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HATOF Foundation Supports the Launch of Ghana’s BBNJ Enabling Activity to Advance Marine Biodiversity Governance

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Accra, Ghana – July 21, 2026: As part of its continued commitment to strengthening ocean governance and supporting Ghana’s implementation of international environmental agreements, HATOF Foundation participated in the inception meeting for Ghana’s Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement Enabling Activity Project, convened by the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST) at the Accra City Hotel.

HATOF’s participation forms part of the organization’s broader efforts to promote awareness, policy dialogue, and institutional readiness for the implementation of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement).

Ghana ratified the BBNJ Agreement on January 14, 2026, to strengthen the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction, safeguard migratory fish stocks that contribute to national food security, and advance a resilient and sustainable blue economy. To facilitate implementation, the country is undertaking a Global Environment Facility (GEF)-funded Enabling Activity, with the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology serving as the lead institution and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) providing implementation support.

The Enabling Activity is designed to assess Ghana’s readiness to implement the Agreement through a comprehensive legal and policy review, an institutional capacity assessment, a stakeholder engagement process, and an analysis of existing governance structures. Although the project was originally approved for implementation between 2025 and 2027, the July 2026 inception meeting marked its formal commencement following implementation delays.

The meeting outlined the next phase of the project, including the recruitment of national consultants to undertake baseline assessments and nationwide stakeholder consultations. Discussions also highlighted an important institutional challenge: identifying national agencies that possess scientific data and information on marine biodiversity beyond Ghana’s Exclusive Economic Zone, including activities along the continental shelf and in areas beyond 200 nautical miles. Participants noted that little existing knowledge has been generated nationally, except through international scientific collaborations, underscoring the need for stronger national coordination, data management, and research partnerships.

The BBNJ Enabling Activity complements several ongoing national biodiversity initiatives, including the revision of Ghana’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), the establishment of the country’s first Marine Protected Area, and the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

HATOF Foundation has been proactively contributing to Ghana’s preparedness for the BBNJ Agreement through technical engagement and awareness-raising initiatives. Earlier this year, the Foundation convened a national webinar that introduced policymakers, researchers, civil society organizations, academia, and marine practitioners to the objectives, obligations, and opportunities presented by the Agreement. The initiative helped bridge existing knowledge gaps and stimulated national dialogue on the implications of the BBNJ Agreement for Ghana’s fisheries governance, marine scientific research, offshore resource management, and blue economy development.

As implementation of the Enabling Activity progresses, HATOF Foundation will continue to engage with government institutions, development partners, academia, and civil society to support inclusive stakeholder participation, policy dialogue, knowledge dissemination, and capacity strengthening. By connecting global ocean governance frameworks to national implementation processes, HATOF remains committed to helping Ghana effectively implement the BBNJ Agreement and to contributing to the long-term conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction.

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HATOF Foundation Strengthens Partnership with Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Advance Global Environmental Engagement

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Accra, Ghana | July 15, 2026

HATOF Foundation paid a courtesy call on the Director of the Multilateral Bureau of Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs as part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen strategic collaboration on international environmental governance, climate diplomacy, and sustainable development.

The meeting provided an opportunity to formally introduce HATOF Foundation’s expanding global portfolio and reaffirm the organization’s commitment to supporting Ghana’s engagement in multilateral environmental processes. Discussions focused on identifying areas of mutual interest and exploring opportunities for enhanced cooperation in advancing Ghana’s environmental and climate priorities within regional and international policy platforms.

As an international environmental non-governmental organization with legal registration in both Ghana and Canada, HATOF Foundation has established itself as a trusted partner in environmental governance, climate finance, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable development. Over the past two decades, the organization has collaborated with governments, multilateral institutions, development partners, and civil society organizations to mobilize resources, strengthen institutional capacity, and contribute to international environmental policy processes.

During the engagement, HATOF highlighted its extensive work in supporting Ghana’s participation in global environmental frameworks, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

The Foundation also reaffirmed its commitment to supporting national institutions through technical assistance, policy dialogue, capacity building, and strategic partnerships that enhance Ghana’s leadership in international environmental negotiations and sustainable development initiatives.

This engagement builds on HATOF Foundation’s longstanding collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and reinforces a shared commitment to promoting effective multilateral cooperation, strengthening Ghana’s voice in global environmental governance, and advancing the country’s sustainable development agenda.

