Officials from the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) have held a two-day dissemination workshop on Ghana’s 2022 Voluntary National Review (VNR) on the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The engagement forms part of moves by the government towards enhancing citizens’ inclusion regardless of gender, and physical appearance and educating those at the local level about the importance of the SDGs and some efforts being taken to achieve them.
Mr Charles Kofi Konglo, a Senior Planning Analyst at the NDPC during a presentation, held in Ho on Thursday, said Ghana’s progress in implementation of the SDGs had been mixed and that gender parity and high completion rates had been sustained at the kindergarten, primary, and junior high levels while formal and informal education and training had gone up.
He explained that there had also been improved outcomes in tackling maternal mortality, obesity among children, women’s participation in parliament and local government and access to improved drinking water services and electricity among others.
Mr Konglo stated that the government was making strides in achieving the SDGs regardless of the challenges with a focus on leaving no one behind.
He said the government’s initiatives such as the inclusive and Special Education Programme, review of the Persons with Disability Act, 2006 (Act 715), Planting for Food and Jobs, Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD), One District, One Factory, and Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP), and others have shown strong synergies.
“For instance, inclusive and special education is contributing to expanding access to education for special needs children, thereby helping in achieving Quality Education (SDGs 4). Also, Planting for Food and Jobs, Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD) and One district, One factory is contributing to poverty reduction (SDG1), job creation (SDG8), and climate change adaptation (SDG13),” he revealed.
Mrs Winifred Asare, a member of the Implementation Coordination Committee (ICC) on her part, said everybody must get involved in making efforts toward implementing the SDGs.
She explained that the government had localised the SDGs implementation at all levels as part of moves to achieve the SDG “so all of us must come on board and participate in this agenda since it is for all of us.”
She appealed to the various Municipal and District Assemblies in the region to ensure they stepped up efforts toward citizen participation and knowledge of the SDGs.
The event was attended by some stakeholders from the entire region such as Heads of public and private Institutions, youth groups, Civil Society Organisations, Persons with Disability, and representatives from all the Municipal and District assemblies from the region.
The Government of Ghana had integrated both the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Africa Agenda 2063 into its national development agenda.
By Agbaxode Emmanuel, GNA
