Ghanaian companies, government, and NGOs partner for Sustainable Development

The UNDP-led SDG Philanthropy Platform in partnership with Reach for Change and the Ministry of Finance in Ghana, hosted an inaugural interactive dialogue with 20 Ghanaian corporations on Thursday.

The dialogue was organized to provide an opportunity for various sectors to discuss how corporate social responsibility (CSR) can drive the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The dialogue, themed “Building Effective Partnerships for the Sustainable Development Goals,” was organized to initiate partnerships between the private sector, the development/nonprofit sector and government, enabling them to work together to realize the SDGs in Ghana by 2030.

Ghana’s Minister of Finance, Hon. Ken Ofori-Atta, delivered the keynote address and said that Ghanaian corporations and private companies are critical players in driving Ghana’s SDG targets.

“We strongly believe that Ghana has the means to finance the implementation of the SDGs. For us to achieve a Ghana beyond aid, we need to mobilize domestic resources including the passions and innovations of social enterprises and the funding and business acumen of corporate Ghana,” he said.

Around 25 CEOs from major private companies across Ghana, attended the dialogue and heard about two new national initiatives designed to contribute to the SDGs in Ghana.

Guests from the public sector, private sector and civil society came together discuss how corporate social responsibility can drive the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Reach for Change announced its new National Accelerator programme, entitled “Ghana Innovates for the SDGs,” which support local social innovators to achieve nationwide impact in various SDG areas including health, education, water, poverty, hunger, economic growth, climate and more.

The National Accelerator provides an opportunity for Ghanaian corporations to fulfill their corporate social responsibility strategy and can be tailored to specific interest areas of corporate investors, Amma Sefa-Dedeh Lartey, the Reach for Change Africa Director explained after the event.

“Private finance is essential for catalysing development finance and serves as an essential engine for sustainable development,” Lartey said. “When investment is made in local social entrepreneurs, the potential for long term change increases dramatically because social enterprises are impact-driven businesses that are designed to become financially sustainable.”

Christine Evans-Klock, the United Nations Resident Coordinator, delivered an address at the dialogue for forming partnerships to achieve the SDGs in Ghana.

The Ghana Philanthropy and Impact Investment Forum, an association of corporate and private foundations and impact investors, was launched. The forum will be hosted by SE Ghana with support from the Ministry of Finance and is a result of a series of consultations led by The SDG Philanthropy Forum. It will connect philanthropy and impact investing with the development sector and create opportunities to share knowledge and collaborate around investment in initiatives that are working towards the SDGs.

Karolina Mzyk, Global Manager of the SDG Philanthropy Platform, said that Thursday’s dialogue event was intended as the first of a series of annual meetings to bring together actors from various sectors in Ghana to help them build partnerships towards the Global Goals, and in the process, make a substantial contribution towards Ghana’s SDG targets.

At the conclusion of the event, a number of CEOs pledged financial capital for SDG-targeted development initiatives on behalf of their companies.

Ghana Innovates for the SDGs and the Ghana Philanthropy and Impact Investment Forum are expected to commence operations in early 2018.

Reach for Change's Africa Regional Direct, Amma Sefa-Dedeh Lartey emphasized that private finance is crucial to sustainable development in Ghana.

About Reach for Change

Reach for Change Africa is a non-profit organization that invests in innovative, early-stage social entrepreneurs who are addressing problems faced by children, youth and women in seven countries across the continent; Ghana, Senegal, Chad, Ethiopia, DR Congo, Rwanda and Tanzania. Reach for Change runs innovation competitions and provides Accelerator and Incubator programs to exceptional social entrepreneurs who are supported to scale their innovations through funding, access to technical and organizational management expertise, and networking opportunities. Reach for Change Africa is a part of the global organization Reach for Change which operates in 17 countries worldwide.

About the Sustainable Development Goals Philanthropy Platform

The Sustainable Development Goals Philanthropy Platform is a global initiative that has brought together over a thousand philanthropists from over eight countries to facilitate effective collaboration so that together, funding and programmes have? a greater and more sustainable impact on people's lives. The Platform is led by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA). In Ghana, the platform was launched in July 2015, and has been involved in multi-stakeholder partnerships and engagement processes in the thematic areas of water, education and enabling environments research -aimed at helping both local and global foundations to align their giving with Ghana’s SDGs priorities and broker development frameworks.

The Platform has recently launched a new interactive portal – www.sdgphilanthropy.org – which serves as an open SDG resource hub and a marketplace to support initiatives, and ideas for philanthropists, foundations, governments, the UN, and social innovators.