A workshop to finalize Ghana’s draft development cooperation policy has been held in Accra. The policy provides guidelines and procedures for Ghana’s engagement with her Development Partners to promote effective development cooperation.
The new policy is anchored on the President Akufo-Addo’s Coordinated Programme for Economic and Social Development Policies, the National Development Framework as well as the Ghana Beyond Aid agenda as well as global frameworks such as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Addis Ababa Agenda for Action (AAAA), Africa Agenda 2063 and the Medium Term National Development Plan.
It was developed to guide, monitor and review the effectiveness and impact of development cooperation, as well as provide common standards for our engagements with Ghana’s development partners.
Organized by the Ministry of Finance it brought together stakeholders from MDAs, Heads of Development Cooperation in the country, CSOs and officials from the Ministry of Finance.
In a speech read on behalf of the Minister for Finance by the Chief Director, Mr Patrick Nomo, he noted that the draft policy espouses the development cooperation principles of ownership, alignment, mutual accountability, managing for results, harmonization and value for money.
“The new draft Policy formalizes Ghana’s Development Coordination Architecture and calls for more alignment of development partner programmes with national priorities”, he added.
He noted further that the draft policy identifies government’s preferred modalities for development assistance and the instruments for delivering the assistance. It recognizes three levels of coordination in Ghana: The Joint High-level Meetings comprising Ministers, Ambassadors and Heads of Cooperation; Meetings between the Ministry of Finance and Heads of Cooperation; and Sector Working Groups (SWGs).
The Co-Chair of the Development Partners Mr. Phillip Smith commended government and expressed the DPs commitment to the development cooperation policy, adding that it would provide clarity on the Ghana Beyond Aid agenda.
Welcoming participants, the Director of Revenue Mobilization and Economic Relations at the Ministry of Finance, Ms. Yvonne Quansah said the workshop was to apprise participants of the draft document and solicit inputs from participants to enrich and finalize the policy.
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