Ghana’s Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Hon. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, has held bilateral talks with Ms. Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), on the sidelines of the 16th session of UNCTAD (UNCTAD XVI) in Geneva, Switzerland.
The meeting focused on strengthening cooperation between Ghana and UNCTAD in key areas including trade facilitation, investment promotion, and capacity development.
Hon. Ofosu-Adjare commended Ms. Grynspan for her distinguished leadership in international development and diplomacy, describing UNCTAD XVI as one of the most inclusive and action-oriented sessions in recent years. She praised the innovative conference design that brought together Ministers in interactive panels, promoting diverse perspectives and meaningful engagement.
The Minister reaffirmed Ghana’s appreciation for UNCTAD’s continued technical and analytical support, especially in e-commerce, investment facilitation, and MSME development. She also briefed the Secretary-General on Ghana’s ongoing efforts to advance industrial transformation, trade facilitation, and digital readiness, citing the implementation of the National E-Commerce Strategy and the Accelerated Export Development Programme (AEDP) as key examples.
Highlighting her role as a member of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) Board, Hon. Ofosu-Adjare underscored President John Dramani Mahama’s vision to strengthen port surveillance and compliance systems to combat illicit financial flows (IFFs). She called for UNCTAD’s collaboration in supporting capacity-building initiatives to enhance customs efficiency, improve trade data integrity, and integrate artificial intelligence (AI) in trade policy and implementation.
In response, Secretary-General Grynspan welcomed Ghana’s proactive initiatives and invited the country to work closely with Mr. Paul Akiwumi, UNCTAD’s Director for Africa, on targeted interventions to curb illicit financial flows and improve trade facilitation.
Mr. Akiwumi briefed the Minister on UNCTAD’s upcoming programmes, including enhanced engagement with ECOWAS Parliamentarians on trade reforms and continued support for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) through regional cooperation.
Hon. Ofosu-Adjare further disclosed Ghana’s intention to convene a meeting of ECOWAS Trade Ministers to deliberate on the harmonization of regional trade standards and procedures—an initiative ECOWAS has agreed in principle to support.
Ms. Grynspan acknowledged the complexities of regional integration but emphasized that, when effectively institutionalized, it remains a powerful instrument for sustainable development. Reflecting on global coordination frameworks such as the G20 Common Framework, she underscored the need for planning, coherence, and solidarity among developing nations.
In closing, Hon. Ofosu-Adjare echoed the Secretary-General’s words from the UNCTAD XVI Opening Plenary:
“Our future must be planned; it cannot just happen.”
She reaffirmed Ghana’s readiness to deepen its partnership with UNCTAD to ensure that trade, innovation, and investment continue to drive inclusive and sustainable transformation across Africa.