HATOF Foundation looks forward to continued collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other national and international partners in delivering innovative, inclusive, and impactful solutions to today’s environmental and climate challenges.

Together, through strong partnerships and shared vision, we can position Ghana to lead in shaping a more sustainable, resilient, and environmentally secure future.

REPARATORY JUSTICE MEETING ACCRA

GHANA HOSTS WORLD LEADERS TO CHART A COHERENT PATH FOR ADVANCING LANDMARK UN RESOLUTION ON REPARATORY JUSTICE

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Accra, Ghana – June 19, 2026 — World leaders, policymakers, representatives of the African diaspora, academics, civil society organizations, and activists from over 80 countries convened in Accra for a three-day High-Level Consultative Conference to deliberate on the next steps following the adoption of the landmark United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/RES/80/250, which declared the trafficking of enslaved Africans and the racialized chattel enslavement of Africans as among the gravest crimes against humanity.

Held from June 17–19, 2026, at the Kempinski Hotel in Accra, the conference marked the first major global gathering since the adoption of the historic resolution by the United Nations General Assembly on March 25, 2025, in New York. Participants reflected on the significance of the resolution, assessed progress since its adoption, and explored practical mechanisms to translate its principles into concrete action.

The conference brought together several Heads of State and Government, including President of Namibia, H.E. Dr. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah; President of Liberia, H.E. Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr.; President of Senegal, H.E. Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye; Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Amor Mottley; while President of the French Republic, H.E. Emmanuel Macron, participated virtually. Also in attendance were Ministers of Foreign Affairs, senior government officials, representatives of regional organizations, people of African descent, civil society organizations, academic institutions, and non-governmental organizations.

Delivering the keynote address, President of Ghana, H.E. John Dramani Mahama, called for a renewed global commitment to reparatory justice, emphasizing the need to demand reparations for the enslavement of “our people and the colonization of our land that resulted in the theft of natural resources.”

He stressed that reparatory justice is “not only about acknowledging the past but also about expanding opportunities, advancing human development, and creating a more just future for communities affected by the enduring consequences of this historical injustice.”

President Mahama further urged constructive engagement in the global reparations discourse, noting that “though none of the present generation can be held personally responsible for the transatlantic slave trade and the racialized chattels of enslaved Africans, every generation inherits responsibilities from the past.” While current generations may not bear direct responsibility for actions committed centuries ago, he argued, “we are responsible for the wealth those actions have helped to create – both achievements and failures.” Consequently, he stated, “we must be prepared to engage constructively even with the descendants of those who enslaved our forefathers and foremothers.”

President Mahama also underscored the importance of a gender-responsive approach to reparatory justice. He observed that the experiences of enslaved women and girls have often been marginalized in historical narratives.

“History remembers the names of the ships and merchants trading companies but forgets the names of the women whose bodies became the site of exploration or the mother standing on the shore, uncertain she will see her child again,” he said. “For many enslaved women, exploitation did not just end with the body; their bodies became instruments of economic extraction, and their capacity to bear children was transformed into a means of reproducing bondage across generations.”

According to President Mahama, reparatory justice must ensure that “the historical experiences of women and girls cannot remain footnotes in the global narrative but must occupy their rightful place at the center of truth-telling, remembrance, and memorialization.”

Renowned playwright and Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka described the resolution as “a golden opportunity” to re-examine “a divisive history” and the continuing impact of slavery on relations between former colonizing nations and those that suffered under slavery and colonialism.

Soyinka warned that “the slave trade is not over,” pointing to contemporary forms of slavery and human trafficking affecting children and young people. He described modern slave markets and trafficking networks as “the common refuse of perpetual iniquity” and argued that opposition to reparatory justice reflects a “retrogressive understanding of history and of human relationships.”

He further noted that Africa’s challenges are not solely external, observing that some leaders continue to treat citizens “as just slaves.” For Soyinka, the broader objective must be the “rehumanization” of memory and the collective restoration of people traumatized by slavery and historical injustice.

President of Namibia, H.E. Dr. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, reaffirmed her country’s commitment to the continental quest for justice, stating that Namibia stands ready “to join others and work together in this journey.”

