Ghana has been recognized as one of the countries that have made tremendous strides in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Dr Kodjo Esseim Mensah-Abrampa, Director General of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), disclosed this at a dissemination workshop to deepen the awareness and ownership of the SDGs.
The workshop was to share what has been accomplished in implementing the SDGs, discuss, identified challenges and areas that can be improved.
He said several heads of state and development partners commended Ghana during the presentation of the Voluntary National Review (VNR) at the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, under the auspices of the United Nations Economic and Social Council in July 2022.
Dr Mensah-Abrampa said the country made a special attempt to mainstream the SDGs and also to ensure that the process is localized to make sure no one is left behind.
The review, he said, showed that Ghana recorded improvement but faced challenges in certain areas.
“We made a lot of strides in the area of education but have a lot of problems with respect to polluting the ocean, the sea and also the water bodies. These are the areas that require collaborative efforts by all stakeholders especially the districts that are the implementation hands of the SDGs as well as the national development plan at the sub-national level.
He called on MMDAs to localize the implementation and reporting of SDGs, citing the Accra Metropolitan Assembly as having conducted its Voluntary Local Review with support from the Economic Commission for Africa.
Stakeholders at the workshop included Development Planning Officers, Youth and Children Group, Women Group, Persons with Disabilities, Civil Society Organisations and the Media.
Joyce Adwoa Animia Ocran, ISD
