Positive implementation of SDGs will improve lives, consolidate country’s democracy – Dr Owusu

Dr Eugene Owusu, Special Advisor to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), has stated that by focusing on priority actions, the country could scale efforts and amplify its impact to achieve the SDGs.

He said, successful implementation of the SDGs will not only improve the quality of life of all Ghanaians but also consolidate its democracy.

Dr Owusu, also the Chairman of the Governing Council of Sustainable Development Solutions Network-Ghana (SDSN), stated this in an address he delivered at an international symposium organised by the Faculty of Geography of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) in partnership with SDSN.

The symposium was on the theme: “Reflections on Ghana's SDGs Agenda: Consolidating Gains, Accelerating Performance and Enhancing Sustainability” and was attended by academia, civil society representatives and students, among others.

According to Dr Owusu, the SDGs represented a universal call to action to eradicate poverty, protect the planet and ensure peace and prosperity by 2030, of which Ghana had just gone past the midpoint of the 15-year period at achieving SDGs.

Unfortunately, he stated, the slow progress on many of the goals and targets, left the fate of billions of people on the planet in dire state, adding that what was even more disconcerting was that they were characterised by stark contradictions.

Dr Owusu emphasised more on the SDGs in Ghana, ingrained as the fundamental blueprint of the country's development with the President consistently exhibiting steadfast leadership and dedication to achieving the goals by extending commitment beyond the borders of the Nation.

“But our overall scorecard is mixed, indeed significant challenges remain, the urgency of action cannot be over emphasised, we are at a critical junction where accelerated efforts are necessary to give us reasonable chance of meeting the 2030 target,” he noted.

Dr Owusu said SDNS-Ghana recognised that achieving the SDGs was a collective endeavour and that no single entity could do it alone but needed collaboration to weave them into a solid base.

He informed the gathering that sustainable development was inherently linked to social stability and good governance and urged all to be guided by a sense of urgency, shared commitment and reflect on the achievements, learn from the challenges, and reimagine the strategies for a sustainable future.

“Together, we can consolidate our gains, accelerate our performance and ensure the sustainability of our efforts towards 2030 and beyond,” he added.

Prof Jeffrey Sachs, founder of SDNS of the Center for Sustainable Development Planning Columbia University of United States of America (USA), also joined the discussion and celebrations through Zoom and further assured of his contribution to achieving the goals.

Prof Eric Ananga, Prof Esther Danso-Wiredu of UEW and Mrs. Joyce Larnyoh, Country Director, International Child Development Programme were panelists who engaged the gathering on “Empowering Communities to Own the SDGs through School curricula and Social Campaign.”

GNA