Minister of State for Climate Change and Sustainability, Seidu Issifu, has called for fairer access to climate finance, responsible debt solutions and stronger international partnerships to help climate-vulnerable economies pursue sustainable development.

Delivering Ghana’s intervention at the 17th V20 Ministerial Dialogue in Bangkok, held on the sidelines of the 2026 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group, the Minister emphasised that countries undertaking difficult economic reforms, including debt restructuring, should not be excluded from concessional financing.

“Doing the difficult but necessary thing should open doors, not close them,” he stated, urging development partners to introduce transition financing windows with phased pricing, longer repayment periods, and support to restore sustainable access to capital markets.

Seidu Issifu called for fairer and more transparent sovereign credit ratings that reflect countries’ improved economic fundamentals following debt restructuring.

Highlighting the interconnected nature of the debt and climate crises, the Minister advocated debt-for-resilience conversions, climate-resilient debt clauses in new lending agreements, and debt sustainability assessments that recognise resilience investments as drivers of economic growth.

A key highlight of Ghana’s message was its endorsement of the principles of the V20 Lifeline Fund, a proposed South-South mechanism to provide rapid liquidity to countries affected by climate shocks.

Hon. Issifu encouraged V20 members to build consensus and rally momentum as founding members of the Fund, while calling on the G7 and G20 to support its establishment.

He further advocated direct access to climate finance, including doubling the number of V20 direct-access entities accredited to the Green Climate Fund by 2027.

The dialogue brought together V20 leadership, including Barbados’ Prime Minister and CVF-V20 Chair, H.E. Mia Amor Mottley, Ambassador Elizabeth Thompson, senior ministers from climate-vulnerable countries, and representatives of the IMF, World Bank Group and other development finance institutions to advance the Vulnerability to Viability (V2V) Compact.

Concluding his intervention, Hon. Issifu reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to partnerships that deliver tangible development outcomes, emphasising that vulnerable economies seek investment partners with a shared stake in their success, rather than charity.