Youth urged to support efforts to attain SDGs

The Executive Director of the Centre for Legal Advocacy Research Education and Training (CLARiT), Mrs Jennifer Owusu, has advised the youth to take keen interest in environmental issues by making themselves agents of change to help Ghana attain the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

She was speaking at a training programme for students of Jack and Jill School in Accra, organised by CLARiT, a non-governmental organisation which aims at promoting  research,  advocacy, assistance and consultation for the vulnerable in society and raising awareness of human rights abuse and other  issues affecting the vulnerable in society. 

The theme for the programme was "Demystifying the SDGs and Protecting our Environment".

Positive efforts

According to Mrs Owusu, Ghana had over the years made positive efforts to attain goals adopted by the United Nations, such as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which were, among other things, aimed at reducing poverty and promoting gender equality, stressing that these should form the basis for working successfully to attain the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

She said Ghana, through its commitment and dedication to these guidelines, had achieved some of the goals adopted by the United Nations but added that the goals needed to be sustained through vigorous and frantic efforts.

She noted that CLARiT had over the past years enjoyed a good relationship with staff and students of Jack and Jill School in Accra through partnership programmes aimed at empowering women, children and persons with disabilities on their rights.

Youth as partners

“We see the youth as partners and key players in ensuring that Sustainable Development Goals are achieved,” she stated.

Mrs Owusu further noted that the NGO was poised to create awareness for students at the basic level of education to become agents of change and also impart good environmental practices to their parents, family members and friends.

For her part, Mrs Audrey Quarcoo, Head, Client Relations and Business Development Department of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), said her outfit had for the past years supported reforestation programmes through the planting of trees.

She, however, mentioned that efforts had been made with some schools to cultivate the habit of planting more trees to replenish the forest and also provide food for humans.

A partner of Bolton and Chandler, a law firm, Nana Kobi Prempeh, in his remarks, appealed to the youth to support the fight against activities that resulted in climate change.