UNFPA URGES INCREASED INVESTMENT IN THE YOUTH AS A VERITABLE MEANS FOR ACHIEVINGTHE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
Accra: February 9, 2016: Ghana having a large youth population could see its economy soar, provided there is heavy investment in young people’s education, health and protection of their rights. The potential economic gains would be realized through a “demographic dividend,” which can occur when a country’s working age population is larger than the population that is dependent and younger. But to maximize the dividend, Ghana must ensure its young working-age population is equipped to fully seize opportunities for wellpaying jobs, increased productivity, and other income-earning possibilities.
The UN Under-Secretary General and UNFPA Executive Director Dr. BabatundeOsotimehin will pay a working visit to Ghana from February 10-12 2016. The Office of the President will use the opportunity of the visit to present a Ministerial round-table as a timely occasion for top-level policy makers in Ghana especially ministers, heads of agencies, labour leaders and business executives to zoom in and reflect with Dr. Osotimehin on the critical investments that the country needs to make now in its youth to fully harness a demographic dividend, particularly since, Ghana stands at a critical juncture between crisis and opportunity presented by its youth bulge.
Similarly, Dr. Osotimehin will engage the Honourable Members of Parliament on Ghana’s development prospects focusing on the linkages between the country's population dynamics, sexual and reproductive health and rights, the demographic dividend and achieving the 2030 Agenda in the context of Ghana's development vision.
The UN Under-Secretary General believes that “As a group, adolescent girls can be a formidable force to create a better world with the right investments, support and interventions; adolescent girls have the power and potential to transform families, communities, nations and the world, Ghana stands to lose future leaders and innovators of tomorrow if any of these adolescents are left out due to disparities” Based on this, he will pay a working visit to Mallam
Atta Market in Accra to interact with a group of female adolescent head porters (Kayayei) and the market women.To make services available within their immediate environment, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection with support from UNFPA established a Community Response Centre to address Sexual and Gender Based Violence issues and provide Reproductive Health Services to women, men and young people in the market.
Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin is also scheduled to give the keynote address at the opening ceremony of the 7th Africa Conference on Sexual Health and Rights (ACSHR) which started with pre-conference events on Monday 8th February 2016 under the theme‘Realizing Demographic Dividend in Africa: the Critical Importance of Adolescents and Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights’.
In addition,the National Development Planning Commission and the UN in Ghana will also make the most of use of the UN Under-Secretary General’s visit to commemorate the appointment of H.E. John Dramani Mahama, the President of the Republic of Ghana, by the UN Secretary-General as Co-Chair of Eminent Advocates Group for the Sustainable Development Goals which came into effect January 2016. This will take place on Friday 12 February 2016.
Included in the UN Under-Secretary General’s delegation are Mr. Mabingue Ngom, Regional Director, UNFPA West and Central Africa and Mr. KwabenaOsei-Danquah the Director, Division for Governance & Multilateral Affairs of the UNFPA.
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UNFPA works to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.
For more information contact:
Doris MawuseAglobitse: UNFPA Ghana
United Nations Population Fund|+233 204545666| aglobitse@unfpa.org
Nelson NsohBanlandjoMuffuh:UNFPA West and Central Africa Region United Nations Population Fund|+ 221786370395|muffuh@unfpa.org
AdebayoFayoyin: UNFPA East and Southern Africa
United Nations Population Fund |+27 79 517 0320|fayoyin@unfpa.org
