It is an undeniable global fact that non-governmental organizations are assuming increasingly dominant roles in the social and economic development of the countries in which they operate. This is happening at a time that Governments all over the world are simultaneously challenged to address issues of sustainable development by exploring and harnessing all material and human resources available. Thus, the NGO community believes that a co-ordinated effort to support government actions notwithstanding the advancement of alternate strategies in the promotion of sustainable development as a means of reducing poverty is essential.

As you are aware, the Western Region in recent times has hosted and has been experiencing an increase in the number of various non-governmental organizations both international and local that are committed to the development of the region in many diverse ways.

However, to forestall the duplication of efforts and promote information sharing, it is very necessary to have a regional body of all these organizations. Having such a body in place would enable the organizations to share and exchange information and experiences about their work and resources.

Within this context, the NGO community in the Western Region has since 1999 explored means of coming together to forge collaboration and cooperation with a view to making important and effective contributions as a means of complementing government's efforts towards development of the region and reducing poverty in the region guided by the international struggle for environmentally sustainable development.

Towards this goal, several meetings were held and some NGO-Desk Officers of government agencies notably, Department of Social Welfare, Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the Regional Economic Planning Officer were invited to make presentations about their work in relation to NGO participation. The most significant and consensus-reaching one was held on … 2001 at Guest House Maggi, Takoradi at which representatives of 34 non-governmental organizations and community based organizations endorsed ways in which they could work more effectively to advance policies and actions to promote sustainable development of the Western Region, and to respond to community-based felt needs in the most appropriate time and manner.

The communiqué, which emerged from this meeting, favoured the establishment of a network of NGOs that would work on a range of issues pertaining to forging cooperation to advance the cause of sustainable development of the region.

In pursuance of this, NGOs present at the meeting decided to establish a network by the name: The Western Region Network of NGOs with the acronym, WERENGO.