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Mr Mark Owen Wayongo, Minister of Defence, on Wednesday said Ghana is currently ranked among the first 10 largest contributors to the United Nations peace efforts. He said since independence, Ghana had maintained her focus in promoting world peace and security adding that the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) had participated in peace efforts by the UN, African Union and the Economic Commission of West African States. Mr Wayongo said this in Accra during the 10th Anniversary celebration of the GAF and the State Partnership of North Dakota in the United States of America. He said leadership across the world needed to integrate efforts and commitment to deal with the threat of global peace and security and make the world a better place for all. He commended the role played by the USA in the fight against international terrorism and other related violent crimes. Mr Wayongo said Government was embarking on re-equipment, infrastructure and human resource development of the GAF to position it to meet its constitutional mandate internally and internationally. Vice Admiral Matthew Quarshie, Chief of Defence Staff, said the GAF had benefited from various assistance through the bilateral relationship with the US such as training under the auspices of the Office of Security Co-operation. He said some of the benefits were International Military Education and Training, State Partnership Programmes and Foreign Military Financing Programmes. Major General David A. Spryncznatyk, Adjutant General, North Dakota National Guard, said North Dakotans shared many of the values and ideals as Ghanaians and that their outfits were committed to building better lives for the citizenry. He said the partnership between Ghana and US had provided opportunities for the GAF to train in a foreign country to be equipped with the needed professional expertise.