Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Ignatius Baffour-Awuah has been appointed a member of the International Advisory Board on the Climate Action for jobs Strategy.

It is an initiative of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the United Nations (UN).

Mr Baffour Awuah would join the high-level members of the Advisory Board which include Ministers of environment, labour and planning, leaders of employers’ and workers’ organisations and senior officials of the United Nations and development finance institutions who have been engaged to transform commitments made at the UN Climate Action Summit of 2019 into concrete action.

In an appointment letter, Guy Ryder, Director-General of the ILO, said the Organisation looked forward to working with Mr Baffour Awuah "to achieve far-reaching action on climate change, advance social justice and promote decent jobs".

Announcing the Minister's appointment, the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, in statement, copied to the Ghana News Agency said the invitation of Mr Baffour Awuah to serve on the International Advisory Board on the Climate Action for jobs Strategy, was in recognition of efforts made by the Government and the commitment of the Minister towards the development of a national green jobs strategy.

Additionally, the Ministry said it was also in recognition of Ghana's implementation of the National Determined Contributions on Climate Change.

The statement said the terms of reference outlining the role, composition, term of office and meeting protocol of the International Advisory Board indicated that members would advise on the overall approach of the Climate Action for Jobs initiative, particularly in relation to its strategic direction.

It said Mr Baffour Awuah, who doubled as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Sunyani West and one other Senegalese were the only two Africans on the 13 member board.

The International Advisory Board is composed of a maximum of two representatives from governments from Africa, America, Asia and Europe, a representative of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), a representative each from the International Organisation of Employers (IOE), United Nations Executive Office of the Secretary-General and the ILO.

Others are a representative of two international or regional financial institutions, while the ILO serves as the secretariat of the Advisory Board.
Membership of the Advisory Board is for a period of three years and when a member resigns during the term of office, nominations for a replacement for the remainder of the three-year term will be sought from the relevant category of members.

The Paris Agreement on climate change adopted in 2015 notes the imperatives of ensuring that workers and firms affected by the transformation to carbon-neutral economies are adequately supported, while opportunities for the creation of decent and green jobs are fully captured.

To turn this human-centred agenda into concrete action, António Guterres, the UN Secretary-General; Mr Guy Ryder, the Director-General of the ILO and leaders of governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations launched a Climate Action for Jobs Initiative at the United Nations conference on climate change held in Madrid, in December 2019.

The Initiative is intended to provide a roadmap to support and give effect to the commitments made by countries at the Climate Action Summit of September 2019.

The ILO is spearheading the implementation of the Initiative.
Mr Baffour Awuah would serve a three year term on the International Advisory Board on the Climate Action for jobs Strategy.