ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL HOLDS DIALOGUE WITH UN COUNTRY TEAM FOR GHANA

Press Release
ECOSOC/5906

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL HOLDS DIALOGUE WITH UN COUNTRY TEAM FOR GHANA

The Government enjoyed excellent relations with both the United Nations agencies and Bretton Woods institutions represented in his country, Ghana's Minister of State for Planning and Regional Integration, Kwamena Ahwoi, told the Economic and Social Council this morning, as the Council met to hold a dialogue with the United Nations system country team for Ghana.

His country’s long-term development objectives were presented in its 25-year development plan known as “Ghana: Vision 2020”, Mr. Ahwoi continued. In order to maximize the response of external assistance partners, three major frameworks had been developed: the Common Country Assessment (CCA), the United Nations Development Assistance (UNDAF), and the Comprehensive Development Framework (CDF), which, together with the Country Assistance Strategy, enunciated a holistic development strategy for poverty reduction. To further encourage and consolidate coordination, collaboration and cooperation efforts, his Government was making available a 14-story building that would house all the United Nations system agencies.

The representative of the World Food Programme (WFP), United Nations Information Centre for Ghana and Sierra Leone, Eva Hodell, said one of the unique examples of collaboration by the United Nations system in Ghana was in the area of information, communication and advocacy. A United Nations Communications Team was composed of information officers and representatives of all 14 of the organization’s agencies, including the Bretton Woods institutions.

She said the primary goal was to educate Ghanaian stakeholders on core development, governance and human rights, as identified by the Government and civil society, with the guiding philosophy of projecting the Organization as a contributor to the country’s socio-economic development. Working with national partners, the Team was able to have better leverage of funds and support from the private sector. There was also a proactive partnership with the media -- not only to feed them with information materials, but also to encourage dialogue and personal interaction between the United Nations agencies and the press.

Johannes Wedenig, Officer-in-Charge, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Ghana, said Ghana was one of the two pilot countries for an initial CCA in early 1997. In 1999, a substantive CCA was drafted with "sustainable human development" as its theme. It had provided a platform for many stakeholders to gain a common understanding of the major challenges Ghana faced in terms of sustainable human development. The assessment revealed that in Ghana the Human

Economic and Social Council - 1a - Press Release ECOSOC/5906 21st Meeting (AM) 13 July 2000

Development Index had risen and the Human Development Report of 1999 had classified the country for the first time as a “medium human development country”.

The panel was moderated by Alfred Sallia Fawundu, United Nations Resident Coordinator and Resident Representative in Ghana of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The Coordinator for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Moses Mokasa, the Deputy Minister of Finance of Ghana, Moses Asaga, the representative of the World Bank, Peter Harrold, and the representative of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Adama Wurie, also participated in the panel.

After the country team's presentation, Council Members had the opportunity to make comments and ask questions.

The representative of the Netherlands said the presentation seemed to describe a case of very close cooperation between the United Nations and a government that was more advanced than other cases. It might be beneficial to share those experiences with the rest of the United Nations family in the form of a document.

The representatives of France, Morocco, Ireland, United States and Sweden also addressed the panel.

The Council will meet again at 3 p.m. for a dialogue with the United Nations system country team for Madagascar.

Council Work Programme

The 2000 substantive session of the Economic and Social Council met this morning to begin its consideration of operational activities of the United Nations for international development cooperation. Its first scheduled activity was a dialogue with the United Nations system country team for Ghana.

Dialogue on Ghana

BERND NIEHAUS (Costa Rica), Council Vice President and President for the segment on operational activities of the United Nations for international development cooperation, opened the dialogue. He said the Secretary-General’s reforms had opened new avenues and provided new guidelines for the course of United Nations activities. The impact of those changes would be evident from the presentations of the country teams during the day. A solid picture of the current state of affairs would be conveyed. Based on them, the Council would be able to offer clear and specific guidelines on needed adjustments.

ALFRED SALLIA FAWUNDU, United Nations Resident Coordinator and Resident Representative in Ghana of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), introduced the country team.

KWAMENA AHWOI, Minister of State for Planning and Regional Integration of Ghana, said his Government had enjoyed excellent relations with both the United Nations agencies and Bretton Woods institutions represented in the country. His Country’s long-term development objectives were presented in its 25-year development plan known as “Ghana: Vision 2020”.

