2022 Ghana Urban Forum
SYNOPSIS
The Government of Ghana through the operations of the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGDRD) instituted a national platform for urban development stakeholders to convene annually to discuss relevant urban development issues to promote good urban governance and development. The platform popularly referred to as the Ghana Urban Forum (GUF) has been running consistently since the year 2009. Since its institutionalisation, a total of eight (8) fora have been organised with support from state and non-state actors as well as development partners.
The GUF takes inspiration from the World Urban Forum (WUF), which is convened by the UN-Habitat, to promote good and effective urban development globally. Ghana like many other African countries are members of the UN-Habitat and actively participate in global events, organised to promote sustainable urban development.
The institutionalisation of the GUF in Ghana, is therefore a direct response to the global call to offer practitioners, governments, opinion leaders, civil society and the ordinary Ghanaian, the opportunity to have a say in the governance of their communities, and more importantly, their urban space.
As a further boost to the impact-driven GUF, this year’s Forum is being organised at a time, that the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGDRD) is updating the National Urban Policy to reflect current situations. The Ministry seeks to leverage the 2022 GUF to engage stakeholders and receive inputs to inform the update of National Urban Policy and Action Plan.
The Forum presents a unique opportunity for Ghanaians to start a national discourse around sustainable urban growth, engaging the private sector in the delivery of urban services, and more importantly, defining urban areas beyond a population threshold.
The Forum will take place on the 31st of October and 1st November 2022 under the theme: “Rapid urban growth in Ghana: promoting effective urban planning for livable and sustainable cities and towns”.