Ghana

A year ago the entire world watched in horror as terror was visited on the city that plays host to the United Nations. It is a city that has welcomed people from all corners of the world for hundreds of years and that still remains for many an irresistible magnet as a place of opportunity. We watched all of us, from our different parts of the world as the terrible events unfolded. If there had been any doubt before, that experience convinced all of us that our world had indeed become a global village. Modern technology enabled all of us simultaneously to watch the events as they unfolded. The devastation and drama of those events have since forcefully brought grief to our individual hearts, across continents, races, religions and political ideologies. If ever there was any doubt about mankind's shared humanity, that catastrophe conclusively dispelled it. A year on, we still bear the deep scars; we have not forgotten, and we dare not forget, because what happened was not directed exclusively against New York and the people of the United States. Nationals of many countries, including Ghanaians, perished in that tragedy. What happened was indeed an affront to civilization itself. Throughout the ages, whenever humanity has found itself confronted with great danger, it is the sense of unity and common purpose that has pulled us through. This is no exception. Indeed, the resilience of New York and of the people of the United States has brought about a spirit of solidarity and generosity that is just as awesome to behold as the tragic event itself. It is for that reason that I am optimistic about the future. The work of the United Nations and of non- governmental organizations, and the growing acceptance of the principles of good governance, human rights, tolerance for a diversity of views and the rule of law around the globe make me optimistic. In my mind's eye, I can already see, in the near future, a world in which there is more openness, more forbearance and less categorization of mankind. Our nations have been brought together by science, technology and conscience, as well as by 4 adversity, and the acknowledgement of interdependence among peoples has become a reality. Now we are moving from the concept of beggar thy neighbour' to one of prosper thy neighbour', which should become the hallmark of the global village. Sadly, the continent of Africa still lags behind in many spheres, as poverty and disease plague the continent. But there is a new spirit abroad among the African countries. Africa has never wanted to be perceived as the scar on the conscience of the world'. We do not want to be the object of pity and charity, and we do not want to provide the grisly images of war, disease, ignorance, famine and poverty for the world's television screens. It was largely as a result of our determination to shed that unacceptable image that many a country on the continent, on attaining independence, desperately rushed into one or another untried ideology or economic model that tended only to worsen the woes of self-doubt left by exploitative and unconscionable colonialism. Today, under the auspices of the African Union, the rejuvenated continental grouping, our countries have resolved to tackle the continent's problems to enable us join the mainstream of world development. We have pledged to endeavour to be honest with each other, and under the Peer Review Mechanism there will be no hiding behind claims of sovereignty in order to tolerate abuses of human rights in individual countries. We are determined to strive for democracy and good governance, not because those are fashionable buzzwords but because we are convinced that they are the surest if not always the most rapid path to the development that we require to uplift the conditions of life of our peoples. The technology exists and the human expertise abounds in the world to end the degrading poverty and debilitating diseases that sap the confidence of the peoples of Africa. This world Assembly must rally to help Africa in its genuine efforts to tap into the intellectual, financial and moral resources of the globe, to be a worthy partner within it. The concept of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) provides the framework within which African countries can be assisted to become part of the mainstream. It provides a great opportunity for world leaders to move from rhetoric to purposeful action. Education has served as a route out of poverty for people throughout the ages, and it should be the way out for us in Africa as well. We have an essentially young population that is ready and anxious to learn. Fortunately, information and communications technology provides the means to help Africa leap-frog into the modern world. Let the world community therefore assist Africa to join in the mastery of this powerful tool. Ours is a well-endowed continent. Our raw materials keep the manufacturing engines of the world running. The reasons for investing in Africa, therefore, need not be charitable; investment can be based on sound economic considerations. The market potential of a thriving and economically viable Africa will do wonders not only for Africa but also for the world economy at large. I am optimistic, because I think of what Ghana and the African continent have contributed to the development of the world. We have provided, and continue to provide, personnel in various fields to all kinds of institutions in