He said some of the most important policy documents that guided the collaboration were: the Policy Focus for Poverty Reduction; the Child Cannot Wait; the free Compulsory Universal Basic Education document; the Medium-term Agricultural Development Strategy.

Ghana’s efforts to seriously address its economic and social problems through the implementation of the economic recovery and structural adjustment programmes had led to a rekindling of the interest of the international community in the country’s development process. The Government had, therefore, to coordinate all the external resources flowing into the country in such a way as to effectively integrate that support into the development process for maximum impact. The “Local Aid Group” comprised representatives of bilateral and multilateral agencies supporting the Government’s development programmes, as well as Government representatives. That group later evolved into the Mini- Consultative Group, he said.

In order to maximize the response of external assistance partners, three major frameworks had been developed: the Common Country Assessment (CCA); the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF); and the Comprehensive Development Framework (CDF). Together with the Country Assistance Strategy, enunciated a holistic development strategy for poverty reduction. The Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy was also currently being developed, he said.

In 1992, the Government had set up a National AIDS Control Programme with assistance from UNDP, addressing the clinical side of the pandemic, he said. As the situation worsened, however, in 1997 a multi-sectoral team comprising Government representatives, development partners, the private sector and non- governmental organizations was established to develop a National and district response to HIV/AIDS. That had resulted in the establishment of a national Multi- Sectoral Commission on HIV/AIDS and a District Response Initiative.

He said that to further encourage and consolidate coordination, collaboration and cooperation efforts with the United Nations agencies and the Bretton Woods institutions, his Government was making available a 14-story building that would house all the United Nations system agencies.

MR. FAWUNDU, Resident Coordinator, then reported on the outcomes of coordination mechanisms. He said the reform objectives had included efforts to avoid duplication and to enhance complementarity. He described the overall United Nations presence in the country, which included two regional offices, the World Bank and the United Nations Information Centre. Four modalities had prevailed with regard to work: decisions had been consensus-based; synergy and team spirit had been fostered; thematic groups had been developed; and inter-agency task forces had been created, including a task force on common services.

MOSES MOKASA, the Coordinator for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), described his group’s work and its focus, which included gender equality and information sharing. The challenges included resource mobilization. He said the United Nations had assisted the Government in taking comprehensive and intensive steps to manage the HIV/AIDS epidemic with the major objectives being to improve care and mitigate its social effects. The United Nations had supported national efforts by such steps as expanding the theme group, advocacy and supporting capacity-building at all levels. The Government had established a multi-sectoral commission to address the issue, which had been integrated into all programmes.

EVA HODELL, of the World Food Programme (WFP), United Nations Information Centre for Ghana and Sierra Leone, said one of the unique examples of collaboration by the United Nations system in Ghana was in the area of information, communication and advocacy. A United Nations Communications Team was composed of information officers and representatives of all 14 of the organization’s agencies, including the Bretton Woods institutions. The Team met monthly to prioritize areas of focus and devise collective strategies, programmes and special events to raise public awareness on behalf of the United Nations system.

She said the primary goal was to educate Ghanaian stakeholders on core development, governance and human rights as identified by the Government and civil society, with the guiding philosophy of projecting the Organization as a contributor to the country’s socio-economic development. That approach had helped strengthen a local constituency for the United Nations at the field level. Thematic priorities were one and the same, as the key issues before the Ghanaian population, including HIV/AIDS, girl-child education, gender/women’s empowerment, health and population, the environment, peace-building and human rights.

She said working as a team with national partners, the Team was able to have better leverage of funds and support from the private sector. There was also a proactive partnership with the media -- not only to feed them with information materials, but also to encourage dialogue and personal interaction between the United Nations agencies and the press.

MOSES ASAGA, Deputy Minister of Finance of Ghana, giving an overview of the CCA, UNDAF and CDF, said the essential backdrop to the interventions of the United Nations System agencies in Ghana was based on Ghana: Vision 2020, and were thus carried out within the context of specific frameworks designed to give coherence to and maximize development efforts for the benefit of the country.

The purpose of the CCA was to serve as a standard reference for both Government and donor agencies operating in Ghana, and further served to provide information on the progress and problems in key areas of human and social development as measured by indicators, he said. The UNDAF aimed at enhancing the collaboration and coordination of system-wide operations in improving the efficiency of the United Nations development assistance to Ghana, while the CDF articulated the Government's development strategy for poverty reduction.

