Let me begin by congratulating the President of the Assembly on his election to lead the Assembly at its sixty-fifth session. I trust that he will, with his outstanding experience and excellent diplomatic skills, steer this Assembly to a successful conclusion. I also wish to thank his predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Ali Abdussalam Treki, for the efficient and able manner with which he presided over the Assembly at its sixty-fourth session. Ghana subscribes to the declaration by the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government that designated 2010 as a year of peace and security. Ghana will, therefore, continue to engage other member States in the search for peace and security in places on the African continent that have known no peace, and we will contribute to renewed global efforts to prevent conflicts through preventive diplomacy, peacekeeping and peacebuilding. As we witness a decline in the number of the violent conflicts that afflicted many countries over the past decade or more, it is time to renew our commitment to the work of the Peacebuilding Commission in order to ensure that countries emerging from conflict do not relapse into violence. Ghana was privileged to have served on the organizational committee of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) and will remain actively involved in the pursuit of the attainment of the strategic objectives set for the post- conflict countries on the agenda of the Commission’s country-specific configuration. In this regard, Ghana supports the steps being taken to also place Liberia on the agenda of the Commission. As agreed by world leaders in 2005, Ghana strongly supports the principle of the responsibility to protect as the normative framework to prevent and deter the occurrence of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing, which have occurred in many countries that were emerging from conflict. While the fear of its abuse does not take away the intrinsic value of the principle of the responsibility to protect, caution must be exercised in order to avoid its abuse. The principle is not intended to undermine the sovereignty of States; on the contrary, it is to ensure that sovereign responsibility is exercised in a manner that will prevent a repetition of the mass atrocities that were experienced in places like Rwanda, Srebrenica, Cambodia and Sierra Leone, with devastating impacts on neighbouring countries. Sadly, in many places, some of those conflicts persist in varying degrees of intensity. The international community must be ready and willing to assist national authorities who request such assistance with a view to developing or enhancing the capacity of countries that are manifestly unable or unwilling to uphold this responsibility to do so. To that end, we welcome the Secretary-General’s proposal to establish a joint office to coordinate United Nations system-wide efforts to strengthen early warning mechanisms aimed at ensuring timely and decisive preventive action and/or intervention in appropriate cases, in accordance with the United Nations Charter. 10-55264 22 While the reduction of extreme poverty and hunger is a major development challenge for Africa, most countries in the region are also grappling with the problems of climate change, a high disease burden, poor infrastructure, brain drain and the lack of development of productive capacity. In the last few years, African countries have had to deal with the effects of rising food and energy prices and the complications arising from the global financial and economic crisis. Those multiple crises have not only reversed impressive recent progress in economic performance, but are also jeopardizing efforts by African countries to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It is gratifying to see that the interests of the international community in climate change have increased markedly in recent times, especially after the adoption of the Bali Action Plan in 2007. We need to sustain that interest and build on the common ground that was first found in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, with the establishment of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and was subsequently built on in Berlin, Kyoto, Marrakech, Bali, Copenhagen and, soon, Cancún. There are issues that need to be addressed for progress in Cancún and beyond. What is missing is a demonstrable political will. Without that, countries will not see the need to raise their ambitions to cut emissions. Industrialized countries have made pledges to cut emissions by 2020. However commendable those commitments may be, they fall short of the 25 to 40 per cent cut that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says will give the world a chance of staying below the recommended two-degree average global temperature rise. We need to preserve the Kyoto Protocol, which is currently the only existing international agreement with legal status to verify emission reductions. That is why it is critical for all parties to work together to address the divisions over a second commitment period for the Kyoto Protocol and ensure its continuity after 2012. Just as there was “aid fatigue”, developing countries may soon be experiencing “promise fatigue”. We must get the numerous pledges out of the fine print and make them work for humanity. I am simply appealing to industrialized nations to fulfil their funding pledges, including the $30 billion in fast-track financing for developing country adaptation and mitigation efforts through 2012, and the pledge to raise $100 billion a year by 2020. For developing countries, the early delivery and transparent allocation of that money will boost our confidence in the dialogue and show that industrialized countries are truly committed to progress in the broader negotiations. We have made progress in the implementation of the MDG agenda. However, keeping the solemn promise we made in 2000 and achieving the Goals by 2015 will require intensified efforts, much more resources and effective cooperation. No one should be oblivious to the enormous challenges African and other developing countries face in their efforts to achieve the MDGs. Ghana will not compromise under any guise in its pursuit of good governance and the promotion of the rule of law, as these are important prerequisites for achieving sustainable social and economic development. African countries themselves have come to acknowledge that part of the reason for their impoverishment could be ascribed to poor post- independence governance practices. That is why most African countries have taken steps to consolidate their governance institutions, including strengthening the electoral system. Food security is a national priority for Ghana. For most Ghanaians, getting enough good-quality food at affordable prices is a major concern. The Government is therefore implementing a progressive agricultural policy that will ensure increased production, especially in staples and other food crops that our climate and land can efficiently support. Ghana will soon become an important producer of oil and gas. The focus of the Government is to ensure that Ghanaians will derive the maximum benefit from oil production. Although oil revenues will start to flow around the fourth quarter of the year, the Government is taking measures to ensure accountability and transparency in the management of revenue from oil production. To that end, an oil and gas revenue management bill has been submitted to Parliament for approval. In addition, the Government is holding a series of consultations with several countries and private operators who have expertise and experience in the field so that their knowledge can be tapped and best practices adopted. 23 10-55264 In our efforts to create wealth and prosperity for our citizens, Ghana has made attracting foreign investment an important pillar in its development strategies. We will continue to pursue such policies in the belief that our efforts will be supported and rewarded with genuine partnership. Africa is tired of the misery and poverty arising from resource-induced violent conflicts. Africa wants to use its oil and natural resources to create wealth for its citizens. We call on the United Nations and well-meaning development partners, including the international business community, to support our efforts to nip the so-called resource curse in the bud and exploit our God-given natural endowments for development. Whereas the international environment for growth in Africa is still favourable, the risks posed by global imbalances and external shocks, such as the recent financial crisis, call for increased international policy coordination. We need a renewed spirit of solidarity and commitment for a comprehensive global response if we are to confront the challenges of our time. It is in that light that Ghana wishes to reaffirm its commitment to the ideals of the United Nations and continue to live up to its Charter obligations, including playing an active role in international peacekeeping, in order to assist the Organization in its task of maintaining global peace and security and promoting fruitful and beneficial cooperation among Member States. We must resolve to muster the political will to strengthen the United Nations so that it can function effectively and redeem the majority of our peoples from wars, diseases and poverty by providing the financial and material resources required to discharge those onerous responsibilities. It is only when we measure up to those responsibilities that we can give meaning to the phrase “We the peoples of the United Nations”.