Describing the adoption of Resolution A/RES/80/250 as “an important historical landmark,” she emphasized that “it is not a destination. It is the beginning of a journey towards truth, acknowledgment, healing, and justice.”

She noted that the consequences of slavery, colonialism, and historical injustice continue to manifest through inequality, poverty, lost opportunities, and perceptions of people’s place in society, underscoring the continuing relevance of the reparatory justice agenda.

Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Amor Mottley, echoed calls for a unified global effort, stressing that the demand for reparations is “not one of aggression” or violence but “one of necessity for healing humanity.”

She argued that the categorization of Africans as “chattel” and “property” stripped millions of people of their dignity and freedom and that meaningful repair remains necessary to address the shame, injustice, and structural inequalities that continue to persist through systems of power.

“Reparations should be pursued not as an act of charity but as an act of justice,” she stated.

The conference concluded with the adoption of the Accra Next Step, a framework intended to guide future international cooperation and action on reparatory justice.

Among its key outcomes was the establishment of a three-panel advisory architecture comprising:

  • A Global Advisory Panel on Reparatory Justice to provide strategic guidance and advance international dialogue and cooperation on reparatory justice.
  • An Expert Panel on the Restitution of Cultural Artifacts to facilitate efforts aimed at returning cultural property and archives to their rightful communities; and
  • A Legal Panel for Reparatory Justice to explore legal pathways, deepen legal understanding, and develop approaches consistent with the rule of law and human justice.

The adoption of the Accra Next Step signals a collective commitment by participating states, institutions, and stakeholders to move beyond recognition to practical measures to advance truth, healing, restitution, and justice for people of African descent worldwide.

SHAPING GHANA'S CONSTITUTION

Shaping Ghana’s Constitution: Moving Environmental Protections from Aspiration to Enforceable Law

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Accra, Ghana. June 17, 2026. Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) working across Ghana’s environment, conservation, and natural resource governance space convened at the Oak Plaza Hotel in Accra on Tuesday,16th June,2026, to deliberate on the environmental dimensions of the ongoing constitutional review process. The workshop formed part of the broader work of the Citizens Platform on Constitutional Review (CPCR), an initiative facilitated by Coalition for Constitutional Democracy (CDD)-Ghana, STAR-Ghana Foundation, and Democracy Hub, in partnership with A Rocha Ghana, and convened to ensure that citizens, rather than political actors alone, help shape the country’s third major attempt at constitutional reform, and HATOF Foundation was at the table. The discussions were anchored in the work of the Constitutional Review Committee (CRC), appointed by President Mahama in January 2025, whose report, released in January 2026, proposes the most far-reaching environmental reforms in the country’s constitutional history.

The recommendations include a Public Trust Doctrine, making the State a trustee, not an owner, of natural resources, binding government by law to manage Ghana’s lands, water, minerals, and biodiversity for present and future generations. This means government becomes legally accountable for how it manages those resources, not just politically answerable; enforceable fiduciary binding public authorities to act with transparency, sustainability, and intergenerational equity in all resource decisions – duties that citizens could challenge in court if breached; a new constitutional offence of ecocide with stiff sanctions, which is a significant departure from the administrative penalties that exist today; and stronger community rights through Free, Prior and Informed Consent. Under the current 1992 Constitution, Article 36(9) makes environmental protection non-justiciable, meaning no citizen can sue government for failing to protect the environment. These proposals change that fundamentally by converting environmental stewardship from a political promise into a legal obligation.

HATOF Foundation brought two critical perspectives to the room. Dr. Samuel Dotse, HATOF’s Chief Executive Officer, urged participants to move past treating biodiversity as an economic asset and recognize its right to thrive independent of market value. The organization’s Biodiversity Policy and Program Officer, Ms. Nyuiemedi Dzramado, flagged a gap: while the reform language is detailed on minerals and community dividends, it says almost nothing about access and benefit-sharing over genetic resources, an obligation Ghana has already taken on under the Nagoya Protocol to the Convention on Biological Diversity.

The outcome of this constitutional moment will shape how Ghana manages its forests, water, minerals, and biodiversity for generations to come, and civil society’s voice in the room is what will determine whether that outcome is worth having.

RAINFALL TAX 2

A rainfall tax for Ghana: Is it time to finance flood resilience differently?

