[ad_1]
Ghana has been selected among the top four countries in the world to receive financial support from the Global Private Sector Fund COVID-19, established by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the United Nations Global Compact (Global Compact of the United Nations) and the International Chamber. of Commerce (CCI).
The other three countries are Colombia, the Philippines, and Turkey.
This was announced by the UNDP Administrator, Achim Steiner, at the SDG Business Forum held at the UN General Assembly last week.
The event, which was themed “Recovering Better Together”, was the largest and most inclusive gathering of private sector leaders at the UN.
The global facility
The Global Private Sector Fund COVID-19 is a global initiative and collaboration of public and private sector partners to help local communities better recover from the pandemic.
It is a response to the call to action from business for private sector leaders and governments to work together to address the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Backed by strategic partners DHL, Microsoft and PwC, the global facility is open to other like-minded private sector organizations interested in joining the initiative.
Strategic partners are expected to add their expertise and technology to support that transformational recovery initiative.
To operate both globally and nationally, the global facility is expected to create solutions tailored to the COVID-19 pandemic phase in each area and the specificities of the local private sector and government context.
The geographic scope and participating partners are expected to expand as the global facility develops.
Change lifes
Commenting on the facility, ICC Ghana Secretary General Mr. Emmanuel Doni-Kwame said in a statement that the pandemic had radically changed the lives of entrepreneurs and the economic environment in their countries, especially in Africa.
“With the focus on Ghana, we stand ready to support and expand this global impact initiative to help redefine the future of business,” the statement said.
Practical support
In a video recording message played on the forum, a member of the ICC Executive Board, Ms. Valentina Mintah, said: “The Global Fund will provide practical support for the real economy, through in-country projects targeting the needs of SMEs.
“These will range from training in digital skills to the execution of major infrastructure projects. The inclusion of Ghana in the four initial participating countries serves as a solid foundation for Africa as the geographic reach expands and the facility develops, ”he added.
Ms. Mintah said that small business owners and entrepreneurs wanted their challenges understood, their ideas heard, and their recovery efforts better, recognized and built by others.
In that context, he said, “SMEs need a way to facilitate this vital exchange of ideas, learning and experience with each other and with organizations and institutions that are in a position to support them.”
Inclusivity
Steiner said that as COVID-19 disrupts societies, development agendas must be adjusted accordingly.
“There is a need for an inclusive multilateralism, based on critical contributions from civil society, business, foundations, the research community, local authorities, cities and regional governments. By unlocking public-private and private-private cooperation for a sustainable response to the challenges of COVID-19, it is possible to recover better and build more resilient economies, ”he said.
Steiner said the facility was the first of its kind, designed to join forces in the public and private sectors to serve humanity at an imperative time, adding that “Solidarity to ‘Better Recover Together’ can fuel our collective efforts not just to face the crisis but overcome it. “
“The presence of UNDP in some 170 countries and territories, combined with the United Nations Global Compact network of more than 10,000 companies and 68 Local Networks around the world, and the International Chamber of Commerce network of more than 45 millions of companies, multiplies our collective capacity and potential, “she said.
[ad_2]
