Ghana and Denmark's relations stretch through many decades and centuries. But Ghana was a very different country when Danida came back in 1991. Ghana had embarked on the challenging transition from military rule to democracy, and Danida became deeply engaged in all the steps from 1992, when the new constitution was approved, and the first democratic elections took place.
The Martyrs of the Rule of Law statue. Photo: Jesper Heldgaard.
It’s
been a pioneering, but also challenging journey, and we are proud to have been
a part of it. People, who only knew the country before this transition started,
would find it difficult to recognise it. Today, there is a lively democratic
debate, press freedom and a vibrant civil society holding politicians
accountable to an extent, which is rarely seen in other African countries.
Ghana can also be proud of its record of peaceful elections and transitions of
power from one party to another.
Denmark’s
selection of Ghana as a priority country in 1989 was an important sign of our
long-term commitment. Danida was seen as a credible and reliable partner that
our Ghanaian partners, both in the government institutions, in civil society
and the private sector, could count on for a long time.
Our
vision from the onset was to contribute towards building a sustainable
democracy. Hence, Denmark engaged in activities that were not likely to yield
clear and visible results overnight. Denmark became involved in what
constitutes the pillars of democracy such as Parliament, elections, the
Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, the judiciary,
decentralisation, civil society, media etc.
These
are also sensitive sectors, and while overall progress over the past three
decades has been impressive, we have also encountered several bumps on our way.
But we have been able to address the challenges together, and we hope that our
good partnership will live on even though Denmark’s support to good governance
and service delivery is being phased out by the end of this year, and
Denmark’s development assistance to Ghana will be fully phased out by the end
of 2020. In honour of the phasing out, we have made a documentation study telling some of the stories from our longstanding relationship.
ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolition - funded by Danida) is a informal court setup, where the opponents sit together with trained mediators to try to settle their dispute our of court. Photo: Jesper Heldgaard.
Ghana
today has significant attributes such as its democratic accomplishments, a
stable security environment and a wealth of resources, making it a leading
light on the continent. But like any democracy, Ghana also faces challenges
such as corruption and the need for reforms to keep its institutions and public
sector in good shape to improve services to its citizens. It is my hope that
Ghana will prioritise reform implementation to position the country as a
leading force on the continent.