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The far-reaching aspirations of African Union’s (AU) Agenda 2063 can only be realised in the lives of ordinary Africans when governments garner the necessary political will to integrate its goal into national and regional development.

Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Mr Emmanuel Bombande, who said this, added that national institutions involved in the execution of the agenda, therefore, need to be strengthened.

Agenda 2063 consists of seven key aspirations, and with that he said Ghana is conscious of the fact that it entails having in place the effective implementation strategies at the national level.

Towards that, he stated that the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) has engaged in a nationwide broad consultation to develop Ghana’s own long-term development plan.

Mr Bombande was giving a keynote address at the launch of the AU Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSSOC) Ghana Chapter.

The launch of the Chapter joins Ghana to countries like Kenya, Nigeria, Zambia, Mauritius, Togo and Algeria who have established their national chapters.

The distinctive character of the AU’s ECOSSOC is that it is an opportunity for African civil societies to play an active role in charting the future of the continent, organising itself in partnership with African governments to contribute to the principles, policies and programmes of the union.

Over 20 organisations form the national chapter and they include civil society organisations, professional groups, private sector and social groups.

The AU ECOSSOC was established under the provisions of Articles 5 and 22 of the union’s Constitutive Act as the vehicle for building a strong partnership between governments and all segments of African civil society.

Mr Bombande said the foreign affairs ministry stands ready to work with the national chapter in its quest to collaborate with civil society organisations and other stakeholders to continue popularising the Agenda 2063.

He urged the media to engage fully to enable Ghana achieve its common objectives and goal of Agenda 2063.

Zimbabwean Ambassador in Ghana, Pavelyn Tendai Musaka congratulated the Ghana government for establishing the chapter.

She said it was her hope that the chapter contributes to a stronger African Union.

Agenda 2063 is a strategic framework for the socio-economic transformation of the continent over the next 50 years.

 It builds on and seeks to accelerate the implementation of past and existing continental initiatives for growth and sustainable development. 

The theme for the occasion is ‘Mobilising and providing technical support towards Africa’s Agenda 2063: The role of national ECOSSOC chapter’.