SDGs: Ghana making strides – Norway premier

Ghana is making significant progress towards achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, Minister of Foreign Affairs, has said.

Ms Botchway, who had an interview with Class91.3FM’s Executive Breakfast Show host, Moro Awudu, in New York, shortly after a bilateral meeting between President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana and Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg, both co-Chairs of the Advocacy Group of Eminent Persons for the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), said the Norwegian Prime Minister, acknowledged that “Ghana is doing well”.

Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister pointed out that Ms Solberg was, however, not sure about how the other African countries were doing in relation to the SDGs.

She said President Akufo-Addo told his co-Chair that President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, who is the current Chair of the AU, was working to get all African countries to adopt the SDGs.

Ms Botchway explained that Ghana already has a systematic way of dealing with the SDGs by ensuring that all governance processes fall in line with the objectives of the SDGs.

She pointed out that President Akufo-Addo’s number one goal is for a quick transformation of the country through industrialisation to make Ghana a country beyond foreign aid.

The minister explained that Mr Akufo-Addo was also working to ensure that Ghana has a strong economy in order to make lives more comfortable and prevent overseas migration, an issue the Norwegian Prime Minister expressed concern about.

The 73rd session of the UN General Assembly has officially opened on the theme: “Making the United Nations relevant to all people: Global leadership and shared responsibility for peaceful, equitable and sustainable societies”.

President Akufo-Addo is expected to participate in a series of events relating to the SDGs, and also deliver a speech at a high-level event on the United Nations Youth Strategy.

He will also receive the 2018 Outstanding Leaders Award from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in recognition of his leadership and commitment to championing trade and investment as the means of helping grow Ghana’s economy.

President Akufo-Addo will, in addition, hold bilateral talks with some colleague Heads of State, as well as some CEOs of some global enterprises.