Permit me first to
congratulate you, Sir, on your election as President of
the General Assembly at its sixty-second session. The
Assembly is certainly the richer for the wealth of
diplomatic experience that you bring to the job.
Yesterday there was a vibrant debate in this Hall
on the critical issue of climate change, which is a main
theme of this year’s session. The phenomenon of
consensus among contributors portends catastrophic
impact on the whole globe, but more especially on poor
countries, which are least equipped financially and
technologically to adapt in a sustained manner. Since it
is generally accepted that the threat is universal, it is
Ghana’s considered view that the United Nations
should be vested with the authority to fashion a full-
fledged agency equipped with the necessary scientific
and technological resources to study the problem
globally and to focus on where and when it is going to
occur so that, through the organization, such places can
be prepared, with due warning and relief, to adapt to
the impact.
Leaving the problem to individual nations,
especially in the developing world, cannot be the way
forward. There should be shared responsibility, even if
various solutions are sought. In any case, this menace
must be tackled on an emergency basis by the
Organization and all its Member nations, individually
and collectively, for humanity’s survival.
On 6 March 2007, Ghana celebrated the fiftieth
anniversary of its independence as a sovereign nation.
Ghanaians were overwhelmed by the incredible level
of goodwill from well-wishers around the world.
Permit me to use this occasion to convey Ghana’s
heartfelt thanks and appreciation to the members of the
Assembly and, indeed, to the rest of the world for the
singular solidarity displayed to us on that occasion.
May all the peoples of the world become one and be at
peace with each other.
In line with its independence ideal of freedom of
justice and a jubilant spirit of renewal, Ghana has
rededicated itself to respect for human rights,
democracy, good governance and sound economy to
enable its people to develop their full potential for
sustained national development.
Again, recalling its role in Africa’s liberation
struggle against colonialism and apartheid, Ghana has
once more committed itself to working in harmony and
union with sister African nations and also in
partnership with the global community, as far as it is
feasible, to end years of impunity, exploitation and bad
governance, which have undermined the economic
growth and development of the continent. Henceforth,
all energies should be directed at empowering the
continent through accountable and transparent
governance, economic growth and sustainable
development to enable it to tackle the myriad problems
that afflict it and to facilitate its launching into
mainstream globalization.
In July this year, Ghana had the honour of hosting
the ninth Ordinary Session of the Summit of the
African Union in Accra. The sole agenda of the
Summit was to stage a grand debate in search of a
continental union government to accelerate the growth
and development of Africa and its peoples in a
sustained manner. After very frank and fruitful
deliberations, the Summit firmly resolved to launch
certain necessary steps towards achieving that laudable
objective.
To pave the way, the Summit continues to place
high priority on the resolution and prevention of
conflicts within and among member nations. The
African Union Peace and Security Council is tasked to
develop a robust and dependable security architecture
on the continent, including the setting up of an African
standby force as soon as possible. Those initiatives,
which are supported by the international community,
have already helped to reduce significantly the high
incidence of armed conflicts, which have been common
on the continent over the past four decades.
In line with our concerted efforts to restore peace
and stability in Africa, the prevailing crises in the
Darfur region of the Sudan and in Somalia and the
Ethiopia-Eritrea conflict must be resolved. Similarly,
measures to consolidate peace in countries that are
emerging from conflict, such as Burundi, Guinea-
Bissau, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone and the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, must be
substantially supported by the Organization and the
international community to avoid a relapse.
To that end, we commend the efforts of the
Peacebuilding Commission, whose first annual report
(A/62/137) highlights the challenges associated with
post-conflict reconstruction and development of
countries such as Sierra Leone and Burundi. As a
member and a Vice-Chair, Ghana will work diligently
with other members to achieve the goals of the
Commission.
We also welcome Security Council resolution
1769 (2007), authorizing the deployment of a hybrid
operation in Darfur, with the consent of the
Government of the Sudan, and call for its speedy
implementation within the agreed time frame. Here, we
acknowledge the tireless joint efforts of the African
Union and the Security Council, which finally got the
Government of the Sudan and the Darfur warring
factions to resume dialogue.
