Ghana is focused on the delivery of the New Urban Agenda - Deputy Local Gov't Minister

Rita Naa Odolley Sowah, Deputy Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, addressed the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Political Forum at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, United States, on behalf of Minister Ahmed Ibrahim. She reiterated Ghana's commitment and focus towards accelerating delivery of the New Urban Agenda.

Madam Sowah stated that Ghana has prioritized four key actions to achieve the New Urban Agenda. These include scaling affordable and inclusive housing through the 2024 Housing Profile recommendations and the National Slum Upgrading and Prevention Strategy, and strengthening integrated urban development and spatial planning through the National Urban Policy (2026-2035). Other priorities are expanding urban infrastructure and local economic development through initiatives like the Ghana Secondary Cities Support Programme, the Greater Accra Resilience and Integrated Development (GARID) Project, the Smart SDGs Programme, and the Sustainable Cities Programme. Ghana is also advancing climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable cities while strengthening urban governance, institutional capacity, coordination, and data systems, including the operationalisation of a Ghana Urban Observatory. Madam Sowah observed that the High-Level Meeting was an important milestone in accelerating implementation of the New Urban Agenda towards 2036.