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The Ghana CSOs Platform on SDG4, in collaboration with the United Nations in Ghana and several partner organisations, has commemorated this year’s United Nations Day and the 80th Anniversary of the UN (UN@80) with a renewed call to strengthen Ghana’s education system to ensure inclusivity, quality, and sustainability. The event, held on Tuesday, October 29, 2025, at St. John’s Grammar Senior High School, Achimota, was celebrated under the theme “Education Shapes the Future.” It brought together key education stakeholders, civil society actors, students, and UN officials to highlight the transformative power of education in shaping peaceful, inclusive, and sustainable societies. The celebration featured a student debate, cultural displays, and solidarity messages from education advocates, all centered on the role of education in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In his address, Joseph Tettey Afangbe, Founder and Executive Director of Young Visionary Leaders Ghana, and Co-Chair of the Ghana CSOs Platform on SDGs, reaffirmed the group’s commitment to advancing inclusive education in Ghana. “As we celebrate UN@80, we reaffirm that education remains the foundation upon which peace, prosperity, and sustainable development are built,” he stated. “The theme ‘Education Shapes the Future’ reminds us that every investment in learning is an investment in our shared future.” Afangbe further urged the government to adopt and sustain policies that strengthen the education sector. “We are calling on the Government of Ghana to implement policies that sustain and strengthen the education system, ensuring quality, inclusive, and equitable learning environments for all learners, regardless of their background,” he said. Delivering a message on behalf of the United Nations in Ghana, Cynthia Prah, National Information Officer at the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC), Accra, emphasised the UN’s commitment to reimagining and transforming education for the future. Citing UNESCO’s Future of Education Report, she noted, “Education is not just preparation for the future — it is the act of creating it. It’s how we imagine and build the world we want to live in — a world that is more just, inclusive, peaceful, and sustainable.” Prah also underscored the importance of modern pedagogies that promote creativity, solidarity, and civic responsibility. “The report calls for pedagogies of cooperation and solidarity, curricula that embrace complexity and creativity, and schools as civic spaces,” she said, commending the Ghana CSOs Platform on SDG4 “for bringing together diverse stakeholders to promote an education system that leaves no one behind.” The ceremony ended with the presentation of awards to outstanding students who participated in the debate and performances, recognizing their creativity and innovation. As part of the UN@80 celebrations, the Ghana CSOs Platform on SDG4 and its partners reaffirmed their dedication to advancing Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education) and working collaboratively with government, the UN system, and civil society to ensure that education continues to shape a better and more sustainable future for all.
