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.
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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”.