The European Union (EU) has adopted its Multiannual Indicative Program for Ghana for 2021-2027, as part of its New Instrument for Global Europe.

The programming document takes the form of a Joint Programming for Ghana 2021-2027, which was developed in a Team Europe spirit with the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland, in cooperation with the European Investment Bank.

The document was prepared in close consultation with the Ghanaian authorities, civil society organizations, including women’s and youth organizations, local authorities, representatives of the private sector, the UN and other partners.

The strategic objective of joint programming in Ghana is to sustainably support Ghana’s transformation process towards consolidating its status as a middle-income country. EU partners jointly commit to supporting the following priority areas:

– Green growth for jobs

– Smart and sustainable cities

– Good governance and security

For its part, the EU will provide funding in the amount of €203 million for the period 2021-2024 to strengthen the EU-Ghana partnership and advance our common interests.

The financial allocation for 2025-2027 will be subject to an EU decision, following a review of the implementation of the multiannual indicative program in 2024, which will include dialogue with the authorities and other stakeholders keys of Ghana.

EU Ambassador Irchad Razaaly said:

“The European Union has a long-standing partnership with Ghana. Today, we take a further step, committing to sustainably support green growth, smart and sustainable cities, and strengthen good governance and security in Ghana, matters of shared values ​​and interest following discussions fruitful discussions between the EU and the Ghanaian authorities. and other key stakeholders.

“I am particularly pleased that we are continuing our support in the area of ​​security, to ensure that Ghana remains resilient to internal and external threats.”

This particularly resonates as Ghana currently chairs ECOWAS and sits on the UN Security Council. We will also continue to support efforts towards a more sustainable economy.

Following a successful EU-Ghana Partnership Dialogue in November 2021, the EU looks forward to further strengthening its political partnership with the Government of Ghana in these new priority areas.”

Concrete actions

The adoption of the multi-annual indicative program is an important step in strengthening and concretizing the EU’s partnership with Ghana.

It will allow the EU and Ghana to continue working together on programs and projects based on common goals, principles and values.

Through the defined priorities and the related actions (programmes and projects) that will be further developed, the EU reaffirms its place as a key political partner of Ghana.

In 2021, Ghana was the first country in the world to receive vaccines through the EU’s COVAX initiative; the EU hopes to continue its support to the Ghanaian health system, in particular by helping it to develop its vaccine manufacturing capacity.

The EU has so far shared 381 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines and plans to share 700 million doses by mid-2022.

Support for sustainable and ethical practices in the agriculture, cocoa and fisheries sectors is also at the center of ongoing EU action in Ghana.

This includes the €132 million European Union Agriculture Program in Ghana (EU-GAP) and the organization of the EU National Cocoa Talks in 2021, which provided a unique platform for discussion. between stakeholders allowing for an inclusive and frank dialogue.

With the new priorities, we will maintain our support in these areas, while putting more emphasis on job creation and digitalisation.

Finally, the EU hopes to strengthen security in Ghana by building on its existing initiatives, including its projects on Preventing Electoral Violence and Securing Ghana’s Northern Border Regions (NorPrevSec) and Strengthening the Security of borders (SBS), as well as several maritime projects and security programs.

These bilateral actions will be supplemented by multi-country programs financed under the Global Europe regional program for sub-Saharan Africa. Additional support will be provided as part of the Global Europe thematic programs and its component of non-programmable rapid response actions.

Support common values ​​and interests

The agreed priorities will be implemented in partnership with EU Member States through a Team Europe approach, as well as in cooperation with Switzerland and the European Investment Bank.

They are in line with the UN 2030 Agenda, the Paris Agreement and the EU Global Gateway Strategy.

– EU priorities in Ghana align with the Global Gateway Strategy’s goal of building sustainable and reliable connections for people and planet while tackling the world’s most pressing challenges.

Through the “Smart and Sustainable Cities” component of the Joint Program Document, the EU aims to improve the resilience, greening and social inclusion of secondary cities and regional capitals in Ghana.

It also aims to strengthen smart, clean and secure connections in the digital and energy sectors, improve service delivery, while promoting democratic values, good governance and transparency.

– The priorities for Ghana will be partially implemented under the Team Europe (TEI) initiative “Smart, green and digital recovery in Ghana”, with an estimated EU contribution of €100 million – this represents approximately 50% of the bilateral envelope for 2021-2024 for Ghana.

The TEI will contribute to the government’s transformation and recovery agenda, with a strong focus on the green and circular economy and providing strong political support for climate and environmental policymaking.

– The three EU priorities for Ghana also contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In particular, they align with SDG 11 on sustainable cities, 13 on climate action and 16 on peace, justice and strong institutions.

They also respond to SDG 17 “Partnership for the Goals”, enabling the EU and Ghana to work closely together to achieve common goals.