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For decades, Ghana has treated flooding as an emergency. Every rainy season, government agencies and some corporate bodies, including a few religious organisations and individuals mobilise relief items, reconstruct damaged roads and bridges, desilt drains, and compensate affected victims and communities.

This cycle repeats itself year after year, consuming public, private and individual resources that could otherwise be invested in national development.

Perhaps it is time for Ghana to consider a bold policy innovation which I will call RAINFALL TAX.

Concept of the rainfall tax
The proposal is not a tax on the rain that falls from the atmosphere. Rather, it is an environmental financing mechanism that requires developments with extensive impermeable surfaces such rooftops, concrete compounds, shopping centres, parking areas and paved landscapes to contribute towards the cost of managing the rainwater runoff they generate as a result of their actions.

Urban flooding and scientific evidence
From available literature, scientific evidence shows that urban flooding in Ghana is increasingly linked to the rapid replacement of natural vegetation with concrete surfaces as well as building on natural waterways and converting naturally occurring waterlogged areas into development landscapes.

As a result, these impermeable surfaces expand, rainwater can no longer infiltrate the soil but instead flows rapidly into drains and waterways that are already choked with plastics and solid waste, overwhelming existing infrastructure and causing floods.

Research on the Accra Metropolis found that large sections of the city have become natural runoff convergence zones, with approximately one-third classified as flood-prone and another quarter experiencing frequent flooding due to topography, drainage patterns and urban development.

Historical context of flooding in Ghana
Flooding in Accra and its environs are not new. Historical records indicate major flood events dating back as published on the front page of The Ghanaian Daily Graphic of 18th April 1960 just to mention as emphasis and support my argument and the catastrophic June 3, 2015, disaster, among many others are testimonials we have worked for.

The June 3, 2015, flood and fire disaster remains one of the darkest moments in Ghana’s recent history. More than 150 lives were lost, over 53,000 people were affected, and extensive damage occurred to homes, transport systems, water infrastructure and businesses.

The estimated direct economic damage exceeded US$55 million, while reconstruction needs were estimated at approximately US$105 million eleven years ago.

Economic and developmental impact
Beyond these headline figures lies an even greater economic burden. Every flood destroys individual homes and property, roads, schools, markets, electricity infrastructure and private investments while reducing productivity, disrupting transport and imposing heavy fiscal pressures on Ghana’s constrained budget.

Shift from reactive to proactive policy
Academics, researchers and sustainable development practioners including resilience infrastructure experts have consistently argued that Ghana’s flood management strategy should move from reactive disaster response towards proactive investment in resilience, risk reduction and integrated urban water management. This is where the rainfall tax proposal becomes relevant.

Policy mechanism and design
The principle is simple: developments that increase rainwater runoff should contribute to financing the infrastructure needed to manage that runoff.

When implemented, revenue generated could be deposited into a dedicated Rainwater Management Fund, protected by law and used exclusively for drainage expansion, desilting of waterways, rainwater harvesting systems, retention ponds, wetland restoration, green infrastructure, flood forecasting systems and climate adaptation projects.

Incentives for green infrastructure
The tax could also encourage environmental stewardship by providing rebates to households, industries and commercial properties that install rainwater harvesting systems, permeable pavements, green roofs or other sustainable drainage technologies.

Climate change and financing context
As climate change increases the frequency and intensity of extreme rainfall events across West Africa, Ghana requires innovative domestic financing mechanisms that complement international climate finance while reducing dependence on emergency expenditures after disasters occur.

Core policy question
The debate should therefore not be whether Ghana should tax rain. The real question is whether those developments that significantly increase runoff should contribute to the public cost of managing its consequences.

Cost of inaction
Every year, unmanaged rainfall costs Ghana lives, livelihoods and millions of cedis in infrastructure damage. A carefully designed Rainfall Tax could transform that same rainfall into a predictable source of financing for climate resilience, safer cities and sustainable development.

The choice before Ghana today is simple: continue paying for floods after they happen, or invest in managing rainfall before it becomes a disaster.

Conclusion
In otherwise, choice before Ghana is no longer between action and inaction, but between repeated disaster recovery and strategic resilience financing. A Rainfall Tax offers a practical pathway to convert an escalating climate risk into a structured investment in national protection, infrastructure durability, and long-term economic stability.

