BY J.J. MESSNER AND HANNAH BLYTH

With the government of Ghana announcing in 2014 that it would sign onto the VPs initiative as the first African nation to do so, it is now in the stages developing a VPs National Action Plan. Working with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau for Democracy, Rights and Labor, The Fund For Peace (FFP) in partnership with the West African Network for Peace Building (WANEP-Ghana), will lead a program which supports these VPs implementation efforts across Ghana.

Throughout this program, FFP and WANEP-Ghana will engage closely with CSOs, companies and the government, to ensure the project activities are effective and can remain sustainable. Our program aims to act as a pilot which will spur a highly successful and robust implementation of the VPs in Ghana, led through the government’s National Action Plan, as well as ongoing civil society dialogue and constructive company engagement. The implementation of the VPs initiative in Ghana has the potential not only to help address core issues such as human rights, violence, and transparency in extractives affected areas, but also presents a unique opportunity to identify best practices for in-country learning and future implementation by neighboring countries across Africa.