The CCA assessed and analyzed the national development situation with regard to the goals of Ghana: Vision 2020, he said. The UNDAF, in line with Vision 2020, served as the United Nations system's strategic contribution to make Ghana a middle-income country by 2020. The CCA had facilitated the elaboration of the "second step" of Vision 2020, which articulated the medium-term development plan covering the period 2001 to 2005, as well as of the poverty reduction strategy, he said.

JOHANNES WEDENIG, Officer-in-Charge of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Ghana, said Ghana was one of the two pilot countries for an initial CCA in early 1997. The scope of the initial Assessment was, however, limited. Due to time constraints it focused on selected areas and did not encompass a substantial analysis. In 1999, it was decided to draft a substantive CCA to prepare for the new UNDAF which would cover 2001 to 2005. Sustainable human development was selected as the theme for that CCA. It first undertook an assessment of the status and trends of the major components of sustainable human development: long and healthy life; educational attainment; decent standard of living; and freedom, security and peace.

The CCA then looked at the determinants impacting upon sustainable human development, he said. The analysis then shifted to the underlying and structural determinants that touched upon resource management and control and the impact of political, economic and cultural patterns. The Government and the United Nations system jointly led the entire process. At the ministerial and heads-of-agency level a steering committee provided the policy guidelines. A technical working group comprised of the Government and the United Nations agency responsible for each of the different themes ensured the day-by-day management of the process.

He said the broad participation of civil society, the private sector and donors was ensured at the level of the theme groups, which were open-ended. In addition, various workshops were held to which all stakeholders and the media were invited. Turning to results, he said participants felt that the process itself was crucial. It provided a platform for many stakeholders to get a common understanding of the major challenges Ghana faced in terms of sustainable human development. The assessment revealed that Ghana had made improvements. The Human Development Index rose from 0.2333 in 1960 to 0.544 in 1997. The Human Development Report of 1999 also classified the country for the first time as a ”medium human development country”.

He said the quality and equity in access to social services and basic human entitlements, however, were of concern. The CCA also highlighted important data gaps and the need for harmonization of various data formats.

PETER HARROLD, of the World Bank, said the first UNDAF had essentially taken stock of existing programmes. The second UNDAF, to be published shortly, contained three themes: access to all for basic human services, with emphasis on education and health; increased opportunities for employment and realization of individual potential; and improved capacity for implementation of programmes.

The United Nations team preparing the second UNDAF had identified five areas in which the United Nations would make a special effort to increase its collaboration: reduction of disparities, with a special emphasis on girls' education and maternal health; disease containment and prevention; HIV/AIDS; food security; and district capacity-building.

In making the second UNDAF work, he said sector-wide approaches would be used. The UNDAF was built upon the Government's own vision for the future, and reflected those priorities, rather than agency preferences.

ADAMA WURIE, of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, said her office remained committed to meeting the needs of refugees at every level, including by participating in programmes to eradicate poverty.

Mr. AHWOI, Minister of State for Planning and Regional Integration, described the tools available to Ghana as it headed for its Vision 2020 end goal. He said the United Nations agencies were harmonizing cycles. Future agency frameworks would be derived from UNDAF, which represented the joint effort of the United Nations team and the Government of Ghana.

Question and Answer Segment

The representative of France asked about good governance in Ghana. Did Ghana need support in that area? Also, what did Ghana gain from the dialogue between the Bretton Woods institutions and the United Nations?

Mr. AHWOI said good governance was the most effective anchor for good development. There was effective political participation at every level in Ghana. The cost of conducting national elections, however, was astronomical. Ghana and many developing countries needed help with that. It also needed help with developing civil society organizations, which contributed towards good governance, and with development of a judiciary. Support was vital in all those areas.

With regard to the dialogue with the Bretton Woods institutions, the most important thing was for the Government to have a focus and a vision that determined the direction of national development, he said. The Government’s dialogue with both the United Nations system and the Bretton Woods institutions should be mutually reinforcing.

Mr. ASAGA, Deputy Minister of Finance, said more needed to be known about the issues of good government and democracy. The CDA and the CDF both supported good governance. Yet, the CDF did so as a baby of the Bretton Woods institutions. The World Bank, therefore, focused more on poverty reduction, while the United Nations programmes emphasized other elements.

