Speech at the President's Commemorative Event on his appointment as Co-chair of the SDG Advocates

Your Excellency, Mr. President, on behalf of the United Nations team in Ghana, I am honoured to be here to congratulate you this afternoon, and to thank you for having accepted the invitation of UN Secretary-General António Guterres to co-chair the group of Eminent Advocates for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.  

In this appointment, the Secretary General has rightly recognised Ghana’s past achievements under the Millennium Development Goals to reduce extreme poverty by half, its leadership in the development phase of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the high expectations for Ghana's future achievements of the sustainable development goals.

The fact that not one but two Presidents of Ghana have been appointed to this leadership position by not one but two successive Secretary-Generals says a lot about the confidence in Ghana!

Ghana's progress thus far has already been exemplary in several important aspects.

The first area I would mention is in data.  The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) and the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) have provided substantial leadership in creating the SDG Data Roadmap.  There is commitment to integrate the SDGs into the national development plans and avoid duplication of reporting schemes by using the same set of indicators to the maximum possible, and to be able to disaggregate data and to see whether anyone or any district is being left behind.

There is a lot to count in the 2030 Agenda...

There five components known as the 5 Ps:

• on People, to end poverty and hunger and ensure dignity and equality,
• on Prosperity, to modernise agriculture and diversify industry,
• for our Planet, to protect our natural resources and climate for future generations,
• for peaceful, just and inclusive societies,
• and to accomplish all this through Partnerships – public and private sector, all segments of society, all levels of government, and between countries.

Then there are the 17 goals, that translate the core values & principles into concrete & measurable results.  These values include to reach the furthest behind first; to realise gender equality; to ensure access to justice for all.

There are 169 targets, each of which comes with indicators for benchmarking and tracking global progress. 

These targets are the focus of implementation strategies owned by Member States. There is no stipulation in the Agenda 2030 of how the goals and targets are to be achieved.

Each Government has responsibility to set plans that make sense in their country to achieve the SDGs, based on their priorities, starting points, and circumstances.

We are looking forward to the forthcoming Coordinated Programme for Economic and Social Development Policies to articulate the domestication of the SDGs, setting out priorities and implementation strategies, through the national development plans.

A second exemplary aspect of progress thus far that bodes very well for Ghana is the extent of social mobilisation.

One of the lessons drawn from the experience with the MDGs worldwide, is the importance of ownership of global goals at the local level. 

Over 100 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Ghana took the initiative to organise themselves into a Platform to support the SDGs in Ghana. Organised in 17 clusters, one per SDG, plus one additional one on advocacy, the Platform is raising awareness of what the SDGs should mean to all Ghanaians and are promoting community engagement, ownership, accountability in all 216 districts. The UN is proud to work with them, as they focus their own work towards implementing the SDGs and build accountability at the local level.

Mr President,

In announcing your appointment earlier this year, the Secretary-General referred to some of the ways that this group of Eminent Advocates could make a difference.  Because they are drawn from among leaders in business, in the arts, in sports, in academia, they are well placed to encourage new partnerships with a broad set of stakeholders for implementing and financing the SDGs.

The presentations at this commemorative event today, draw from across this same range, representing the private sector, civil society, youth, and all levels of government.

The Secretary General also called on the SDG advocates to raise awareness for the integrated nature of the SDGs.

The Agenda 2030 is one ambitious and unified agenda for social, economic and environmental development.

Its strength is the interconnected and indivisible nature of the 17 Goals.  

A whole-of-Government approach is needed to ensure coherence between sectors, between policy initiatives. When the development challenges we target are complex, there is no simple stand-alone way to address them effectively.

Mr. President, your inauguration today of the High Level Ministerial Committee on SDG implementation recognises this need and I believe that this Committee has the potential to be instrumental to Ghana’s success in achieving the SDGs.

I also hope that this Committee could provide strategic guidance for a harmonised partnership with the United Nations team for SDG implementation.  We would welcome working with this Committee in setting the strategic priorities for the 2018-22 UN Sustainable Development Partnership (UNSDP) and then in monitoring its implementation. Let us be on the Committee's agenda periodically, to share information on how we are contributing to the SDGs and to be held accountable for meeting our commitments to SDG implementation.   

Finally, Mr President,

I have mentioned the diversity of talent among the SDG Advocates and their ability to support the integrated nature of the SDGs. But by appointing Heads of State as the Co-chairs, the Secretary-General has also emphasised that responsibility for implementing the SDGs lies with national governments. 

It is up to them to set national SDG implementation strategies – for implementation strategies that are enabled through national budgets, that are prioritised in development partnerships, and that can be tracked and documented through national data sources.

Your strong advocate voice globally and regionally will be backed up with tangible progress at home, and with visible SDG achievements that make a difference in the lives of all Ghanaians.

We in the UN are proud to be your partners in that effort.

In closing, I am grateful that the Office of the President and the NDPC organised today’s special commemorative event so that we can thank you, Mr. President, for having accepted to take on this global leadership role to advocate for realising the promise of the SDGs to build a shared prosperity, to leave no one behind, to protect the earth's natural resources, and to build peace and protect human rights.

I look forward to the exciting events ahead by the Eminent Advocates for the SDGs under your leadership. 

Thank you.