IOM and Government of Ghana undertake ambitious project on the Ghanaian diaspora

Engaging Ghana’s 11th region: IOM and Government of Ghana undertake ambitious project on the Ghanaian diaspora.

Engaging Ghana’s 11th region: IOM and Government of Ghana undertake ambitious project on the Ghanaian diaspora.

IOM has been supporting the Government of Ghana to better engage with the over 3,000,000 strong Ghanaian diaspora living across the world. The project entitled “Linking the Ghanaian Diaspora to the development of Ghana”, was initiated in July 2011*, and has so far:

• Profiled Ghanaian diaspora groups in the five target countries (Germany, UK, USA, Italy and the Netherland)
• Created dialogue opportunities between the Government of Ghana and the diaspora, including a national diaspora colloquium which was held in August 2012;
• Established a national Diaspora Support Unit at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to support the diaspora; and
• Created a diaspora database and diaspora website (www.ghanaiandiaspora.com ) to serve as a platform for facilitating the engagement of the country’s emigrants in the sustainable development by the Government of Ghana.

“It is important that the diaspora are central to any effort to engage them. This project was designed in close consultation with representatives of the Ghanaian diaspora, and in doing so, the urgent need for strong continuing follow-up mechanisms became apparent, said Ms. Dyane Epstein, Chief of Mission, International Organisation for Migration.

The follow-up mechanisms which comprise a dedicated website and a Diaspora Support Unit will serve as a one stop shop for all issues relating to the diaspora, and follow up on behalf of the Ghanaian diaspora. The Unit has as a part of its core mission to identify:

• Who are the Diaspora and where are they? - carry on the Diaspora group mapping exercise started as a part of the DEP, seek the Diaspora’s help in mapping all the Ghanaian Diaspora groups across the world in the next 18 months.
• What are the Diaspora doing/can the Diaspora do for Ghana? - highlight examples of members of the Diaspora that are contributing to Ghana’s development locally.
• What is Ghana doing for the Diaspora? – highlight ongoing issues of interest to the diaspora e.g. Homecoming Summit in 2001, Ghana Dual Citizenship Regulation Act (2002), creation of the Diaspora Support Unit, investment opportunities.

Data from the Bank of Ghana and the World Bank indicate that the annual monetary and other contribution of the Ghanaian diaspora is a crucial part of Ghana’s balance of payments, far outstripping the combined total of official development aid that the country receives. Therefore, linking the Ghanaian diaspora to development, as has been done in the Philippines and Mexico, is a key component to the sustainable development of Ghana.

* The Diaspora Engagement Project is an IOM/GoG project which contribute to the efforts of the Government of Ghana (GoG) to mobilize the country’s diaspora toward its socio-economic development through dialogue and subsequent developmental engagements in Ghana.
ENDS

For more information on the project and website: www.ghanaiandiaspora.com , Skype: ghdiaspora
For more information and media requests, please contact:
IOM-Ghana: Ms. Patience Lartey +223 0302742930 plartey@iom.int, Diaspora Support Unit: Angela Odai +233.509.679.286, angela.odai@ghanaiandiapora.com, Kwaku Yeboa: +233.509.679.287. kwaku.yeboa@ghanaiandiaspora.com,