Minister says Ghana is successful on MDGs One and Two
Ghana has chalked some successes in Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) One and Two but more needs to be done in achieving Four and Five, Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Minister, Alhaji Muhammad Mumuni, said on Thursday.
The MDGs One and Two focus on eradicating extreme poverty and hunger and achieving universal primary education while Four and Five centre on reducing child mortality and improving maternal health.
Speaking at a media briefing in Accra on the opening of the 65th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, which starts on September 14 at the UN headquarters in New York, he noted that government would not relent on it efforts in achieving the MDGs.
Implementation in most developing and Least Developed Countries had not been encouraging due to the devastating effects of the global financial and food crisis as well as high oil cost, Alhaji Mumuni said.
The meeting, according to the Foreign Minister, would therefore call for intensified efforts to achieve the goals especially the provision of adequate resources and cooperation.
The assembly would also deliberate on global governance focusing on climate change and its effects on the environment, food security and development as well as urge industrialized countries to make good their pledges to cut green gas emissions by 2020.
It would also call on industrialised countries to deliver on their funding pledges for developing countries, particularly the pledge to raise 100 billion dollars a year by 2020.
Other equally important issues that would feature in the deliberation include promotion on human rights, gender equality and advancement of women, international peace and security, focusing on, among others, nuclear non-proliferation and tackling the menace of small and light weapons.
“We need to mobilise the necessary political will to ensure a successful outcome at the climate change conference scheduled for Cancun in December,” he said.
Alhaji Mumuni repeated that it was time for Africa to have a permanent representative on the UN Security Council and called for consultations on the matter to ensure early conclusion.
The Minister congratulated Mr Joseph Deiss of Switzerland on his election as President of the 65th Session of the General Assembly and assured him of Ghana’s support.
Source: GNA