1. HOW CRUCIAL IS DEMOCRACY IN ACHIEVING THE SDGs IN GHANA?
Today marks UN Democracy Day, a day set aside by the United Nations for promoting and
upholding the principles of democracy. The theme for this year, Democracy and the 2030 Agenda
for Sustainable Development reminds all countries about the importance of democracy in
development and poverty reduction. Though Ghana has enjoyed a rapid growth and accelerated
poverty reduction, cutting the poverty rate from 52.6% to 21.4% between 1991 and 2012, there is
still a great deal of work to be done, and the day prompts all, of the country’s commitment towards
the 17 SDGs developed through an unprecedented dialogue and consensus by UN Member States.
What should Ghana be doing?
In Ghana, the SDGs which took effect from January 2016 have been launched by President John
Dramani Mahama, who has also been appointed as one of the SDGs Advocates to support the UN
Secretary-General in generating the needed impetus and commitment for the SGDs, thereby
placing a shared responsibility on all Ghanaians. It is also important to note that the SDGs have
targets directly related to the tasks of local and regional governments and the achievement of these
targets would largely depend on the collective efforts of Ghanaians. There is therefore the need to
mobilize the efforts of the private sector and civil society in the development, implementation and
monitoring of SDG policies and programs that focus on ending all forms of poverty, eradicating
inequality and tackling climate change which are critical components of the Global Goals.
In particular, the roadmap for localizing the SDGs indicates that they would be achieved through
concerted efforts from the bottom up. For citizens, it is imperative to note that this roadmap calls
for raising public awareness, advocacy, and implementation and monitoring. These are important
avenues for citizen involvement in the implementation of the SDGs and can be adapted to the
specific contexts and needs of different cities and regions. All stakeholders must ensure that the
needs of citizens get to the agenda of governments in this regard.
What Role Can ICT Play?
A critical question that agitates the minds of most Ghanaians is how to ensure equitable
development. The ability to ensure equity in the allocation of resources is critical to the sustainable
development of the country. According to the World Bank, with 10 percent increase in high speed

2. internet connections, economic growth increases by 1.3 percent. In this regard, integrating ICT
tools in all programs around the SDGs should become an integral part of the design and
implementation, bearing in mind that these tools must be the widespread productive and creative
resources in order to change the main production processes and service delivery. It is also critical
for government to appreciate the fact that, the process of integrating new tools into development
processes may not come easy or cheap, but would require substantial investments in the beginning.
If this is done, ICTs would play a critical role in Ghana’s quest to achieve the SDGs. It is
imperative to note that mobile phone connectivity can play a vital role in increasing information
on climate change, market, financial and health services to remote areas to drive the needed change
in people’s lives in unprecedented ways. Though a lot of strides have been made in this regard,
more needs to be done to ensure ICTs play a central role in the distribution of development
dividends among all Ghanaians. It is therefore very important to note that, in many parts of Ghana,
ICT infrastructure is a challenge.
What Role Can Political Stability Play?
Political stability and economic development are very much intertwined, and Ghana’s appreciable
economic indicators since 1992 are enough proof that a stable political environment fosters economic
growthandprosperity. Periodsof uncertainty mayresultinreductionindomesticandforeign investments
with debilitating effects on economic development, which will in turn affect the country’s ability to
achieve the Global Goals. It is therefore very importantto note that, political stability remainsthe most
important asset for economic development.
The warning is that, though Ghana has successfully organized six peaceful elections since the
reintroduction of democracy in 1992, Ghanaians must guard against any act that has the potential
to derail the peace of the nation as the country goes into the 2016 Elections. If for nothing all, the
examples of Cote D’Ivoire in 2012 and the recent mayhem in Gabon, following the presidential
polls in that country provide enough warning to guide all Ghanaians to protect the peace which is
a sine qua non for the attainment of the Global Goals which seek to end poverty, protect the planet
and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.