UN General Assembly
2009

moving away from dependence on rain-fed agriculture. The Government has introduced the Green Belt programme that will irrigate up to 1 million hectares of land for small-, medium- and large-scale farmers by harnessing water sources from the rivers and lakes to provide extensive irrigation. We shall grow a broad range of food crops, such as rice, wheat, maize, beans and lentils, as our way to contribute to resolving the world food crisis. The threat of climate change is real. I believe that the price of complacency will be much higher if we fail to act today. For Africa and developing countries elsewhere, we need to adequately address the issue of deforestation, environmental degradation and agricultural productivity. We need to act now. Let me conclude by stating that we also need a global dialogue on democracy, good governance, human rights, the rule of law and the fight against terrorism in all its manifestations. We also need a new understanding of how developing nations can cope with the shocks of global financial crises and escalating fuel prices.