Ghana’s Ministry of Finance has renewed its commitment to closer collaboration with United Nations (UN) agencies to ensure that development projects deliver stronger impact and align more effectively with national priorities.
The Ministry held a high-level day-long strategic engagement with heads of UN agencies, funds, and programmes in Accra to address longstanding concerns about fragmented interventions.
Despite years of technical assistance, policy guidance, and financial support from multiple UN entities, the lack of structured coordination has often diluted results.
Aligning Development with National Goals
The discussions centered on harmonising UN support with Ghana’s Medium-Term National Development Policy Framework and the country’s drive to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Officials stressed that a unified approach was critical to eliminating duplication, improving resource allocation, and ensuring long-term sustainability of interventions.
“This engagement is about moving from scattered efforts to a shared vision,” said Thomas Nyarko Apem, Deputy Minister of Finance. “We recognise that the UN System’s support is catalytic, and our partnership signifies the collective commitment we share towards achieving Ghana’s inclusive development agenda and the SDGs.”
Key Priorities for Impact
Stakeholders outlined several priorities to strengthen cooperation, which are, streamlining multi-stakeholder collaboration to prevent duplication of efforts, using data-driven programming to target resources where most needed, harmonising planning cycles between government and development partners, establishing predictable financing mechanisms to support long-term goals and enhancing accountability frameworks to track progress and measure outcomes.
Officials agreed that these steps would help ensure resources are channeled more effectively, avoiding overlapping or competing initiatives that reduce overall impact.
UN Commits to Stronger Partnership
The UN Resident Coordinator for Ghana, Mr. Zia Choudhury, welcomed the initiative, commending the government for its leadership in reshaping development cooperation.
“This strategic engagement reflects our unwavering commitment to building stronger, more coordinated partnerships with the Government of Ghana,” he said.
“By aligning our efforts and deepening collaboration, we can accelerate Ghana’s development agenda and ensure that no one is left behind.”
Sustaining Momentum
Both parties pledged to hold regular follow-up sessions to maintain momentum, track progress, and keep accountability at the forefront.
The strengthened partnership is to deliver more inclusive, sustainable, and impactful outcomes, positioning Ghana as a model for effective development coordination within the UN system.
