Ghana and the State of North Rhine-Westphalia have signed an agreement on seven specific areas of cooperation.
The areas include “non-governmental, not-for-profit, and private-sector organisations, diaspora organisations, religious organisations of all denominations, business corporations, local councils, educational establishments and GIZ development agency.”
The Agreement, signed by Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, and the Minister-President for North Rhine-Westphalia, Armin Laschet, on Wednesday, is guided and informed by the principles and goals set out in the United Nations’ Agenda 2030 and the agenda 2063 of the African Union.
As part of the G20 Compact with Africa, Ghana and Germany signed a reform-oriented partnership to promote joint, African-style development projects involving public and private players.
A statement issued after the signing of the agreement said, “Both sides seek to intensify, at governmental and civil-service level, a dialogue that has been proven effective and productive, and to foster exchanges between local communities and local-authority institutions.
Ghana and State of North Rhine-Westphalia welcomed and supported the cooperation between non-governmental organisations (NGOs), churches and not-for-profit organisations from both countries.”
Additionally, Ghana and North Rhine-Westphalia will support collaboration between colleges of Higher Education, particularly with regard to the universities of applied sciences and technical universities newly established by the Government of Ghana. Activities will centre on measures to enhance the organisation and profile of the new universities of applied sciences and assist in creating courses focusing on practice over theory.
The partnership also aims to foster discussion and mutual exchange on entrepreneurship, start-up support and the realisation of new labour-market potential.
The protection of resources and sustainable business practices remain important goals of the partnership as “these can also be pursued and achieved as part of joint educational and training initiatives and through additional funding for social and technological innovation,” the statement said.
Rex Mainoo Yeboah, ISD
