GHANA’S PROGRESS REPORT ON SDGS TO BE SUBMITTED TO UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
A Technical Committee set up by government for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has initiated preparations to present and submit Ghana’s progress report on the SDGs to the next United Nations (UN) General Assembly in October 2018.
This was made known by Minister of Planning, Professor George Gyan – Baffour at the 2017 Impact Africa Summit: Ghana on SDGs on Thursday November 30 at the Tang Palace Hotel in Accra where he delivered the opening address on behalf of government as the Special Guest of Honor.
The Technical Committee made up of diverse public institutional representation, civil society groups and the private sector according to the Planning Minister has the responsibility of implementing the decisions of the High Level Ministerial Committee inaugurated by President Nana Akufo – Addo in September for initiating and facilitating activities for achieving the SDGs.
Professor Gyan Baffour who is also the Chair of the High Level Ministerial Committee indicated that the Technical Committee has already developed indicators for measuring Ghana’s SDG performance. This has been ratified by the respective Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
The Minister further mentioned that government has aligned the SDGs and its targets with Ghana’s national development priorities and aspirations as embodied in The Coordinated Programme of Economic and Social Development Policies (CPESDP) 2017-2024: “An agenda for jobs: creating prosperity and equal opportunities for all” recently presented to Parliament.
This agenda is organized under four goals including creating opportunities for all Ghanaians, and safeguarding the natural environment and ensuring a resilient built environment. The rest are maintaining a stable, united and safe society and building a prosperous society.
According to the Minister, all the seventeen SDGs can be matched to the Goals of the Agenda for Jobs. Also, a matrix has been developed matching the relevant SDGs targets to the indicators of Medium-Term Development Planning Framework (MTDPF), 2018-2021, which is the medium term action plan for the Coordinated Programme.
Professor Gyan – Baffour charged organizers of the Impact Africa Summit on SDGs to support in building the local momentum for implementing and achieving the SDGs and also strengthen the means of localizing and sustaining the gains that will be made in the implementation the SDGs.
