Category: General

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 f
or 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.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Prince Ofosu Sefah, the Administrator of Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC), has called for accelerated efforts and collaboration to advance e-waste management in Africa.

He said there were challenges in effectively managing the resultant electronic waste, emphasising the need for more effective strategic management.

Mr Sefah was speaking at the ongoing Connected Africa Summit 2024, where he represented Mr Charles Acheampong, the Deputy Minister of Communications and Digitalisation Designate.

The summit serves as a strategic forum to chart a course towards a digitally empowered and interconnected future for Africa, setting the stage for unprecedented growth and prosperity.

It aims to underscore the relevance of the digital economy in driving economic growth and development and it will provide an opportunity for African leaders, investors, and businesses to come together and harness the vast opportunities presented by the digital economy while addressing barriers and pressing i
ssues affecting our economies.

It is to promote greater collaboration and fuel investment towards the achievement of Africa’s Digital Agenda 2063 and Vision 2030.

Mr Sefah said millions of women and children labourers face risk working in the informal recycling sector worldwide, urging strategic interventions to mitigate e-waste exposure.

He said in Ghana, pursuant to the e-Waste Act, an e-Waste Fund had been established with the mandate of overseeing funds set aside for the management of e-Waste in Ghana.

The Administrator said the Fund was to invest in the development of infrastructure and capacity-building initiatives that enable the safe collection, transportation, and recycling of e-waste.

He said the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation, through GIFEC, was collaborating with the e-Waste Fund to leverage GIFEC’s extensive network of Community ICT Centres to establish convenient collection points for electronic waste across various communities in Ghana.

He said this cooperation presented a
unique and innovative opportunity to address the environmental challenges posed by e-waste while simultaneously enhancing the accessibility of disposal options, and more importantly, awareness creation on e-waste for communities across Ghana.

Mr Sefah called on all stakeholders to join forces, especially through regulatory harmonisation and sensitisation of citizens, to better manage the challenge of e-waste management and rather realise its great potential benefits in Africa.

The Administrator said there were opportunities for economic development emerging from the unprecedented surge in the adoption of technology, fueled by the rapid expansion of mobile connectivity and the increasing penetration of Internet services.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Central Command of the Ghana Police Service took the lead in recorded road accidents among the three Commands in the Central Region.

The Command registered a total of 15 deaths and 199 injuries in 119 road crashes from January to March.

The Central East Regional Command followed, with 12 deaths and 144 injuries in 74 crashes, while the Central North Regional Command recorded seven deaths with 67 injuries from 52 road crashes.

Mrs Linda Affotey-Annang, the Central Regional Head of the National Road Safety Authority, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Cape Coast.

In all, the three regions registered a total of 34 deaths and 410 injuries in 245 road crashes.

Ms Affotey-Annang said the saddening spectacles happened due to a myriad of factors, particularly non-adherence to road safety regulations.

For crashes, the Central Command contributed the highest percentage of 49, followed by the Central North Regional Command 21 per cent and Central East Region Command, 30 per cent. The Central Comman
d as well had the uppermost contribution of injuries, tallying 49 per cent, followed by the Central North Regional Command, 16 per cent, and the Central East regional Command, 35 per cent.

Regarding deaths from crashes, she said the Central Regional Command yet again, had the highest contribution of 44 per cent followed by the Central North Regional Command of 21 per cent and Central East Regional Command of 35 per cent.

Motorcycle crashes are on the rise with Central region recording 25.9 percent followed by central north with 15.0 percent, then central east with 56.5 percent increase.

The Central, Central North and East Region recorded 34, 25 and 36 motorcycle cases respectively, as compared to the 27, 10, and 23 cases recorded respectively in 2023.

In all, she said the regions largely recorded significant increases in various road indicators and gave advice to policymakers and law enforcers to work collectively to create a road culture that prioritise safety, respect and responsibility to change the tr
end.

‘We must be ambassadors on road to ensure zero fatalities and injuries.’

