The Government of Ghana through the operations of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) 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 the institutionalisation of the GUF, a total of five (5) fora have been organised with support from state and non-state actors as well as development partners.

The GUF takes inspiration from and is based on the form of the global urban platform called the World Urban Forum (WUF), which is organised every two years for urban and other development practitioners to deliberate and promote good and effective urban development across the globe. Ghana like many other African countries takes active part in these global events and is encouraged to organise platforms to spearhead informed and 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 effect and impact driven organization of the GUF, the 2016 GUF is being organized at a time that the Country through the MLGRD is actively participating in activities and events leading up to development of the New Urban Agenda in October 2016 in Quito, Equador.

The organisation of the 2016 GUF will enable the nation reflect on developments in its cities and towns to inform sustainable urban development which inure to the benefit of all, specifically the vulnerable and poor, in our society. Ghana will also use the platform to gather additional information to enrich its participation in the international consultative Habitat III process, PrepCom III, to elaborate the New Urban Agenda.

This year’s Forum will focus on Ghana’s participation and contribution thus far, in the preparations towards Habitat III, the significance of the New Urban Agenda for Ghana and the continent and the importance of its localisation for financing and delivering inclusive and sustainable urban services. 

The Forum will take place on the 12^th July 2016 under the theme: “Localising the New Urban Agenda: a Catalyst for Financing Resilient Urban Infrastructure for Equitable and Sustainable Economic Growth in towns and Cities in Ghana”.