UN Day celebration: Let’s deepen collaboration to ensure country’s recovery, stability, resilience – Foreign Minister

The 77th United Nations (UN) Day was yesterday marked in Accra with a flag-raising ceremony and a call on stakeholders to deepen collaboration to ensure the country’s recovery, stability, and resilience. The day was marked on the theme “Building on the 3Ss-Solidarity, Sustainability, and Science- towards a more resilient Ghana.” Graced with a touch of cultural performance and a parade from the Ghana Navy, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ms. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, and the UN Resident Coordinator, Charles Abani, hoisted the UN and the Ghana flags in affirmation of the continued partnership between the two. In attendance were some personnel of the security services, members of the diplomatic corps, Heads of UN agencies, youth groups, and students. Ms. Botchwey, in an address, said that building a more resilient country was tied up with building a more resilient world. “Both the vision of the UN and recent global experiences reinforce the conclusion that in an interdependent world, we must have an interest in the success of each and every individual if we are to have resilient communities and societies,” she added. As such, Ms. Botchwey said there was a need for development partners and stakeholders, together with the UN offices in the country, to take up their responsibility to build a peaceful and safe world where everyone lived a dignified, peaceful, and prosperous life. She noted that even as the world grappled with economic challenges, the blinking red light of climate change could not be forgotten. Ms. Botchwey, therefore, called on developed countries to fulfil their commitment to the Paris Agreement and Glasgow Declaration by ensuring that they adhered to the mitigation target of 1.5 degrees celsius and mobilised $100 billion a year to help poorer countries deal with climate change. Mr. Abani said all hands were needed on deck to find lasting solutions to the numerous global challenges, including climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and conflicts. He said there was also the need for investments to be made in science and technology for the advancement of humanity. “We need to create an enabling environment for innovative thinkers and inventors to realise their full potential for the betterment of our lives. We need to empower women in the Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Maths to take up more challenges and achieve their set goals,” he stated. “I urge the government, all leaders and stakeholders to invest in science and technology to help bridge the development gap between and within countries, regions, and areas,” he added. Mr. Abani emphasised that the UN would continue to support the digital transformation agenda, as it had implemented a number of initiatives in support of the national digital agenda across various areas. Anani Yao Kuwornu, Interim President of Ghana United Nations Students and Youth Association (GUNSA), said it was imperative for an enabling environment where the youth could contribute to policy discussions and national discourse to be created to enable the youth to support the development agenda of both the UN and the country. He further called for increased attention and promotion of youth skills in data science to equip the youth. “We believe that our participation in the global youth action towards attaining the SDGs will be a sure way in contributing to the objective of the theme. That is why we would like to assure the UN of our steady support for the SDGs,” he stated. “And strengthen our collaboration with the government and the UN to promote awareness and the call to action on the SDGs,” he added.