After months of negotiations Ghana has joined forces with 192 other countries to adopt the new UN sustainable development agenda to replace the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

President John Mahama is expected to sign the document in September which will have a 15-year lifespan.

The 17 new sustainable development goals aim to end poverty by addresses the root causes of the canker, promote prosperity and well-being of Ghanaians and protect the environment.

The new development agenda targets 169 goals aimed at tackling key systemic barriers to sustainable development such as inequality, unsustainable consumption and production patterns, inadequate infrastructure and lack of decent jobs.

Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa Sulemana Braimah has asked government to show more commitment to the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“It is time to really reflect…as developing countries to look at how best we can look at our resources – financial resources, natural resources – in a very judicious way so that even if we are unable to achieve all the targets as laid out in the sustainable goals, we will be able to make significant progress”, he said.

Sub Saharan Africa has not performed well when it comes to meeting the Millennium Development goals.

Ghana for example is struggling to meet MDG targets on maternal mortality and sanitation.