We also recognize the special initiative being
taken by Secretary-General Ban and the Libyan leader,
Brother Muammar Al-Qadhafi, to get the remaining
warring factions to join the dialogue in order to
achieve full-scale and rounded negotiations.
Meanwhile, the ongoing peace initiative in
Somalia is proving extremely challenging and well
beyond the capacity of the African Union alone. We are
therefore calling for the concerted and timely support
of the United Nations. In that respect, we urge the
Organization to consider the African Union’s request
for financial, logistical and technical support towards
the full and effective deployment of the African Union
Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). That will be within
the letter and spirit of Security Council resolution 1772
(2007), adopted in August 2007. It will enable Member
States, such as Ghana, which have pledged to
contribute troops to do so. A contingency plan for the
possible deployment of a United Nations force to
replace AMISOM by next February must also be
developed.
Decidedly, Africa is making progress, with
improvement in the macromanagement of many
African economies. Average gross domestic product
growth has increased steadily, from 5.2 per cent in
2005 to 5.7 per cent in 2006 to the current 6 per cent,
which is expected to be sustained or even exceeded in
coming years. Africa is therefore more than ready for
good business. This is evidenced by the increasing
interest shown by both local and foreign investors. In
the mean time, the African Union’s agency, New
Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), is
seriously engaged in studying viable projects that
should prove strategic to opening up the entire
continent and its economy for accelerated
developments. Energy, communications and
infrastructure development rank highly in this.
The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) is
also a NEPAD creation. The Mechanism has already
proven helpful in deepening respect for human rights
and democracy, as well as transparent and accountable
governance. Indeed, as more countries voluntarily
subscribe to it, the Mechanism’s real value as a
creative and ingenious process for addressing many of
the root causes of conflict is becoming evident. The
General Assembly’s decision to endorse NEPAD as a
framework for cooperation with the African Union is,
therefore, timely and appreciated.
There has been a general improvement in the
relationships between Africa and the various developed
parts of the world and regional blocs. This is reflected
in various initiatives including the Millennium
Challenge Account and the African Growth and
Opportunity Act of the United States of America; the
African, Caribbean and Pacific agreements with the
European Union; the Tokyo International Conference
on African Development with Japan; the Forum on
China-Africa Cooperation; the Indo-Africa Forum for
Cooperation and the Africa-Brazil forum, among many
others.
Despite this trend, however, there is still a serious
gap in official development assistance. This must be
bridged quickly to enable struggling African nations to
attain the Millennium Development Goals. The
developed partners are, therefore, urged to fulfil their
pledges.
On the world trade talks, we urge them to commit
seriously to the aid-for-trade appeal as a critical
principle in the Doha Round. Similarly, on the
proposed economic partnership agreement, the
European Union should agree to relax the timeline for
conclusion. They should also agree to review timelines
for trade barriers and procurement, given that the
rather weak economies of many African, Caribbean and
Pacific nations might not be able to withstand the
shocks of implementation in the short to medium term
without some adjustment.
The Secretary-General’s proposal to establish the
Office for Disarmament Affairs within the Secretariat
to be part of the decision-making process is timely,
owing to the proliferation of small arms and light
weapons and the menace of terrorism. In many places
in the world, these dangers together constitute the real
weapons of mass destruction. Ghana welcomes
initiatives like the restructuring of the Department of
Peacekeeping Operations and the establishment of the
Department of Field Support. The latter initiative will
not only reduce the work of the Department of
Peacekeeping Operations but will also help to promote
its efficiency, accountability and transparency.
The General Assembly's approval of the overhaul
of the system of administration of justice at the United
Nations, for the first time in 60 years is also long
overdue and commendable. However, Ghana urges the
Organization to reflect also on mechanisms for the
enforcement of the judgments of the International
Court of Justice.
Conflicts, particularly those in the developing
world, have consistently undermined policies to
improve the circumstances of our peoples. Sustainable
development can be achieved only in an international
environment of peace and security. The United Nations
remains the main and the best multilateral instrument
available for guaranteeing such an environment and for
promoting fruitful international cooperation, especially
in this era of globalization. All its Member States
should, therefore, be committed unequivocally to its
ideals and purposes.
To conclude, permit me once again to wish the
Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Godspeed during
his tenure and to assure him of Ghana’s continued
cooperation and support.