Kamala Harris unveils plan to deepen US-Ghana partnership

By
Eman Mudassar Tarar
-
92
Ghana
US Vice President Kamala Harris shakes hands with Ghana President Nana Akufo-Addo in Accra, Ghana

Accra, 29 March 2023 (TDI): As a part of her visit to Ghana, Vice President of the United States (US), Kamala Harris has announced plans to strengthen the US partnership with Ghana and promote regional security.

The US and Ghana have a strong bilateral relationship based on deep historical, cultural, and economic ties, as well as shared democratic values.

So, both countries have partnered closely to solve common challenges, in West Africa and globally including;

Regional efforts to prevent conflict and promote stability

The Biden-Harris administration will invest over $100 million in conflict prevention and stabilization efforts in Coastal West Africa, with $86 million dedicated to implementing a 10-year plan to address regional threats of violent extremism and instability.

The plan combines security, development, and peacebuilding, and the US is supporting holistic efforts by Ghana, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, and Togo.

Also, USAID and the Department of State are implementing new programs to strengthen economic development and increase governance and resilience in at-risk communities.

Moreover, the US is collaborating with international partners to bolster joint investments in border governance and provide civil-military engagement and training for partner forces.

Support for Ghana’s economic recovery and debt restructuring

The US is supporting Ghana’s economic recovery and debt restructuring efforts through the deployment of a full-time resident advisor from the Department of Treasury’s Office of Technical Assistance (OTA) to Accra.

Likewise, the Advisor will assist the Ministry of Finance in developing and executing reforms to improve debt sustainability and support a competitive government debt market.

In addition, USAID is funding fellowships for a team of ten qualified Ghanaian specialists to work within the Ministry of Finance for two years, providing surge support for debt management.

Thus, these efforts are part of OTA’s engagement to strengthen financial management and oversight across sub-Saharan Africa.

Strengthening economic development, regional integration, and women’s economic empowerment

Into the bargain, the Department of State is working with Congress to create a Small Business Development Center at the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat to support women & youth entrepreneurs from multiple African countries.

US Trade Representative, Katherine Tai signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation for trade and investment with the AfCFTA Secretariat.

The Office of the Trade Representative will work with the AfCFTA Secretariat and a range of African and US stakeholders providing support for negotiations and implementation.

Furthermore, USAID-funded Commercial Law Development is providing workshops and training on the AfCFTA Protocol on Women and Youth.

The US Department of Labor has increased funding to combat child labor, forced labor, and trafficking in Ghana.

Addressing shared health challenges

In the same vein, the US Government is investing approximately $20 million over the next three years, with an additional $9 million requested in the Fiscal Year 2024 budget.

This is being done to strengthen Ghana’s ability to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease outbreaks through USAID and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The funding will support risk identification and mitigation, community surveillance systems, and laboratory capacity.

Separately, the US President’s Malaria Initiative will invest $27 million in partnership with the Government of Ghana to deploy proven interventions to fight malaria, strengthen health systems, and improve data monitoring.

Therefore, these efforts aim to enhance global health security and combat malaria in Ghana.

Advancing creative economies

The OneBeat Ghana Exchange Program, an international musical exchange initiative, will commence in November to engage young musicians from the US and Ghana.

For the information, this program will facilitate business strategies that promote creative economies and expand networks.

Additionally, it will prioritize scaling social entrepreneurship projects through creative collaboration, marking the first OneBeat Abroad initiative to do so.

Pursuing innovative solutions for climate resilience, adaptation, and clean energy

Several initiatives are underway to promote climate resilience, adaptation, and clean energy in Ghana through collaboration with the US government.

The Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) Climate Tech Innovators and Leaders Program will bring together 50 young leaders and entrepreneurs from across the continent.

The purpose will be to develop innovative solutions for climate change, global warming, resilience, and sustainability.

The Blue Carbon Inventory Project, led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), will provide technical assistance & capacity-building support to Ghana for the incorporation of coastal wetlands in their national greenhouse gas inventory.

NOAA is also working to expand access to multi-hazard early warning systems across Africa, including heat wave forecasting and climate-informed health early warning, as part of the President’s Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience (PREPARE).

Clean energy technology integration and investment in Ghana

The Department of Energy is partnering with Ghana to establish a Clean Energy Training Center and will sponsor the Pan-African Nuclear Energy Training Program.

In this way, it will support African countries as they work toward economic development, energy security, and decarbonization.

The Department of Energy-led Equality Ambassadors Program seeks distinguished individuals from Ghana, Tanzania, and Zambia in the clean energy field.

So these individuals will be able to act as advocates for gender equality and inspire future women leaders in the clean energy sector.

To add more, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is providing technical assistance and capacity building to support the large-scale adoption of hybrid photovoltaic-wind systems in Ghana.

Also Read: Kamala Harris begins weeklong visit to Africa

Moreover, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and partner organizations are collaborating with the Ghanaian government to expand energy access and reduce emissions from cooking.

Research and testing of cookstoves and fuels are foundational to this work, and EPA’s support of the Ghana Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) lab is essential to the clean energy transition toward the sustained use of clean stoves & fuels.