Ghana’s Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Bagbin, has held bilateral talks with Norway’s State Secretary to the Minister of International Development, Ms. Stine Renate Håheim, on the sidelines of the world’s largest anti-corruption gathering in Doha.
The meeting took place during the 11th Session of the Conference of States Parties (CoSP 11) to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), held from December 15 to 19, 2025. It followed close collaboration between Ghana, Norway, Albania and Mongolia, which jointly tabled a landmark draft resolution on enhancing transparency in the funding of political parties and electoral campaigns.
Bagbin expressed Ghana’s appreciation for Norway’s leadership in advancing the draft resolution, which Ghana co-sponsored. He described the initiative as addressing a core pillar of democratic governance, the integrity and transparency of political financing and noted that it marked the first UNCAC resolution to focus specifically on political finance transparency.
The Speaker said the engagement created strategic opportunities for technical assistance and capacity-building support from Norway, a key development partner. He added that the collaboration demonstrated the commitment of President John Dramani Mahama’s government to the global anti-corruption agenda.
Bagbin warned that opaque and unregulated political financing posed a growing threat to democratic systems, including Ghana’s. If left unchecked, he said, such practices risk undermining the will of voters, entrenching corruption and eroding public trust in institutions. He stressed that political finance transparency was not merely a domestic concern but a global issue requiring strong international cooperation.
He welcomed the resolution’s emphasis on capacity-building and technical assistance, noting that many developing countries were committed to reform but constrained by limited institutional and financial resources. Bagbin also commended provisions recognising gender equity, whistleblower protection, and the critical roles of civil society and the media.
The Speaker highlighted the resolution’s comprehensive framework, including oversight mechanisms, robust accounting and reporting requirements, transparent allocation of public funding, sanctions for misuse of state resources, and strengthened domestic and international cooperation. He called for further attention to organised crime and the infiltration of political processes.
Citing Article 7(3) of the UNCAC, Bagbin reaffirmed Ghana’s readiness to enhance transparency in political party and campaign financing through legislative and administrative measures.
Ms. Håheim thanked Ghana for co-sponsoring the resolution and praised the collective efforts that shaped its final title: “Preventing and combating corruption through enhancing transparency in funding of political parties, candidatures for elected public office and electoral campaigns.” She welcomed the broad regional representation of the four sponsoring countries and said it underscored growing global support.
The meeting ended with shared confidence that adoption of the resolution would strengthen international commitment to democratic integrity.