The pandemic had a considerable impact on the country’s economy with employment declining by 6.3 per cent, debt to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ratio increasing to 78.4 per cent, fiscal balance reaching negative 13.5 per cent, including a decline in GDP growth rate, demand for goods and services and private consumption.

Amid the challenges, however, gender parity and high completion rates were sustained at the kindergarten, primary and junior high school levels, while there was also an increase of people participating in both formal and informal education.

Forum

The Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Prof. George Gyan-Baffour, announced this at the General Debate of the UN 2023 High-level Political Forum (HLPF) on SDGs in New York.

The HLPF is the central UN platform for the follow-up and review of the 2030 agenda for sustainable development and SDGs at the global level.

It is the apex of the architecture for follow-up and review as established by the 2030 agenda and General Assembly resolution 70/299.

Improvements

Dr Gyan-Baffour said that the country witnessed improved outcomes in maternal mortality, women’s participation in governance and access to electricity.

He said that Ghana, as the chair of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) and the V20 Group, had been at the helm of the calls for a fit-for-climate global financial architecture through the forum’s Accra Marrakech agenda.

“This agenda seeks to advocate debt sustainability and climate prosperity for the climate vulnerable through reforms to the common framework, credit enhancements and debt treatment that supports the development of climate resilience and the transition to climate-smart development.

“It also advocates a new global deal on carbon financing with a focus on equity and climate justice in order to direct financing towards adaptation among the climate vulnerable,” the chairman added.

Dr Gyan-Baffour further attributed the successes to the nation’s continuous commitment to achieving SDGs in line with Africa Agenda 2063.

“We are action-oriented and call for collaborations and partnerships with other member states and organisations in ending poverty in all its forms everywhere,” he said.