellency Victor Emmanuel Smith, the Ambassador of the Republic of Ghana to the United States, citing his decades of work in diplomacy, business consulting, and mentoring, including his role increasing trade between Ghana and the United Kingdom and building diaspora business networks. The resolution formally commends Ambassador Smith for his work connecting Savannah, Georgia, to Ghana. It directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare an official copy of the resolution for distribution to him. It creates no new rules, funding, or penalties; it is a statement of recognition passed by the House. ### What it does - Formally commends Ambassador Victor Emmanuel Smith for his diplomatic career and his work connecting Savannah, Georgia to the Republic of Ghana. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare and distribute an official copy of the resolution to Ambassador Smith. - Recites his background as a Ghanaian diplomat, investment consultant, and mentor, without creating any legal obligation tied to that background. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names Ambassador Victor Emmanuel Smith and the Clerk of the Georgia House of Representatives, who must prepare the commemorative copy. It has no legal effect on any other group, agency, or individual in Georgia. ### Why it matters This is a symbolic honor with no binding legal effect. It does not change any Georgia law, create funding, or impose requirements on anyone besides directing the House Clerk to produce a ceremonial copy for the ambassador. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses recite Ambassador Smith's biography and accomplishments, including an 18 percent increase in trade between Ghana and the United Kingdom during his tenure as High Commissioner. - The resolving clause commends Ambassador Smith for his work connecting Savannah, Georgia to Ghana. - A further resolution clause directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to distribute a copy of the resolution to Ambassador Smith. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-01-29) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2026-01-29) - Sponsors: Edna Jackson - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72649 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1162.md?full=1