the world. Ghanaian academics and citizens from many other African countries can be found in many top universities and companies around the world, contributing significantly to the development of cutting-edge enterprises. Africans are in various jobs and are making a considerable contribution to the running of organizations, including the United Nations. I would like to take this opportunity to express Ghana's and Africa's deepest gratitude to the international community for the confidence it showed in re-electing Mr. Kofi Annan, the Secretary-General, to a second term. In all these endeavours, however, the missing link for Africa has been the solid and sustainable framework for good governance to support the purposeful evolution of prosperous and stable nations on the continent. It is for this reason that Ghana, like other African nations, is trying to put its house in order to take advantage of emerging prospects. We are nurturing our infant democracy, and the citizens are passionately committed to the defence of the Constitution. We are putting in place mechanisms to support good governance. The institutional framework is being created to ensure an efficient public sector that can interface effectively with an enterprising private sector to create wealth and eliminate poverty. But Ghana, like other developing countries, cannot alone achieve the dramatic rate of growth that is required; there must be significant injections of outside 5 investment into our economy. We need affordable and sustainable sources of energy to be able to achieve rapid development. We need the partnership, markets and support of the international community to sustain our development. That is the message of NEPAD. We are working to develop a positive economic environment to receive and integrate foreign direct investment as a tool for regional development. That is the sure path for Africa to connect effectively with the global markets. Ghana acknowledges its share of responsibility to protect the resources that Nature has given our country as the heritage of all humankind. The world cannot and must not operate on the basis of the survival of the fittest. Weaknesses caused by history and other factors must be taken into account and, above all, our common humanity must inform all our international dealings. Ghana sees a lot of potential in globalization. We wish to recommend, however, that an organization such as the United Nations should provide the regulatory framework to ensure that the benefits of globalization are more equitably distributed. The opportunities are enormous for those who can take advantage of the move to more liberalized markets and increased flows of investment capital. But nature did not make all people equally competitive. That global organization must, therefore, evolve systems of safety nets to guarantee all humanity an acceptable minimum degree of dignity and respectability. The United Nations must rise up to this challenge. For the pure and proper development of the global village, certain initiatives by this Organization must be commended and encouraged. Ghana is in full support of United Nations effort to curb the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons. We urge Member States to join in the early implementation of the Programme of Action that was adopted in 2001 to stop this trade, from which most of the instability in Africa stems. Secondly, women and children need our protection. It is for that very reason that in Ghana we have created a Ministry for Women and Childrenës Affairs to enable us tackle issues that affect those two groups. We have embarked on a vibrant educational campaign and are pursuing policy initiatives that will create awareness and reduce the incidence of discrimination against women and help improve their livelihoods. We are also striving to ban child labour and enforce free and compulsory education for all children up to the junior secondary school level as enjoined by Ghanaës national Constitution. Thirdly, I must mention the HIV/AIDS pandemic, which is threatening the survival of our countries. The spread of the disease is compounding our difficulties even further. I wish to pay tribute to the Secretary- General for his interest, and for the setting up of the Global Fund to help us fight the menace. The Ghana AIDS Commission is constantly seeking new ways to change attitudes at all levels towards the disease, and we seek to learn from the experience of others in combating it. We support the efforts of the international community to provide more affordable antiretroviral drugs for the most needy. At this stage, permit me to congratulate Switzerland on its accession to membership, and East Timor on its forthcoming accession. That Switzerland has at long last joined the Organization confirms its universality. They are welcome. The tragedy of 11 September has certainly made a difference to the world. It has shocked the world into uniting to condemn it. Let those of us who have accepted the honour and privilege to speak on behalf of our peoples determine that we must strive for a world of greater tolerance and of more justice, a more humane world in which law and order are fully respected both within nations and in the international community. Eleven September must be used to underpin the vital communal spirit that must motivate the global village. We would then be able to say that we had left the world a better place than we found it.