Though, she described the situation as disheartening and worrying, the NRSA was working closely with relevant stakeholders to ensure reduction in cases recorded.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Ghana is hosting the African Maritime Forces Summit (AFMS) and the Naval Infantry Leaders Symposium-Africa (NILS-A) to increase cooperation and synergy in dealing with maritime threats in the region.

The three-day symposium, which began in Accra on Tuesday, April 30, attracted scores of Governmental and military leaders from over forty countries.

It was on the theme, ‘Cooperation at Sea: Safeguarding African Maritime Security.’

The meeting would be characterised by a series of panels and focused discussions on maritime security challenges and opportunities.

It will also serve as a platform for developing joint approaches and models for integrated operations, such as countering and prosecuting illegal marine activities like piracy, and contraband trafficking, and assessing marine security interventions, among other things.

Madam Virginia Palmer, US Ambassador to Ghana, told media at a press conference that the event was aimed at strengthening strategic-level relationships to facilitate better regional co
operation in dealing with maritime threats.

‘Our agenda over the next few days is to enhance our naval capabilities, to foster interoperability, and to build the crisis response capacities that African maritime forces need to ensure security and stability.

‘We recognize that effective maritime security is about more than ships and equipment; it’s about the partnerships we forge,’ she said.

Madam Palmer also highlighted other maritime corporations between the United States, Ghana and other regional allies aimed at increasing the capabilities of their security forces both on and offshore.

She said the cooperations covered technical training at the Ghana Armed Forces Engineering School, maritime maintenance training at the Naval Base in Sekondi and naval infrastructure projects at the Naval Training Command (NAVTRAC).

‘It also includes equipment to build the capacity of the Ghana Navy, like the 87-foot coastal security ships bolstering maritime security capacity in the Gulf of Guinea.

‘We also provided six
million dollars in additional equipment to the special boat squadron and projects at NAVTRAC, part of the 28 million dollars in US security assistance to Ghana last year’, she said

Rear Admiral Issah Adam Yakubu, Ghana’s Chief of Naval Staff, emphasized the meeting’s relevance for allied states.

He said the platform would allow for the ‘sharing of knowledge, best practices, and creating an atmosphere that would give solutions to our complex and dynamic maritime security issues around the African continent.’

Rear Adm. Yakubu praised the United States for its ongoing collaborations with the Ghana Navy, including capacity building for naval personnel, equipment transfers, and various sea exercises.

Admiral Stuart Munsch, Commander, US Naval Forces Europe-Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF) and Commander, Allied Joint Force Command (JFC), Naples, stated that the meeting would develop policies not only for security but also for the protection of commercial zones, resulting in economic growth.

‘We are also looking at mariti
me domain awareness to understand what is going on at sea in the exclusive economic zones. As to how to intercept illegal activity and how to resolve it judicially so it comes to a halt,’ he said.

The event takes place a week before the start of NAVAF’s premier West African maritime exercise, Obangame Express 2024.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), in partnership with the Ministry of Transport of Cameroon, has launched an initiative to address the gender gaps within West and Central Africa’s maritime security sector.

A Code of Practice for Women, Peace, and Security Practitioners was launched as part of the initiative to propel women into leadership roles in the sector.

The Code, developed by KAIPTC with funding from Denmark, represents a significant leap towards gender parity in this traditionally male-dominated field.

Mr Jean Ernest Masséna Ngallé Bibéhè, the Minister of Transport of Cameroon, in a speech read on his behalf by the deputy director in Charge of Navigation, Security and Protection of the Maritime Environment and Inland Waterways at the Ministry, Elvis Hene Ngwane emphasized the Code’s potential to equip women with the necessary skills and knowledge to become maritime security decision-makers.

He said that equal opportunities for training and advancement were crucial
for achieving gender-based development within the sector.

Mr Elvis Hene Ngwane (left), Deputy Director of Navigation at the Ministry of Transport, Cameroon, supported by Air Commodore Akrong (right) to launch the Code.

The Minister applauded KAIPTC’s initiative, highlighting its potential to bring about tangible improvements through a more balanced and representative maritime security force.

