Speech by the UN Resident Coordinator at the Launch of the UN Ghana Annual Results Report 2025

Good Morning! I am very happy to welcome you to the launch of the UN Ghana Annual Results Report 2025. This report is the United Nations Country Team's account to the people of Ghana.  It is a transparent record of what we set out to do, what we delivered, and where we must do better. 

2025 was a year of transition and evolving development priorities for Ghana’s partnerships. A new government assumed office with a clear mandate and ambitious priorities. 

Globally, financing for development tightened, and the international aid architecture continued to shift, placing new pressures on multilateral institutions and their partners. 

At the same time, Ghana made important progress across key economic and development fronts. Inflation declined significantly, and progress continued across health, education and livelihoods. 

However, challenges remained. The effects of climate change continued to disrupt livelihoods, especially in the north of the country. Many young people still faced limited employment opportunities. Learning outcomes remained a concern. Inequality, exclusion and pressure on essential services continued to affect too many communities. They shape the daily lives of people across Ghana, and they remind us why partnership and delivery matter. 

In this context, the UN Country Team worked to adapt its support - recalibrating programmes, strengthening how we worked together, and focusing resources where they could make the greatest difference. The results documented in this report reflect that collective effort. 

In 2025, the UN system in Ghana delivered programmes worth USD 113.3 million, achieving an 80% delivery rate against available resources, a significant improvement from 64.6% in 2024. That improvement reflects a deliberate effort to work with greater discipline, coherence, and accountability across the 34 agencies, funds and programmes that make up the UN Country Team. 

It is also important to be clear about what these figures represent. Not every contribution of the UN system can be fully captured in one report, and not every available dollar is spent within the same reporting year.  But the direction is clear: In 2025, the UN Country Team improved delivery, strengthened coordination and focused more deliberately on results that are aligned with Ghana’s priorities. 

Behind those figures are real outcomes for real people:  

• Children receiving quality education and nutrition support. 

• Farmers accessing improved seeds, climate-smart techniques, and market linkages.  

• Women and girls expanding their economic opportunities and exercising their rights.  

• Persons with disabilities gaining greater inclusion and using their voices. 

• Communities being better prepared for floods, droughts, and other climate shocks.  

• And citizens engaging with stronger, more responsive institutions. 

These results were achieved in partnership with the Government of Ghana, with civil society, Organisations of persons with disabilities, with the private sector, and with our development partners. None of this was the work of the UN alone. 

The report is deliberately selective.  It focuses on results that are aligned with the United Nations Cooperation Framework and its agreed outcomes and indicators. It does not capture every activity or contribution of every UN entity in Ghana.  Many important interventions sit outside these pages.  But what the report does provide is a clear picture of our collective contribution against the priorities we agreed with Ghana. 

One of the most important shifts documented in this report is in how the UN system operates in Ghana. We are increasingly working as one team — pooling expertise, aligning programming, and coordinating advocacy around shared national priorities. The Ghana Cooperation Framework provides the foundation for that coordination, and I am pleased to report that over the past year, we have strengthened joint programming, joint planning, and shared accountability=r. 

This is what UN reform looks like in practice andt is what Member States asked for, and it is what the people of Ghana deserve: more coordinated UN that is better able to support countries in delivering results at scale. 

It is important to be clear about a challenge this report brings forward. Development financing is under increasing pressure globally. Official development assistance is declining in some areas, and resources are being stretched across multiple crises. 

At the same time, Ghana’s fiscal space, while improving, remains constrained. 

Closing the SDG financing gap will require new approaches. The UN system is committed to supporting Ghana in mobilizing domestic resources, attracting private investment, and advancing innovative financing solutions that can unlock additional capital. 

Our annual development envelop is over USD 120 million.  This may not seem large when compared with major infrastructure spending or national financing needs.  But it is managed with care: careful targeting, careful coordination, careful accounting, and a deep commitment to achieving impact where it matters most. This is an area where strong partnership with the Ministry of Finance is essential, and we look forward to depeening that collaboration. 

Looking ahead, the development of the next UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework represents an important opportunity. It It will allow us to further align UN support with Ghana’s national priorities, strengthen partnerships, and focus our collective efforts where they can have the greatest impact. 

We will build on the progress documented in this report. We will address remaining gaps with honesty and purpose. And we will continue to support Ghana in advancing the 2030 Agenda. 

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

The UN is in Ghana because Ghana matters - to the region, to the continent, and to the world. 

The progress documented in this report is encouraging. The challenges ahead are real. And our commitment to working alongside the Government and people of Ghana remains unwavering. 

I thank the Minister for Finance and the Government of Ghana for their continued leadership and partnership. I thank the heads and staff of UN agencies, funds and programmes for their dedication. And I thank the communities, civil society organizations and development partners who make this work possible every day. 

I invite you all to engage with the findings of this report - and to hold us accountable for what comes next. 

Thank you.