Diaspora Engagement Policy in the offing - Ayorkor Botchwey

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey says the government is expediting the process of developing the Diaspora Engagement Policy to harness the human and material resources of the diaspora for socio-economic transformation.

The Policy, when adopted, she said, would provide for the leveraging of investment benefits and privileges through strategies that promoted foreign direct investment to the country from the diaspora.

Ms Botchwey said this in a speech read on her behalf by her deputy, Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong at this year’s International Migrations Day (IMD) celebration in Accra on Friday December 16, 2022.

The event was organised by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Ghana in collaboration with the United Nations (UN) Network on Migration and the Diaspora Affairs, Office of the President on the theme “ Migration for the Benefit of All.”

IMD is commemorated on the 18th of December every year to highlight the contributions and challenges of the over 280 million international migrants who make up approximately 3.6 percent of the global population.

Ms Botchwey said the Ministry had been working in collaboration with the Diaspora Affairs Office, Office of the President and the IOM to finalise arrangements to submit the policy to cabinet, adding that “and we look forward to the light of the policy in the coming months.”

Fataou Diallo Ndiaye, Chief of Mission, IOM Ghana indicated that aside from their well-known role as remittance senders, diasporans could promote trade and foreign direct investment, establish businesses, encourage entrepreneurship, and transfer new knowledge and skills.

She said it was for that reason the celebration was focused on highlighting the contribution of the diaspora to sustainable development.

Ms Ndiaye said the government’s focus on the diaspora deeply aligned with the interest of IOM Ghana in supporting the Ghanaian diaspora.

She said it was for that reason IOM recently provided technical support for the elaboration of the draft Diaspora Engagement Policy, worked with the government to facilitate the assignment of over 259 diaspora experts in the areas of health, education, food security and ICT through its Connecting the Diaspora for Development project.

She used the opportunity to reiterate IOM and the UN Network on Migration’s commitment to continually support the government to harness the development potential inherent in migration and to fulfil its commitments as enshrined in the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 agenda.

Anna Lixi, Head of Governance Sector, EU Delegation to Ghana said the EU firmly believed in strong partnership to manage migration in a safe orderly and regular manner.

She said it was for that reason the EU had been providing technical support for the development of the draft of the Diaspora Engagement Policy, and was also committed to efforts around the facilitation of investment by diaspora through the boosting of green employment and enterprise opportunities in the country.