Works & Housing Minister backs UN’s new urban agenda

The Minister of Works and Housing, Francis Asenso-Boakye, has pledged the country’s commitment to the United Nations’ “New Urban Agenda”.

He affirmed that Ghana is committed to making a conscious effort towards the implementation of the New Urban Agenda to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, adding that “the choices we all make today could result in a breakthrough to a greener, better and safer future.”

He made the pledge whilst addressing a High-level Meeting of the UN General Assembly, convened by the President of the 76th session of the General Assembly, His Excellency Abdulla Shahid, to assess progress on the implementation of the New Urban Agenda in New York, on behalf of the government of Ghana.

Mr Asenso-Boakye noted that government of Ghana is prioritising the provision of affordable housing to address challenges confronting its citizens in home ownership.

“Recent statistics from the 2021 Population and Housing Census Report on Housing Characteristics revealed that approximately 12.7% of the total structures counted were vacant housing units, giving a clear indication that our housing supply has outpriced the average person in Ghana,” he said.

New Urban Agenda

The New Urban Agenda, adopted at Habitat III in Quito, Ecuador, in October 20 2016, is a paradigm shift based on the science of cities, and lays out standards and principles for the planning, construction, development, management and improvement of urban areas. It is intended as a resource for different actors in multiple levels of government and for civil society organisations, the private sector and all who reside in urban spaces of the world.

This agenda highlights the linkage between sustainable urbanisation and job creation, livelihood opportunities and improved quality of life, and it insists on incorporation of all these sectors in every urban development or renewal policy and strategy.

Prior to this meeting, Mr Asenso-Boakye had joined colleague Ministers in the region at a Special African Ministerial Session on Sustainable Urbanisation and Housing, held on April 14, 2022 in Kenya to make key recommendations on behalf of the region.