Accra, Sept. 11, GNA – The Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP)-Ghana has called for concerted efforts in addressing inequalities in education, health and politics to ensure equal opportunities for all.
The GCAP is a network of civil society organisations across the world working to end poverty, inequality and climate change among other challenges.
For its 2022 People Assembly, the GCAP requested that community and continental leaders should commit themselves to ensuring that the poor do not continue to suffer the impact of harsh economic, social, political instability and conflicts.
It said leaders should give urgent attention to the cause of lack of education, low income, and high vulnerability to disaster and diseases to end poverty among marginalised groups in communities.
“We demand that our leaders and all persons should support and sustain efforts aimed at ending inequalities based on ethnicity, class and disability in our countries; and that all persons should be given the opportunity to participate in decision-making and make their voices heard on national issues without fear,” it said.
The demands were contained in a GCAP-Ghana Charter, signed by Mr Benjamin Lartey, the Country Representative, Nana Adwoa Agyeman Affrifah, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Community Connect, Madam Jane Amerley Oku, CEO of Janok Foundation, and Ms Gladys Agbenu of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisation.
It was signed at a meeting in Accra attended by reps of youth groups, women organisations, persons with disability, ethnic minorities, and economically disadavantaged groups, among otehrs.
The group submitted the Charter to the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, received by Mr Samuel Amponsah Adjei, the Assistant Director of the AMA, who gave the assurance that the demands would be studied and incorporated in the Assembly’s Development Agenda.
A statement read by Mr Lartey on behalf of the GCAP Africa National Coalition, noted with concern the continuous deteriorating plight of the poor and vulnerable in Africa, creating a barrier to the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a s well as the freedoms and rights of the citizenry.
“We particularly note with disappointment the challenges, which are man-made and avoidable such as; slow progress towards SDGs achievement, COVID-19 pandemic and vaccine inequality, economic slowdown due to persistent insecurity and poor governance,” it said.
The statement mentioned worsening poverty levels, deteriorating climate change, social exclusion of often marginalised and vulnerable groups, armed conflicts in parts of Africa and the war in Ukraine that was worsening food and energy prices, and the security and humanitarian crises caused by terrorist attacks.
It also noted the shrinking civic engagement spaces and increasing neo-colonialism tendencies by some rich countries over some poor others.
“We, therefore, call on all the people trusted with positions of leadership and authority in Africa and at the global level to use the legitimate power entrusted to them to provide just and sustainable solutions to the noted challenges.”
It called on the United Nations to play a more balanced and effective role in supporting countries in Africa to deal with their development challenges.
“We call for greater accountability to all Member States of the United Nations in their responsibilities, both nationally and internationally, in addressing human development challenges as enshrined in the membership charter of the Organisation.”
The statement urged the African Union to apply its leadership structures effectively to address poverty, conflict, health, and insecurity, among other challenges in line with the Union’s Agenda 2063.
It reminded African Governments of the development promises they made to their people in September 2015 while adopting the UN Agenda 2030, which also espoused the SDGs.
“Whilst we acknowledge the turbulence the world is going through currently; we call on the governments to do a lot more and accelerate the pace towards achieving the SDGs not later than 2030.”
It implored investors with interests in Africa to embrace ethical business behaviour that promotes sustainable development, equity and peace on the Continent.
