Team Europe (European Union and Germany) have announced the launch of a 3-year “Strengthening the Rule of Law and Fight Against Corruption in Ghana” project as part of a broader initiative to support good governance and foster accountability in Ghana under the programme “Participation, Accountability and Integrity for a Resilient Democracy” (PAIReD).

PAIReD is commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in partnership with the Ministry of Finance in Ghana.

The initiative backed by EUR 12.7 million and funded by the European Union and Germany will focus on enhancing the capacity of Ghana’s judicial and law enforcement institutions, therefore improving access to justice, and empowering civil society and media to hold public officials accountable.

The project will assist Ghana's ongoing anti-corruption efforts, support state institutions to create framework conditions that make corruption and misuse of power more difficult and strengthen their human resource, digital, and infrastructure capacities to foster law enforcement.

The high-level event to kick-off the project brought together key stakeholders and implementing partners including, among others, the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice (OAGMJ), the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), and the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO). Key players in anti-corruption advocacy and action, such as the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE), the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD), the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), and the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) were present as well.

“Corruption undermines democracy, stifles economic growth, and erodes public trust. Team Europe’s partnership with Ghana reflects our shared vision of a society built on justice, accountability, and equal opportunity. This initiative will equip Ghanaian institutions with the tools to combat corruption effectively while empowering citizens to demand transparency.” Said Jonas Claes, Deputy EU Ambassador to Ghana.

Franziska Jebens, Head of Cooperation, German Embassy in Ghana remarked “Germany has adopted anti-corruption and integrity as central elements of its development cooperation, defining it as overall quality criteria, implementing anti-corruption approaches as standalone projects and as part of good governance projects, such as the PAIReD programme which we have been continually supporting here in Ghana"

In his keynote speech, the Commissioner of the Commission Human Rights and Administrative Justice explained: "The Commission’s approach has been to address the underlying causes of corruption and establish systems that prevent and reduce opportunities for corruption in our Society" and highlights further: "The fight against corruption is not a sprint but a marathon. Winning this marathon requires continuous vigilance, stakeholder collaboration and public education."

The event concluded with stakeholders affirming their shared commitment to advancing the fight against corruption in Ghana through collaborative efforts and sustained engagement, with the EU and German contribution serving as a critical catalyst for positive change.