As the recently appointed Domestic Financing champion of the Global Partnership for Education, President Akufo-Addo sought the co-operation and support of UNESCO “to work towards developing sustainable homegrown financial solutions, so we can develop the educational system for the future we want in our various countries.”

Addressing the 215th Meeting of the Executive Board of UNESCO, on Monday, 10th October 2021, in Paris, France, the President noted that the world does not have the luxury to pick and choose which crises it wants to fix.

“At this moment, we cannot pick and choose between funding guns and education. We cannot pick and choose between the interests of the present generation and the future of our girls and boys. We cannot choose geopolitical concerns over preserving our cherished cultural heritages, lest we perish universally,” he said.

Due to global instability, however, President Akufo-Addo noted that, education has become one of many competing priorities of domestic budgets, with development aid to the education sector also seriously under pressure.

“Indeed, countries reduced their spending on education after the onset of the COVID-19, and, at the same time, direct aid to education by bilateral donors fell by some three hundred and fifty-nine million dollars ($359 million), which is not compatible with the objectives of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda for financing sustainable development and the goals of the SDGs,” he said.

The President continued, “We are further informed that prospects for reaching funding target, through voluntary contributions, are uncertain as several long-term donors have already reduced significantly their voluntary contributions to UNESCO due to a change in development cooperation priorities, thereby significantly impacting our planned programme implementation.”

In spite of these challenges, President Akufo-Addo commended UNESCO for the lead role it played in ensuring the success of the Transforming Education Summit, held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September this year.

Necessitated by the seminal “Futures of Education” report from UNESCO, the President indicated that the Transforming Education Summit, and, indeed, the pre-summit held here in Paris, have been extremely successful in getting the world to reflect deeply on the trajectory of educational systems, and how to addresses the challenges of our time.

Touching on Global Priority Africa Programme, which has been adopted by the UNESCO General Conference at its 41st Session, President Akufo-Addo was delighted that UNESCO has made Africa a Global Priority, and was delighted to see UNESCO’s flagship programmes as being relevant to achieving the objectives of the Africa Union’s Agenda 2063, i.e. “The Africa We Want”.

He also urged UNESCO’s Executive Board to help win the fight against Climate Change, especially as the planet is heading towards a dangerous tipping point as a result of climate change.

In furtherance of this, he commended UNESCO for the effort to strengthen the “Man and Biosphere Programme”, whose goal is to help protect nature and biodiversity loss globally, through the Biosphere Reserve Concept.

“I urge UNESCO Member States to strengthen measures, at their respective national levels, that recognise formally the contribution of Biosphere Reserves, and designate more biosphere reserves and geoparks as a sure way for solving the climate crisis”, he added.

In concluding, the President informed the Executive Board of the news that Accra has been named as the UNESCO World Book Capital for 2023, making Accra part of the prestigious World Book Capital Cities Network.

This, he stated, is an acknowledgement of the giant strides Ghana and Africa are making in developing Ghana’s book and creative arts industry.

“The year-long programme to celebrate this honor done us by UNESCO will commence from 23rd April 2023, which is celebrated globally as the World Book and Copyright Day. I wish to use this opportunity to invite you all to join Ghana in this year-long celebrations,” the President added.

President Akufo-Addo will on Monday, 10th October 2022, receive an Honorary Award of Doctor Honoris Causa from Sorbonne University in Paris. It will be the third Honorary Doctorate Degree to be conferred on him. It will be recalled that the first was an Honorary Doctor of Law Degree conferred on him in May 2016, from the celebrated Fort Hare University of South Africa; and the second, in December 2017, was an honourary doctor of humane letters degree from the University of Liberia.

Prior to the receipt of the Honorary Doctorate from Sorbonne University, the President will address the Executive Board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) at its 215th Session.

Whilst in France, he will also address the Asia Society Forum on the theme, “To Act in Troubled Times: new perspectives from France, Asia, Africa and the world”, and commission the refurbished Chancery building of Ghana’s Embassy in Paris.

President Akufo-Addo was accompanied by the First Lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo; the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey; the Minister for Education, Hon. Yaw Osei Adutwum, MP for Bosumtwe; and by officials of the Presidency and Foreign Ministry.

The President will return to Ghana on Friday, 14th October, 2020, and in his absence the Vice-President Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, shall, in accordance with Article 60(8) of the constitution, act in his stead.