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INNOVATIONS, SOCIO-ECONOMICS, & POLICY

1. Human Security: Six UN agencies jointly developed a three-year Human Security Programme (HSP) in collaboration with the Government of Ghana, civil society and academic institutions. The Human Security Programme, entitled Enhancing Human Security through Developing Local Capacity for Holistic Community-Based Conflict Prevention in Northern Ghana, aims to develop the capacity of local institutions, communities and individuals, to manage and prevent conflict in Northern Ghana. Sixteen communities in four conflict sensitive areas, namely Bawku Municipality in the Upper East Region; Wa Municipality in the Upper West Region; and Yendi Municipality and Tamale Metropolis in the Northern Region, are supported in this programme. The UN agencies which have been supporting this initiative include: the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF), World Food Programme (WFP), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and United Nations University (UNU). The Government of Japan provided the funding of US$ 3,052,834 through the UN Trust Fund for Human Security (UNTFHS). The programme has adopted a holistic approach which focuses on local capacity development, conflict prevention mechanism, income generation, food security, and the human security concept. These activities seek to actively build peace and promote development leading to human security by recognizing the complex relationships between poverty and conflict. UNU is in charge of facilitating the component of the human security concept, i.e., Objective 5: Mainstreaming and advocating human security concept in the context of Ghana enhanced by 2012 and has been working with other UN agencies and key national partners under this Objective, namely University for Development Studies (UDS), University of Ghana (UoG) and Ghana Network for Peacebuilding (GHANEP). During the three-year implementation from 2009 to 2012, both positive and negative changes will be tracked and analyzed through three major field-based research activities including: 1) baseline survey at the beginning of the programme; 2) mid-term monitoring; and 3) impact assessment at the end of the programme as well as continuous monitoring. It is expected that, by the end of the programme, a locally fit Human Security Concept, impacts and lessons learnt will be shared both locally and internationally under this Objective. Together with other components through integrated and people-centred approaches, the programme is working towards delivering tangible and intangible outcomes, contributing to sustainable human security. 2. Sustainable Rural Livelihoods: The Sustainable Rural Livelihoods Project (SRLP) has been promoting community-driven, asset-based, holistic rural development through support to formulation and implementation of Community Action Plans (CAPs) and local capacity development. CAPs are developed by community members through discussion and identification of their vision, assets and priorities; CAPs usually cover a wide range of areas including food security, health, education, income generation and environment, depending on local contexts of each community. This five-year project (2006-2010) has been implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and its implementing partner, Africa 2000 Network-Ghana. The Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, Regional Coordinating Councils, University for Development Studies and UN agencies including UNU-INRA are part of the National Steering Committee. UNU-INRA also provides advisory and technical support to the project including facilitation of training and development of knowledge products. The 10 Districts which SRLP has been supporting since 2007 are: Bunkpurugu-Yonyoo, Central Gonja, Karaga, Nanumba South and Sawla-Tuna-Kalba Districts in the Northern Region; Garu-Tempane and Talensi- Nabdam Districts in the Upper East Region; and Sissala West, Wa East and Wa West Districts in the Upper West Region. The following six Districts, which had been supported under another UNDP project, joined SRLP in 2009: West Gonja District in the Northern Region; Bongo District in the Upper East Region; Jirapa District in the Upper West Region; Ahanta West District in the Western Region; Ofinso District in the Ashanti Region; and Asutifi District in the Brong Ahafo Region. In total, 61 communities in the 16 Districts are supported for enhancing Sustainable Livelihoods as of 2010. At the local level, the project has been working closely with two levels of actors: community-level stakeholders (Village Development Committees: VDCs) and district-level stakeholders (District Coordinating Teams: DCTs). These two local actors facilitate development activities on the ground. The whole process is enriching community assets, capabilities and activities through enhancing local ownership and capacities so that local stakeholders drive their own development sustainably.

Contact Us Our Location: UNU Institute for Natural Resources in Africa International Programmes Building Annie Jiage Road Univ. of Ghana, Legon Campus Accra, Ghana Mailing address: Private Mail Bag; Kotoka International Airport Accra, Ghana Tel: (233-302) 500396 Fax: (233-302) 500792 E-mail: inra@unu.edu