NDPC Engages Media Practitioners On SDGs Reportage 

The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) has disclosed that Ghanaians living below the international poverty line has declined from 13.6 percent in 2013 to 11.9 percent in 2017.

However, poverty has increased in Volta, Northern, Upper West and Upper East regions.

The above mentioned statements were made at a day's forum held recently in Accra, for media practitioners and journalists on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) drafted Voluntary National Review report (VNR).

This activity formed part of the preparation and stakeholder engagements on SDGs to help track progress in implementing the Goals and targets.

Mr. Kenneth Owusu, Technical Adviser at the NDPC said, " the media is one of the key stakeholders in the achievement of the Goals, and therefore need to be continuously engaged in the various levels of national discourse; since they would help in the education of citizenry on the Goals".

He urged journalists to be very particular on the report of the SDGs and to get the best understanding of them, by so doing would help to explain the Goals better.

Dr. Christine Okae Asare, Director Strategic and Development Environmental Assessment, Legal and a member of the Technical Implementation Committee on SDGs, addressing media practitioners at the workshop urged them to adopt the habit of incorporating in their stories attributes of the SDGs, in order to educate their listeners, viewers and as well as readers on the Goals.

She indicated that the VNR is part of the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for the SDGs and to promote experiences in sharing - successes, challenges and lessons learned.

Dr. Asare outlined some of the key VNR principles the NDPC presents as Validation workshop for youth voluntary and country-led (National ownership based on national official data) : and to maintain in a longer -term orientation, identify achievement, challenges, gaps and critical success factors and support countries in making informed policy choices; open inclusive, participatory and transparent for all people.

Ms. Patience Ampomah, Planning Adviser at the NDPC, in her presentation on the VNR report indicated some concerns and challenges that were raised during the report drafting as inadequate Data Disaggregation, traditional practices and beliefs, the socio-economic difference between the North and South, Child and Disability unfriendly infrastructure, Barriers to financial inclusion, Pension scheme for the informal sector among others.