New York, September 2025 — At the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA80), Ghana’s Minister of State for Climate Change and Sustainability, Hon. Seidu Issifu, told leaders at the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) that climate accountability must move from words to results.
Speaking on behalf of the President of Ghana, he set out a path that vulnerable nations can carry beyond New York.
Ghana’s vision at UNGA80
Under the theme “A New Era of Climate Accountability: Adaptation Package, Debt Solutions, and Health Resilience for Vulnerable Nations”, Hon. Issifu outlined a framework for joint action:
Adaptation comes first with scaled up finance, community led resilience, and practical technology partnerships.
Debt justice is essential. Ghana called for a Climate Debt Forgiveness mechanism so resources can shift from repayment to climate action.
Health resilience sits inside adaptation, with investment in climate ready health systems and disease surveillance.
With this, Ghana places vulnerable countries at the centre of climate governance, shifting the story from dependency to leadership.
Beyond New York: turning intent into action
UNGA80 was the platform. The work now is how climate vulnerable states build on the signal. Hon. Issifu’s points can be advanced in four ways:
1. Institutionalise climate accountability. CVF members can embed climate and sustainability units across ministries so adaptation sits inside daily decisions.
2. Build regional alliances. African, Caribbean and Pacific states can back debt for climate swaps and concessional finance to strengthen bargaining with creditors and institutions.
3. Drive South South leadership. Shared research hubs, technology transfer and community projects can show that leadership does not depend on the global north.
4. Link climate and health. The case for health resilience frames climate action as a public health and security task, not only an environmental one.
A collective call forward
The high level dialogue was chaired by H.E. Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados and Chair of the Barbados Presidency of CVF–V20.
Other speakers included H.E. Mohamed Nasheed, Secretary General of the CVF Secretariat and former President of the Maldives; H.E. Allah-Maye Halina, Prime Minister of Chad; H.E. Elizabeth Thompson, Ambassador on Climate Change and the Law of the Sea for Barbados; and H.E. Fouzul Kabir Khan, Adviser to Bangladesh’s Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources.
Beyond UNGA80, Hon. Seidu Issifu’s message should carry into COP30 in Brazil, into national plans, and into each negotiation where climate futures are agreed.
For the CVF and other coalitions of vulnerable nations, Ghana’s intervention is more than a statement. It is a prompt to build alliances, a guide to design workable policies, and a push to demand accountability from the global system.
If acted upon, this moment can mark a turn where climate vulnerability becomes climate leadership, grounded in action, fairness and resilience.
—
Cedric Dzelu
Technical Director
Source: www.climatewatchonline.com
