By Hannah Dadzie
The British High Commissioner to Ghana, H.E. Harriet Thompson, and husband, Nick Thompson, will host over 800 guests on Wednesday, November 22, in honour of the 75th birthday of His Royal Highness King Charles III, at their residence at Cantonment.
The celebration of His Majesty The King’s official birthday is the first since he took the throne in May this year. It will be under the climate sustainability theme. Invited guests include the Minister for National Security, Albert Kan-Dapaah, Government officials, Political party leaders, Chiefs, members of diplomatic missions, British-Ghanaian diaspora, colleagues, and friends.
The celebration will highlight His Majesty The King’s commitment and advocacy for biodiversity and the environment. It is also intended to showcase the strong UK-Ghana partnership and interventions made to tackle some of the pressing issues of climate change. There will also be an exhibition to highlight innovative solutions by companies to address the climate sustainability gaps. This partnership, rooted in our shared values and a common vision for a sustainable future, reaffirms the dedication of both nations to tackle the global crisis together.
Speaking ahead of the event, the British High Commissioner to Ghana, H.E. Harriet Thompson, said it is such an honour to celebrate the King’s official birthday, his first since he took the throne, and the first King’s Birthday Party in seventy years.
“His Majesty the King is well known for his lifelong commitment to addressing climate change. Ghana, like many other countries, has been affected by climate change, characterised by unpredictable weather patterns, rising sea levels, and temperatures, including recent dam spillage that has displaced over 40,000 people in the Volta region; to which the UK has committed an initial amount of £250,000 to support,” the British High Commissioner said.
“But Ghana is demonstrating leadership in the climate space through its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) initiated as part of The Paris Agreement at COP21. The recent commitment to establish the Vulnerable twenty (V20) secretariat in Ghana, launch of the Ghana Energy Transition and Investment Plan, protection of marine life, forest conservation, and climate-smart agriculture practices, including in the cocoa sector, are testaments to Ghana’s commitment,” Mrs Thompson added.
“To GREAT Campaign proudly supporting us, our gold sponsors, Aqua Africa and Stanbic Bank and all other sponsors, I extend my heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering support. Your commitment fuels our success, and we are honoured to have you as dedicated partners in our journey.”
The UK is committed to a brighter, cleaner, greener planet and will continue to collaborate with Ghana in its journey towards sustainability, including supporting Ghana to implement its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
UK’s Commitments
UK initiatives such as the Cocoa and Forests Initiative (CFI) to support farmers in Ghana in sourcing their cocoa sustainably through the implementation of Cocoa Management Systems (CMS) and National Forest Monitoring System (NFMS)
This initiative has contributed to 1 million farmers across 3.2 million hectares of cocoa farming land, 515,726 farmers registered in National Cocoa Management Systems, and land use maps for cocoa-growing regions produced by the Forestry Commission of Ghana.
The UK has also invested £20.5 million into the Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP) since 2018 through the Blue Fund. Through this investment, the UK is working together with Government, private sector and civil society partners in Ghana to drive a just transition to a circular plastics economy in Ghana, one that works across all sectors and ensures that all voices are heard.
The UK has committed an initial amount of £250,000 to support a coordinated action for immediate and medium-term response in the aftermath of the floods in the Volta Region of Ghana, caused by the controlled spillage of excess water in the Akosombo dam in mid-September 2023.
King Charles III was born on November 14, 1948. The monarch traditionally has two birthdays each year due to British weather. King Charles III’s official birthday celebrations will occur in November. In the UK, his birthday is also typically celebrated with outdoor events; therefore, celebrations are moved to the summer, when there’s a greater chance of nice weather. The King’s official birthday will be celebrated by British High Commissions and embassies across the world this month.
The event has been sponsored by a host of organisations and industries, including Aqua Africa, Stanbic Bank, Aviance Ghana Ltd., Fidelity Bank, Trashy Bags, British Airways, Bank of Africa, Intertek, Sahara Solace, Blue Skies, Diageo, TT Brothers, ABL, Apex with support from GREAT Campaign.