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When Science Becomes a Negotiation Power Under International Financial Mechanisms for Climate Action: HATOF Foundation at World Environment Day 2026

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University of Cape Coast, Ghana, June 5, 2026: On the morning of World Environment Day 2026, the Department of Environmental Science at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) gathered students, faculty, and guests under one roof to mark the occasion. The theme this year, “A Global Call to Climate Action,” set the tone for a day of honest conversation about where Ghana stands in the global climate story.

Dr. Samuel Dotse, the Chief Executive Officer of HATOF Foundation, was invited to serve as the Guest Speaker for the symposium. He spoke on the topic: “When Science Becomes a Negotiation Power Under International Financial Mechanisms for Climate Action.”

Dr. Dotse argued that the ability to attract international climate finance from mechanisms such as the Green Climate Fund, the Global Environment Facility, and loss and damage funds does not rest solely on vulnerability, but also on data. Countries with updated inventories, ecosystem valuations, and strong biodiversity datasets walk into negotiations with leverage, while those without them, however climate-exposed, risk being sidelined.

Ghana, he argued, finds itself in a difficult position: although ecologically rich, home to portions of the Upper Guinea Forest, biodiversity-significant wetlands, and a highly vulnerable coastline, it is underrepresented in the datasets that international allocation systems use. That gap, Dr. Dotse said, is becoming costly. A significant part of his address emphasized the inseparability of biodiversity from climate action. He posed three pointed questions: How can farmers build resilience as pollinators decline? How do communities pursue mitigation as forests shrink? How do coastal communities withstand storms as mangroves disappear? These questions anchored the argument that biodiversity data is now required, not a supplement, in climate proposals.

His call to universities was direct: institutions like UCC cannot afford to stay in their traditional academic lanes. They need to become environmental intelligence hubs, generating long-term ecological data, conducting biodiversity mapping, and producing the kind of science that feeds directly into negotiations and project proposals. As he put it, “biodiversity is no longer just for conservation reports. It is the climate negotiation capital.”

Attendees at the symposium included faculty members, the Provost of the College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, the Dean-Elect of the School of Biological Sciences, and students from across departments, including Environmental Science, Civil Engineering, Oil & Gas, and Coastal Management. An inter-hall debate, drawing participation from nine (9) UCC halls, gave students a live platform to wrestle with these ideas.

For the HATOF Foundation, the day highlighted the importance of our work, linking science with policy and ensuring policies have the resources needed for action.

Happy World Environment Day.

COURTS OF THE LIVING

Courts Of the Living: Re-Imagining Environmental Justice In The Era Of Ecological Crisis

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Introduction

Environmental degradation has emerged as one of the most pressing governance challenges confronting Ghana and many developing countries today. Illegal mining activities, deforestation, wetland destruction, biodiversity loss, and pollution of major river systems continue to threaten ecological sustainability, public health, and long-term economic resilience.

While environmental laws and regulatory institutions exist, enforcement outcomes remain inadequate. A significant reason for this challenge lies in the continued dominance of human-centred legal reasoning, where environmental harm is often addressed only when direct human or economic impacts become visible.

Against this background, the emerging global concept of COURTS OF THE LIVING offers an important intellectual and policy reflection for the future of environmental governance.

Understanding the concept of courts of the living

The concept of Courts of the Living does not suggest literal courtrooms for animals or ecosystems. Rather, it represents an evolving jurisprudential and policy philosophy that encourages legal systems to take ecological integrity seriously within judicial and governance processes.

At its core, the approach asks a very simple and thought provoking question: How would legal and policy decisions change if ecosystems, biodiversity, rivers like PRA, ANKOBRA, DENSU etc, forests such ACHIMOTA, and non-human life were meaningfully considered within environmental decision-making frameworks? This growing school of thought reflects wider global concerns that traditional environmental governance systems are failing to adequately protect ecological systems from irreversible degradation.

Ghana’s environmental crises

Ghana’s environmental challenges demonstrate the limitations of purely anthropocentric governance systems. For example:

Rivers polluted by illegal mining are often assessed primarily in terms of human water consumption rather than total ecosystem collapse.

Forest degradation is frequently measured through economic loss rather than biodiversity destruction.

