Ghana today (October 12,2015) called on the United Nations to review the links between disarmament and development and the current excessive global military spending, estimated at $1.8 trillion in 2014 in favour of the billions of people trapped in hunger, poverty and hopelessness",

This is because armaments do not only threaten the future of mankind, but also provide no answer to the major problems of the present age.

Stating Ghana's position at the General Debate on all disarmament and related international security issues at the UN headquarters, New York, Mrs. Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, the Permanent Representative maintained that illicit transfer, excessive accumulation and misuse of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) in many regions of the world pose a threat to international security.

Considering the scale of harm and instability that SALW had caused in Africa, she agreed with the description they are true "weapons of mass destruction".

In view of this, Ambassador Pobee maintained that Ghana remained committed to the UN programme of action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in SALWs in all its aspects and join other members states in calling for the full and effective implementation by states of the Programme as well as the 2005 International Tracing Instrument at the national, regional and International levels.

Acknowledging the entry into force of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) and the successful convening of the First Conference of State Parties (CSPI) in Cancun, Mexico, Ghana's Representative noted that the treaty is indeed a significant achievement and an important step in advancing security and improving accountability, responsibility and transparency in international arms transfers.

"We urge all member states to support the implementation of the ATT and to extend technical, financial and material assistance to developing countries to enable us to fulfill and implement the Treaty's obligations", she stated.

Ahead of the fourth Nuclear Security Summit scheduled for next year in Washington DC, Ambassador Pobee urged all nuclear weapon states to show leadership and prevent nuclear terrorism. She further expressed the hope that the Summit will lead to concrete outcomes on minimizing the use of highly-enriched uranium, securing vulnerable materials, countering nuclear smuggling and deterring, detecting and disrupting attempts at nuclear terrorism.

Although the elimination of nuclear weapons has been on the agenda of the United Nations since its establishment, the Representative noted that the prohibition of nuclear weapons and serious commitment to multilateral negotiations toward their elimination had eluded the world and therefore called for the urgent reinforcement of the principles of the treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), which remained the only multilateral treaty prohibited under international law.

Ghana, she said further welcomes the consensus report of the Governmental Group of Experts on the treaty banning the production of fissile material for Nuclear and other Explosive devices, as a sine qua non to a world free of nuclear weapons.