Ghana, 2007

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.