Environmental litigation often prioritises property damage while long-term ecological harm receives less institutional attention.

The result is a governance gap where ecosystems are treated as secondary considerations rather than foundational components of national sustainability. The Courts of the Living philosophy encourages policymakers, regulators, and judicial actors to reconsider this imbalance.

Towards ecological justice in Ghana

Applying the principles underlying Courts of the Living within Ghana does not require radical constitutional transformation. Instead, it calls for practical reforms that strengthen ecological accountability in governance systems. Key policy directions may include:

1. Ecological-Centred Environmental Assessments: Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs)as well as Environmental and Social Management plan (ESMPs) should move beyond narrow economic considerations and incorporate: Biodiversity integrity indicators, Ecosystem recovery thresholds, Long-term ecological sustainability measurements.

2. Strengthening Environmental Adjudication: Courts handling environmental disputes should increasingly integrate; Scientific ecological evidence, Environmental experts and assessors, Biodiversity impact analysis in judicial reasoning,

3. Institutionalising Ecological Governance: Environmental agencies should formally recognise; Rivers, forests, wetlands, and biodiversity systems as critical governance assets, Ecosystem degradation thresholds as enforcement triggers

4. Integrating Indigenous and traditional Ecological Knowledge: Traditional Ghanaian communities have historically maintained strong ecological stewardship systems. Incorporating indigenous environmental knowledge into governance frameworks may strengthen sustainable resource management.

International environmental law implications

The principles associated with Courts of the Living align with broader developments in international environmental law, including: The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Climate adaptation frameworks and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) especially ( 12 ,13 and 14).

Emerging ecological justice discourse

As environmental governance evolves internationally, countries that integrate ecological thinking into policy systems may be better positioned to address biodiversity decline and climate vulnerability.

Conclusion

The environmental crisis confronting Ghana requires more than stricter regulations alone. It demands a rethinking of how governance systems conceptualise the relationship between humanity and the natural world. The philosophy behind Courts of the Living offers an important policy reflection, thus environmental sustainability cannot be achieved if ecosystems remain peripheral within legal and governance reasoning. For Ghana, integrating ecological justice principles into environmental governance may strengthen biodiversity protection, improve environmental accountability, and support long-term sustainable development. In an era of accelerating ecological decline, the future of environmental governance may ultimately depend on whether legal systems are prepared to recognise that humanity itself remains inseparable from the living

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INVITATION TO SUBMIT PROPOSAL FOR EXTERNAL AUDIT

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The Executive Council of HATOF Foundation is pleased to invite esteemed firms to submit a proposal for the provision of external audit services for the 2026 financial year.

We are seeking the services of a qualified, reputable, and independent audit firm with the professional competence, technical expertise, and integrity to conduct a comprehensive, objective audit of our financial statements and related records in accordance with applicable auditing standards and regulatory requirements.

Kindly ensure that your proposal includes the following:

  • Firm profile and relevant experience
  • Proposed audit approach and methodology
  • Team composition and key personnel
  • Work plan and timeline
  • Financial proposal and fee structure
  • Copies of relevant licenses, registrations, and certifications
  • References from similar assignments

Please submit your proposal to ghanainfo@hatof.org by May 29, 2026.

We appreciate your interest in this opportunity and look forward to receiving your proposal.

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Beyond the UNFCCC COPS: A New Climate Coalition puts science at the heart of global action

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A quiet but potentially transformative shift in global climate governance is underway or has emerged. While the world’s attention often gravitates toward the annual United Nations framework convention on climate negotiations ,commonly referred to as ( climate summit or COP) a new model of cooperation is emerging, one that places science, rather than politics, at the center of decision-making.

From 24 to 30 April 2026, more than 50 countries gathered in Santa Marta, Colombia, for what was described as the first global summit dedicated specifically to phasing out fossil fuels. The meeting was jointly organized by the governments of Colombia and the Netherlands, under the leadership of Gustavo Petro- the presidentof Columbia. Unlike traditional UN climate conferences such as the last ended one in Belem (COP30), this meeting deliberately brought together only those countries willing to advance a clear transition away from oil, gas, and coal.

This marks a significant departure from the consensus-driven approach that has long defined international climate negotiations. In those forums, progress is often slowed by divergent national interests, particularly from major fossil fuel-producing states. In Santa Marta, however, the emphasis was not on negotiating compromise but on accelerating implementation.

