Edward Acquah
Accra, April 30, GNA – The United Nations has disseminated results for the first year of implementation of the Organisation’s Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) agreement with Ghana.
The UNSDCF, which is being implemented from 2023-2025, was signed on 28 April 2023 to galvanise progress on the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Ghana.
The UN held a dissemination dialogue with civil society organisations in Accra on Monday, during which the outcome of the framework in the first year of implementation was shared.
Under the UNSDCF agreement with Ghana, the UN will deploy an estimated US$517m over the cooperation period around three key pillars of work; Inclusive Economic Transformation; Equitable Access to Services; and Durable Peace in Ghana and the Sub-region.
The framework focuses on key issues such as financing, the environment and climate, digitalisation, urbanisation, data for decision-making, and strengthened partnerships across all pillars.
It also outlines the UN development system’s integrated contributions to the Sustainable SDGs along with a commitment to leaving no one behind, a human rights-based approach to Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, and to building resilience, sustainability, and strengthening accountability.
Key results
Disseminating the findings at the workshop, Ms Gifty A. Tetteh, Partnerships and Development Finance Officer, UN-Ghana, said more than 105,000 micro, medium, and small enterprises and farmers had been supported to enhance their productivity and adoption of innovative practices for environmental, social and economic sustainability.
She said more than 6.3 million people had received access to basic services while more than 102,000 women-led businesses had been supported to improve their productivity through digitisation and access to finance.
The UN said more than 290,000 women and youth had accessed crucial services in HIV prevention, family planning, and gender-based violence, while more than 157,000 beneficiaries received cash transfers, including 129,000 females meeting their food and nutrition needs.
More than 2.9 million vulnerable people, comprising 640,000 pregnant women have been enrolled on the National Health Insurance Scheme.
Under education, Ms Tetteh said the UN leveraged its leadership of the Education Sector Development Partners Group, which enabled Ghana to mobilise a grant of $72m from the Global Partnership for Education.
Under peace and security, the UN said it mobilised $3.5m for peace-building efforts and supported the establishment of two regional peace councils to address critical conflict drivers among other interventions.
Under climate change, the UN supported the Government of Ghana to broker investment deals with bilateral investors towards the realisation of $500bn for pipeline projects in Ghana’s energy transition plan.
Mr Charles Abani, the UN Resident Coordinator to Ghana, said the UN was committed to supporting Ghana to meet its development targets under the SDGs to drive inclusivity and deliver prosperity for all.
He emphasised the need for Ghana to “turbo charge” the implementation of the SDGs and rallied CSOs and other relevant stakeholders to support the successful implementation of the frameworks to ensure that no one was left behind.
“If we are to make progress, then we have to double down on the things that will make a difference and really not focus on the things that are not making a difference,” he said.
GNA