The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ghana is determined to become a next generation Country Office, a valued partner and an excellent service provider to the UN System in Ghana and to all partners, for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This was the Resident Representative (a.i), Ms. Gita Welch’s 2019 key new year message to staff and partners, at a brief ceremony held at the country office.

Ms. Welch expressed the organization’s gratitude to staff and partners for their unflinching support throughout the previous year. She indicated that in 2018, the country office was confronted with the challenge of having to manage the mandate of delivering on its development programmes simultaneously with preparations for the implementation of the new UN reform to delink the UN Resident Coordinator’s function from the UNDP Resident Representative. She emphasized that, the new reform has unleashed a process of reflecting, rethinking and repositioning UNDP as an integrator, to facilitate the implementation of the SDGs, whiles contributing significantly to the UN Development System’s (UNDS) efforts towards sustainable development.

She added that the reform presents many opportunities to strengthen platforms for joint works with sister UN agencies, as UNDP is a key member of the UN Country Team (UNCT).

“We continue to be here as part of the UNDS. Therefore, establishing a positive and mutually reinforcing relationship with the Resident Coordinator, with sister UN Agencies and with all our partners will be critical for us”, noted Ms. Welch

Speaking as one of the key development partners of UNDP, His Excellency Gunnar Andreas Holm, the Norwegian Ambassador to Ghana commended UNDP for its development interventions, especially its commitment to reduce inequality in Ghana and across the world.

Similarly, Alhaji Yahaya Al-Hassan Seini, Former Executive Director of Ghana Legal Aid Scheme, noted that “UNDP’s support for the legal aid scheme, which is providing legal assistance and access to justice for the poor, is a significant contribution to justice delivery in Ghana”.

The event platform was used to appreciate and celebrate the contributions of staff and development partners and to share information on the new UN reforms. The reform was approved by the Secretary General, Antonio Guterres in 2018 and this required the functions of UNDP Resident Representative and UN Resident Coordinator (RC) to be de-linked, effective 1^st January 2019. This means that UNDP has moved from being the host of the RC function, to being a service provider to an independent Resident Coordinator System.