The representative of Morocco said the United Nations had been going through a fiscal crisis for years, trying to mobilize resources. What kind of workload had been required to set up the programmes in Ghana?

Mr. AHWOI said the United Nations system had become involved very early on in Ghanaian public-sector reform. The UNDP was the agency that provided the support to set up a National Development Planning Commission for the period 1998 to 1999, an apex body established to change the system of planning from centralized to decentralized. While support had been received, there were still problems. The rules and regulations of both the agencies and the Bretton Woods institutions were problematic.

He said the difference in remuneration between consultants and other staff paid by the United Nations, the Bretton Woods institutions and the Government of Ghana was so large, it had become a critical problem, which had not been resolved. The morale of those who did the most work was, therefore, affected. Some programmes had not succeeded because of that extreme situation. The various programmes and projects, however, had enabled the county to build the kind of capacity that it never had before.

Mr. ASAGA, said his Government was not sitting idly by in the whole process. Expenditures for social services was currently 18 per cent of total expenditures and the aim was to increase that to 22 per cent. Ghana’s commitment to education was also overwhelming. It had established an education trust fund, based on a certain percentage of value added tax collected solely for education.

The representative of the Netherlands asked whether the text of Ghana’s presentation could be made available to delegations. That presentation seemed to describe a case of very close cooperation between the United Nations and a government that was more advanced than other cases. It might be beneficial to share those experiences with the rest of the United Nations family in the form of a document. He also wanted to know how the cooperation with bilateral donors worked. Also, to what extent could United Nations agencies get involved in sector-wide approaches?

Mr. FAWUNDU said the multi-funding framework had been started two years ago. The question was whether it had yielded results in projects and translated itself into resource mobilization?

Mr. HARROLD, of the World Bank, said there were sector-wide programmes in Ghana for health, roads, natural resources and agriculture. Several other sectors were being looked at, as well, for the development of future programmes. The Organization’s agencies had also made substantial contributions. He cited the involvement of the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and the FAO as examples. The United Nations agencies all supplied expertise to various sector groups. Bilateral agencies from the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States were also involved.

Mr. WEDENIG said UNICEF was active in various sectors. The agency’s approach was a comprehensive one that went beyond a single sector. The UNICEF was, therefore, a horizontally-integrated programme operator.

The representative of Ireland asked about joint programming and sector-wide programming, noting that common breadbasket funding was often not favoured.

Mr. FAWUNDU said the UNDAF was a Ghana programme. Individual cooperation frameworks of agencies constituted the core programme and other bodies participated, such as the World Bank and Bretton Woods institutions. It was not yet known how full Government ownership of the UNDAF would come about.

Mr. ASAGA, said the CCA would normally feed into UNDAF, which embodied all the programmes. The CDF would key in on the poverty reduction programme as a joint venture between the Government and the World Bank. In essence, programmes were complementary and were tools for defining common ground among agencies.

MR. AHWOI, said the sector ministries were no longer line agencies as in the past, but sectoral ones. Ghana had gone beyond the phase of informing partners about actions and was now working with them in collaboration. That had led to thematic groupings, for each of which there was a lead agency and the external agencies. For example, with urban development the lead agency was the ministry and the external agencies included the World Bank and bilateral support groups. Those together created a theme document, which eventually became implemented.

The representative of the United States said the presentation was a near textbook-perfect case on the success of the reform effort. Plans were easily put on paper, but it took people to implement them. The Ghana country team should speak with others to infuse them with the reform spirit shown in Ghana.

The representative of Sweden asked how United Nations activities in the field of HIV/AIDS fit in with national efforts.

Mr. MOKASA, reviewed the UNFPA's presentation and said the prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS in Ghana was less than 5 per cent. That was relatively low, but Ghana had taken aggressive steps under one theme group to ensure containment. The multi-sectoral commission would coordinate both efforts and assistance received from partners. Within the UNDAF, HIV/AIDS was one of five issues singled out for a targeted, integrated effort. In brief, the funding received would ensure that HIV/AIDS activities were included in each sector, not just those related to health.

Mr. AHWOI said Ghana was happy with the assistance it received, which fit in with the national programme very well. The UNFPA had been instrumental in bringing political attention to the problem. The UNFPA representative had visited ministers repeatedly and had organized a retreat to get them to recognize the problem and coordinate actions against it.

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