We stand ready to support Ghana Beyond Aid – New UN Rep

The New United Nations Resident Coordinator to Ghana, Charles Abani has pledged to support the government and the people of Ghana in its mission to continue to develop Ghana beyond aid in spite of the adverse effects of COVID-19 pandemic on the country's economy.

Paying a courtesy call on the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Shirley Ayorkor Botchway on Monday, June 22, 2020, the envoy noted that "I'd like to thank you for welcoming me into the country. I pledge that the United Nations stands ready through the work of WHO and all the agencies that we have to support the government of Ghana in its mission to fight the pandemic and continue to develop Ghana within the framework of Ghana Beyond Aid so we really see an independent country".

On 18 May 2020, the United Nations Secretary-General, H.E. Antonio Guterres, appointed Mr. Charles Abani of Nigeria as the United Nations Resident Coordinator to Ghana.

The newly appointed Resident Coordinator has more than 25 years of experience in the area of international development, acquired while serving on non-profit boards, managing complex organisations, leading large projects, and driving change to strengthen global operations in the public and private sectors.

Most recently, he was the Africa Director of the UK Division of Chemonics International, a private international development firm. He also led the Strengthening Advocacy and Civic Engagement (SACE) project in Nigeria for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Prior to these positions, Mr Abani worked in regional leadership roles across Africa, Asia and Europe with Absolute Return for Kids, ActionAid International, Oxfam Great Britain, Palladium and Voluntary Service Overseas. He also led the implementation of projects for the Department for International Development (DFID) of the United Kingdom.

Mr Abani holds an executive management certificate from Oxford University, a Master of Science in political science from Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria and a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Nigeria.

In her brief remarks to welcome the new UN representative to Ghana, foreign minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchway acknowledged the central role of the United Nations in coordinating the global response to control and contain the spread of COVID-19.

The Minister also assured the readiness of the Government to work with the United Nations and other partners to control and contain the pandemic, adding that Ghana’s commitment formed the basis of the Government's prompt and positive reaction to the joint request by the UN World Food Programme and the World Health Organisation to designate Ghana as a regional hub for a Humanitarian Response Depot to facilitate a new global supply chain system, as well as the location of field hospital for the treatment of UN Staff in the sub-region who test positive for COVID-19.

She expressed appreciation for the continued technical support of the United Nations to the Government of Ghana and emphasised that cooperation between the two sides could be enhanced through dialogue to address the peculiar needs of Government towards the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.