The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) office in Ghana and the National Peace Council (NPC) have reiterated the need to work towards maintaining a peaceful society at all times while also acknowledging it importance towards realizing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
According to the Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Angela Lusigi, peace is an enabler for the achievement of all the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). While commending NPC for its great efforts towards peace building and social cohesion in Ghana, especially during Ghana’s 2020 elections,Ms. Lusigi pledged UNDP’s continued partnership and support for the work they have been doing.
“UNDP believes that achieving SDG16 for peaceful and just societies is the bedrock of the achievement of all the SDGs. We remain committed to supporting the National Peace Council to ensure that Ghana maintains its enviable record as a peaceful nation and effectively contributes to stability in the region,” she stated.
Angela Lusigi, who paid a courtesy call on the Board Chairman of the NPC, Rev. Dr. Ernest Adu-Gyamfi and staff of the national secretariat, to deepen working relations with the Council, lauded the Council for its good work.
She also used the occasion to present Information and Communications Technology (ICT) equipment to the Council. These were among others meant to strengthen the Council’s institutional capacity especially in its new regional offices in the newly created regions of Ghana. The equipment includes laptops, desktop computers, scanners and printers.
Rev. Dr. Adu-Gyamfi expressed gratitude to UNDP for its continued support to the work of the Council and for the presentation of the ICT equipment. He noted that UNDP continue to provide technical, financial, and logistical support to the Council for its effective functioning right from its inception.
He added that in recent past, in collaboration with DANIDA, EU, UNDP provided vehicles, furniture and equipment to all regional offices across the country, and with the creation of the new regions, these additional ICT tools will equip staff of the new regional offices to perform their functions more effectively.
“I thank UNDP for the great collaborations and tremendous support over the years, in promoting peace in Ghana and I am looking forward to more partnerships,” he said.
Rev. Dr Adu-Gyamfi noted that, they are planning to focus on building the capacity of newly appointed Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in selected regions in Ghana, to empower them to be able to effectively respond to conflict situations.
He indicated that the Council will also intensify its support to communities that survived volatile situations and work with other state institutions to strengthen capacity to address emerging terrorism issues.
