Ghana has been named as one of the four countries to receive support from the COVID-19 Private Sector Global Facility announced at the SDG Business Forum at the 75th UN General Assembly to help communities recover better.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Global Compact and the International Chamber of Commerce established the COVID-19 Private Sector Global Facility, is a global initiative and collaboration bringing together public and private sector partners to help local communities recover better from the pandemic.
Apart from businesses in Ghana, the initial projects launched under the motto “Recover Better Together” will also focus on the countries like Colombia, the Philippines and Turkey.
The COVID-19 Private Sector Global Facility was announced by Mr. Steiner at the SDG Business Forum during the UN General Assembly, the largest and most inclusive UN convening of private sector leaders.
According to Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP Ghana, Silke Hollander, recent COVID-19 Business Tracker survey suggested that the pandemic had great impacts on Ghanaian businesses, forcing many firms to cut costs by reducing staff hours, lowering wages, and even laying off workers.
Ghana’s selection to be one of the initial four countries to benefit from the partnership is expected to complement ongoing efforts to support businesses to build back better.
The Global Facility will operate at both the global and national levels. It aims to co-create solutions that are tailored to the phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in a given area and the specificities of the local private sector and government context.
Guided by the UN Global Compact’s Ten Principles and the Sustainable Development Goals, the Facility will support a multi-sectoral, whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to face the multidimensional nature of the crisis.
Recovery efforts will focus on how to rebuild more inclusive economies and societies, to set a new course for a socially just, low-carbon and climate-resilient world where no one is left behind.
