The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) spearheaded a collaborative initiative with the Atebubu-Amantin municipal assembly and various stakeholders to bolster the localization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within the municipality. This collaborative effort aimed to tailor the implementation of the SDGs to the specific context of Atebubu-Amantin, ensuring that the global goals resonate with the local realities and priorities of the community. The initiative underscores the crucial role of local ownership and participation in achieving the ambitious agenda set forth by the SDGs.
The engagement commenced with a welcoming address by Mr. Joseph Tang, the municipal coordinating director, who expressed gratitude to the NDPC and UNICEF for selecting Atebubu-Amantin as a participant in the Voluntary Local Review (VLR) exercise. This selection highlighted the municipality’s commitment to the SDGs and provided a valuable opportunity to assess progress and identify areas for improvement. Mr. Tang emphasized the importance of grounding the SDGs in the local context to ensure that their impact is felt by ordinary citizens.
Mr. Philip Acheampong, representing the NDPC, elaborated on the concept of localization, emphasizing the need to consider local contexts and situations when implementing the SDGs. This involves tailoring goal setting, target establishment, implementation strategies, and monitoring indicators to reflect the unique circumstances of Atebubu-Amantin. He stressed the pivotal role of local authorities in ensuring that no segment of the population is left behind in the pursuit of the SDGs, highlighting the relevance of all 17 goals to the responsibilities of local governance.
Madam Rebecca Kumi, a Child Rights Monitoring Specialist with UNICEF, underscored the strategic significance of the VLR process. She described it as a platform for the municipality to critically evaluate its progress on the SDGs, taking into account local realities and priorities. Madam Kumi emphasized that the success of the 2030 Agenda hinges not only on national-level commitments but also, and even more critically, on the effective translation of these commitments into tangible actions that improve the lives of people at the local level. This reinforces the importance of localizing the SDGs to ensure their relevance and impact within specific communities.
Ms. Vera Baffoe, also representing the NDPC, provided further details about the VLR process, explaining that it was established in 2019 to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs by the 2030 deadline. She outlined the five pillars of the SDGs – people, planet, prosperity, peace, and partnerships – and highlighted the distribution of the goals across these pillars, noting the emphasis on prosperity and the interconnectedness of economic and environmental goals. This holistic approach underscores the integrated nature of the SDGs and the importance of addressing them in a comprehensive manner.
Mr. Emmanuel Bukari, a member of the district VLR team, presented the VLR processes and the data collected to assess the municipality’s progress towards achieving the various SDG indicators. This presentation provided a valuable snapshot of the current status of SDG implementation in Atebubu-Amantin, allowing participants to identify successes, challenges, and opportunities for improvement. The subsequent discussions involved a diverse range of stakeholders, including representatives from government departments, political parties, assembly members, trade groups, religious leaders, traditional authorities, the disabled community, and media outlets. This inclusive approach ensured that the perspectives of various community segments were considered in the localization process, fostering a sense of shared ownership and responsibility for achieving the SDGs. These discussions focused on developing strategies to meet the SDG targets by the established deadline, further solidifying the commitment of Atebubu-Amantin to contribute to the global sustainable development agenda.
