Let's harmonise work of government and UN agencies - Amissah-Arthur
The Vice-President, Mr Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur, has advocated effective harmonisation between the various agencies of the United Nations in Ghana and the government in order to achieve the desired results of development projects.
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He was of the strong conviction that improved co-ordination between the government and the 26 UN agencies would help to avoid duplication of efforts and ensure efficiency in the implementation of initiatives.
Addressing the heads of the UN agencies in Ghana at a meeting at the Flagstaff House in Accra Monday, the Vice-President lauded the partnership and collaboration between the government and the agencies, but noted that there was room for improvement.
"Ghana and UN have had a close relationship spanning so many years; it is good to have a channel body such as you," he said.
The meeting was to discuss challenges affecting the work of the UN agencies in the country and to identify ways of enhancing their collaboration with the government for the benefit of Ghanaians.
Vice President Amissah-Arthur thanked the UN agencies for their contribution and support offered within the UN’s Development Framework for Ghana, saying the various initiatives being pursued by the agencies had been very helpful to Ghana.
He assured them of the government’s continued commitment to its partnership with the UN, and expressed optimism that the challenges facing the agencies would be adequately addressed.
Ms Ruby Sandhu-Rojon, the UN Resident Coordinator, who led the UN team, said the agencies provided a collective capacity of expertise to support the government in resolving development challenges.
She said the UN agencies had been working with the government to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and expressed delight that the country was making significant strides in achieving a number of the goals in the areas of poverty reduction, food security, health, maternal mortality, education, nutrition, and sanitation.
“We are looking at how to work together with government to make a difference,” she said.
The Resident Coordinator also assured the government of continued assistance and cooperation, indicating that the welfare of the citizenry was of paramount interest to the UN agencies.
“You can count on us,” she assured.
Story by Timothy Gobah