Ghana to host maiden SDG Youth Summit

Reset Global in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), SDGs advisory unit office of the president has launched the 2019 Global SDGs youth summit in Ghana.

The three-day Summit which is scheduled to kick start on November 24 at bank of Ghana auditorium of the University of Ghana, is expected draw more than 1000 participants from across the globe to contribute towards the achievement of the SDGs.

The Summit will consist of peer-learning workshops, innovation fairs, and hackathons, an open space for young people to Co-Create SDGs solutions.

There will also be a high-level plenary on resourcing youth development in Africa, Inter-generational dialogue on youth, partners’ aide events, exhibitions, a concert and other activities lined up for the summit.

Speaking at the media launch of the event in Accra, Founder, Reset Global People, Mr Kwame A.A. Opoku, said of the 1000 plus participants expected, more than 70 per cent of them would be youth and 10 per cent being people living with disabilities (PWDs).

He said pre-conference registration would be opened online from Monday, November 4, on their website: www.resetglobal.com.

The first two-days of the conference would be held at the Bank of Ghana Auditorium, University of Ghana, adding that on day three, they would be having a women-focused conversation on how to address gender-based violence.

Mr. Opoku said during the summit the organisers, in collaboration with Busy Internet, would hold a hackathorn competition where nine teams would be taking part.

He said they would ensure that some practical solutions were achieved at the conference.

Mr. Opoku further urged all media partners to push the SDGs agenda for the participation and involvement of all.

For her part, Dr Louise Carol Serwaa Donkor, the Policy and Communications Analyst, SDGs Advisory Unit, Office of the President, said the President’s focus had largely been on innovative financing of women, the youth and also on entrepreneurship.

“So, once it comes to innovative financing and entrepreneurship, and innovative entrepreneurship, a lot of the time that will genuinely intercept with women and the youth (gender).”

She said a number of programmes had been initiated by the Government since 2017 to support a number of youth organisations on SDGs related activities.

Earlier, Mr Kordzo Sedegah, the Economics Specialist, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), said by supporting the Global SDGs Youth Summit, the UNDP believed more youth would be empowered to create jobs for themselves.

That, he said, was the reason the UNDP recently launched the “Youth Connect,” in collaboration with the National Youth Authority, to holistically empower the youth for innovation.

This year the UNDP would be launching two innovation fests for youth in the northern and southern sectors, where the youth would exhibit their talents.
He said to create a sustainable world was to ensure that the world was free from single-used plastics.

Mr. Matthew Mensah, the Chief Executive Officer, Health PR, and also the Ambassador for Tourism and Culture, said to attain the 17 SDGs, there was the need to involve the youth.

“It is a big honour to have the first Global SDGs Youth Summit taking place in Ghana.”

Other collaborators are Global Health PR, AWAKE, the Youth Employment Agency, the Ghana Tourism Authority, Visit Ghana, Year of Return and the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre.

The rest are University of Ghana, Busy Internet, Azania Chamber of Commerce and Global Media Alliance and DDP Outdoor Limited.