He urged stakeholders in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) to adopt and utilize the Code, emphasizing its role in fostering regional security, peace, and development.

Col. Bell Bell Emmanuel, Head of Information Management at the Interregional Coordination Centre (ICC) for the Gulf of Guinea, addressing calls for revisions to the Yaoundé Code of Conduct, a decade-old maritime security protocol, expressed the ICC’s intention to use KAIPTC’s Code as a reference point for integrating gender considerations into the revised Yaoundé Code.

Air
Commodore David Akrong, the Deputy Commandant, pointed out the initiative’s strategic focus on the Gulf of Guinea, a region grappling with complex challenges like piracy, illegal fishing, and environmental degradation.

He observed that while the issues disproportionately impacted coastal communities and maritime professionals, including women, current policies often overlook the potential contributions of women in finding solutions.

With the support of the Cameroonian and Danish governments, KAIPTC is confident that widespread adoption of the Code across West and Central Africa will empower women to play a more significant role in all aspects of maritime security.

The Code of Practice for Women, Peace, and Security Practitioners emphasizes four key areas: participation, protection, prevention, relief and recovery.

It is aligned with UN Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, providing a roadmap for achieving gender equality within maritime security.

It seeks to address the historical underrepresent
ation of women in maritime security positions.

The launch in Cameroon marks the first of seven planned ceremonies across the West and Central Africa regions.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The third African Media Convention (AMC) will be held from May 15 to 17th, 2024, at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC), the Local Organising Committee (LOC) has announced.

Organisers say ‘significant progress’ has been made towards the event as necessary logistics, personnel and resources have been secured.

Mr Albert Dwumfour, President of the Ghana Journalists Association, addressing the press in Accra, said the LOC, as of Tuesday, April 30, 2024, had exceeded its target for foreign and local participants.

He said over 500 media experts, scholars, journalists, press associations, as well as editors from public and private media across the continent had registered to take part in the three-day convention.

‘We have hit the 600 target for foreign participants and 400 local participants. This is an indication of high expectations,’ he stated, adding that marketing campaigns and publicity materials were ‘in their final review stages for onward distribution and circulation.’

AMC is a gathering
of media stakeholders and policymakers on the continent. An initiative of the African Editors’ Forum (TAEF). It is designed to safeguard media freedoms and the safety of journalists on the continent. The maiden edition was held in Arusha, Tanzania, in 2022.

The Accra edition, according to the LOC, would bring together media practitioners, cooperating partners across the African continent as well as representatives from United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and the African Union Commission.

Mr Dwumfour said that the LOC had the ‘full assurance’ of the government and President Akufo-Addo, who is due to launch the conference, which aims to ‘generate ideas and shape the future of media in Africa and around the world.’

‘The AMC offers a refreshing platform that has the potential to make a significant impact in our industry on the continental level…The hosting of the 3rd AMC in Ghana is a testament to Ghana’s record as one of Africa’s fast-growing conference destinations.

‘Ad
ditionally, it will focus attention on how to combat misinformation on the continent’s social media platforms, especially in the face of threats to democracy,’ Mr Dwumfour stated.

He said the forum was of ‘significant historical value’ because it coincided with the 75th anniversary of the GJA.

‘Arguably, the largest gathering of media stakeholders and policymakers in the continent, we at the GJA and the LOC are confident of our readiness to host this convention,’ Mr Dwumfour noted.

Commending government agencies and stakeholders, the GJA president urged media practitioners to create a buzz around the event to enable it to achieve its objectives.

The event, he said, would be telecast live on the State broadcaster, GTV, and media houses had until Friday, May 3, 2024, to confirm participation.

Ms Fatimatu Abubakar, Minister of Information designate, reiterated the government’s support, and called on corporate entities to participate in the conference, which she described as ‘a proud moment for media practic
e in Ghana.’

Mr Cecil Sunkwa-Mill, President, Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA), Mr. Muheeb Saeed, Programmes Manager, Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), and Kenteman Nii Laryea Sowah, a representative of PRINPAG, all indicated support for the event and encouraged stakeholders to participate actively.

Source: Ghana News Agency