[{"bbox": [97, 164, 1123, 246], "category": "Text", "text": "The action will also support the implementation of the Delegation's Country Level Implementation Plan (CLIP) for 2021-2025 in line with the EU Gender Action Plan III. The action will contribute to the Youth Action Plan (2022-2027 - adoption in September 2022)."}, {"bbox": [85, 285, 324, 318], "category": "Section-header", "text": "# 2 RATIONALE"}, {"bbox": [85, 350, 236, 379], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## 2.1 Context"}, {"bbox": [97, 397, 1135, 503], "category": "Text", "text": "Since Ghana's independence in 1957, Ghana and the EU have developed close political, cooperation and trade relations. Ghana plays an important role in the region, through its Chairmanship of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the United Nations Security Council seat and as host of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat."}, {"bbox": [97, 515, 1135, 862], "category": "Text", "text": "After two decades of GDP growth above 5%, Ghana is now a lower middle-income country, where poverty rates have been slashed by half. However, economic growth has not been fully inclusive and led to increased inequality, mainly between the richer south and the poorer north of the country. Ghana has made progress in gender equalities and women's empowerment, but social norms are still inadequate. Ranked 135 out of 162 countries in the 2019 Gender Inequalities Index (GII), participation in decision-making is still low (14.6 % of parliamentarians are women) and education level is lower for women (55 % of women's adults reach secondary level of education compared to 71 % of the male adults; women have 6.6 years of schooling on average).² Youth unemployment is particularly acute (9 % of youth between 15-24, with a female to male ratio of 0.97 and 30 % of youth are not in school or employment³) and will only intensify with a projected annual 2.2% growth rate in the country's youth population over the next decade. There is a high risk of overall and external debt distress due to the country's high level of debt adding to worrisome developments on the fiscal and monetary sides. The international context is not helping (inflationary pressures, tightening of US/EU monetary policies, Ukraine war). The macroeconomic imbalances could have significant political and economic consequences, also for our cooperation."}, {"bbox": [97, 873, 1135, 1007], "category": "Text", "text": "Rich in minerals including gold, oil and gas, Ghana is also the second largest world producer of cocoa. However, a persistent perception of corruption is hindering foreign direct investment and might negatively impact the implementation of EU programmes and President Akufo-Addo's “Ghana beyond aid” strategy. Transparency International ranks Ghana 73rd out of 180 countries. The government has a strong anti-corruption legal framework in place but faces challenges of enforcement⁴."}, {"bbox": [97, 1018, 1135, 1176], "category": "Text", "text": "Ghana is one of the most stable countries in the West African sub-region. Nevertheless, radicalisation and communal violence are on the rise notably in the less developed northern regions, including local conflicts related to land tenure, chieftaincy and intra-religious disputes. From 2017 to 2021, the women's perception of community safety has decreased from 59.4 % to 56.5 %. The potential of spill-over of jihadist violence from Burkina Faso remains a chief concern for the authorities, who have decided to strengthen collaboration with neighbouring countries in the framework of the Accra Initiative."}, {"bbox": [97, 1189, 1135, 1353], "category": "Text", "text": "The Joint Programming for Ghana 2021-2027 has been prepared in a Team Europe spirit with a group of European Partners: the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and the European Investment Bank. In line with the context described above, it covers three priority areas: 1) Green growth for jobs; 2) Smart and sustainable cities; 3) Good governance and security. All actions will be designed with a specific attention to Northern Ghana, as to address the development gap, groups living in vulnerable situation in this area and the linked security concerns for a possible spill over of violence from Sahel."}, {"bbox": [97, 1363, 1135, 1498], "category": "Text", "text": "As there was no AAP 2021, most of the resources for 2021-2024 will be concentrated in the AAP 2022 and 2023 as to catch up with the slow start of implementation of the new programming cycle. The proposed AAP 2022 will contribute to all three priorities, by focusing on supporting youth employment, strengthening the rule of law and fighting corruption, developing opportunities in relation to migration management, and an intervention in the area of energy efficiency in Northern Ghana with EIB and AFD. The AAP 2022 will also include the preparation of"}, {"bbox": [85, 1548, 1144, 1597], "category": "Footnote", "text": "² UNDP (2020), Briefing note: Ghana, Human Development Report 2020. Georgetown Institute, Women Peace and Security Index (2021)."}, {"bbox": [85, 1597, 703, 1623], "category": "Footnote", "text": "³ UNDP (2020), Briefing note: Ghana, Human Development Report 2020."}, {"bbox": [85, 1622, 450, 1647], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁴ https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2021"}, {"bbox": [1038, 1680, 1144, 1705], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 4 of 15"}]