At the heart of this new approach is the creation of the Science Panel for the Global Energy Transition (SPGET), a body designed to provide direct, policy-relevant scientific guidance to participating governments. This initiative complements but also challenges the traditional role of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change( IPCC) which has historically provided neutral scientific assessments without prescribing specific policy actions.

The distinction is important because where the IPCC informs, the new panel intends to guide. Where global processes often dilute scientific recommendations through political negotiation, this new initiative seeks to preserve their urgency and clarity.

The summit also saw the release of a report outlining twelve high-level actions to support a global transition away from fossil fuels. Among the most notable recommendations are an immediate halt to new fossil fuel infrastructure, the gradual elimination of subsidies that artificially lower the cost of fossil energy, and the rapid scaling of investments in renewable energy systems.

These proposals are not new in scientific circles. What is new is the political willingness among a coalition of countries to act on them decisively.

The implications of this development extend far beyond the participating nations. It signals the rise of what analysts increasingly describe as “coalition-based climate governance,” where groups of like-minded countries move ahead independently of slower multilateral processes. This model offers speed and ambition, but it also raises questions about inclusivity and global coordination.

For countries such as Ghana, the emergence of such coalitions presents both opportunities and challenges. On one hand, aligning with science-driven initiatives could unlock access to climate finance, technology transfer, and leadership positioning within the Global South. On the other, it may require difficult policy adjustments, including the reform of energy subsidies and a reassessment of fossil fuel development strategies.

More broadly, this development reflects an evolving landscape in international environmental governance, one that resonates with existing frameworks such as the Convention on Biological Diversity. In both cases, the integration of scientific knowledge into policy is central. However, the Santa Marta initiative suggests a more direct and less mediated pathway from scientific evidence to political action.

Whether this model will complement or compete with the United Nations system remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is that the urgency of the climate crisis is driving innovation not only in technology and finance, but also in the very architecture of global cooperation.

As the world continues to grapple with rising emissions and intensifying climate impacts, initiatives such as this may well define the next phase of international climate action one where those ready to move forward do so, guided firmly by science.

By Dr. Samuel Dotse, CEO HATOF Foundation, a sustainable development and international environmental law expert with over 25 years of experience in multilateral environmental negotiations.

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Positioning Ghana in the New Ocean Order: Advancing National Engagement on the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement

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April 15, 2026

HATOF Foundation, an international environmental Non-Governmental Organization, has taken a deliberate step to advance Ghana’s engagement with the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement).

Current engagement with the Agreement in Ghana remains limited in both awareness and technical depth. At the same time, its implications for fisheries governance, offshore resource management, and marine research are immediate, creating a gap between relevance and readiness.

By convening a focused national webinar on the Agreement and its implications for Ghana’s Blue Economy, the organization has opened a practical entry point for stakeholders to engage with the Agreement in concrete terms: what it covers, where it intersects with Ghana’s priorities, and what it will require of institutions as we advance. This is not about general advocacy; it is about positioning Ghana to respond with clarity.

HATOF has become a practical platform for ocean policy engagement, connecting global frameworks to national processes and making them accessible and relevant for decision-making. This includes translating technical content into usable knowledge, maintaining continuity in policy discussions, and ensuring that stakeholder engagement moves beyond one-off events.

Ghana’s engagement with the Agreement requires specific institutional actions, including clarifying national mandates across lead agencies, integrating BBNJ priorities into existing ocean and fisheries policies, and strengthening technical capacity in areas such as environmental impact assessments and marine genetic resources. There is also a need to align this process with existing commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity, while building on current efforts such as the designation and management of a Marine Protected Area. These steps are necessary to ensure that Ghana can participate effectively in negotiations, access emerging opportunities, and implement its obligations under the Agreement.

As such, a coordinated, multi-stakeholder approach is essential to enable government institutions, regulatory agencies, research bodies, the private sector, and civil society to work within a structured framework to ensure readiness and strategic positioning to address the scope and technical demands of the Agreement.

HATOF will continue to lead in this space by convening targeted dialogues for knowledge management and capacity building and contributing to policy processes. The objective is clear: to ensure that Ghana is informed, prepared, and able to engage effectively.