Liberia

I am honoured to address this seventy-seventh session of the General Assembly on behalf of the Government and the people of Liberia. Let me congratulate His Excellency Mr. Csaba Korosi on his election as President of the General Assembly at this seventy-seventh session and assure him of Liberia’s fullest support. I would also like to commend his predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Abdulla Shahid, for a job well done in administering the affairs of the seventy-sixth session of the General Assembly. Let me also extend my profound thanks and appreciation to His Excellency Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for his remarkable and visionary leadership. This year’s Assembly is taking place at a difficult time when, even as the world is recovering from the scourge of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), we continue to face the challenges of the war in Ukraine, climate change and its devastating effects on our environment. Just as the Ukrainian people are enduring the harsh impact of this unwarranted military incursion, the rest of the world is feeling the harsh consequences of economic downturn caused by disruptions in global supply chains, food insecurity and the rising prices of basic goods and services. The theme of this year’s Assembly, “A watershed moment: transformative solutions to interlocking challenges”, is both appropriate and meaningful. It not only reminds us of the current state of our world, but provides us the space to reflect on the multiple challenges that confront us today. They include the health and socioeconomic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the devastating effects of climate change, environmental concerns, poverty reduction, food insecurity and gender inequality. The challenges confronting the world today will require immediate collective global actions, with the United Nations at the centre of the search for solutions. In so doing, we must give special consideration to the needs of developing countries, particularly the least developed countries, in line with the Doha Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2022-2031. Working together with the United Nations family, Liberia hereby commits to protecting our planet, promoting peace, preventing conflicts, ensuring sustainable financing and boosting partnerships. That commitment is reflected in the Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development, which embodies the expression of our shared determination to achieve peace, prosperity and national development and to address extreme poverty, inequalities, regional disparities, infrastructure deficits, climate change and equitable distribution of our national wealth. Given Liberia’s youthful population of more than 60 per cent, my Government initiated a youth rehabilitation and empowerment programme, the Socioeconomic Empowerment of Disadvantaged Youth Project, between 2019 and 2021, with the subsequent launch of a $13-million national fund drive for the rehabilitation and empowerment of at-risk youth in Liberia. We remain of the firm conviction that, when empowered, our youth can be a positive force for good. As Liberia’s feminist-in-chief, women’s empowerment and the promotion of gender equality remain key priorities of my Government. Women not only comprise almost half of our country’s population; they also play important roles at all levels of our society and must be given deserved equal attention, support and a place at the leadership and governance tables in our society. To that end, we have developed a legal framework, including the ratification of regional and international instruments to address gender inequalities, which arise as a result of sociocultural perceptions, practices and stereotypes that support male dominance and the subordination of women. I would like to inform the Assembly that my Government, together with United Nations partners, is implementing the European Union Spotlight Initiative to end violence and harmful traditional practices against women and girls and promote their sexual and reproductive health and rights. Furthermore, the Government of Liberia is currently implementing a $50-million project funded by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to enhance the capacity of female entrepreneurs. I would like to express Liberia’s sincere gratitude to our local and international partners, both multilateral and bilateral, for their continued support of our national efforts in combating the pandemic. As a result of that support, Liberia is well on its way to achieving herd immunity, hopefully by the end of this year, with 67 per cent of the population already fully vaccinated. My Government continues to take actions through the formulation of new policy frameworks and strategic interventions to address the impacts of climate change and protect the environment. Liberia is committed to achieving the target of a 64-per cent reduction in carbon emissions below business as usual by 2030. We anticipate that the twenty-seventh Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to be held in Egypt, will provide the opportunity to accelerate work towards achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Sustainable development can take place only in a peaceful and secure environment. In the fulfilment of our commitment to the maintenance of regional and global peace and security, Liberia takes pride as a troop-contributing country, with Liberian troops and other security apparatuses serving in the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan and the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei. We thank the United Nations and our bilateral and multilateral partners for the support that we continue to receive in facilitating our contribution to global and regional peace and security. I am pleased to report that the International Monetary Fund’s latest appraisal of its ongoing programme with Liberia is very positive. It shows that inflation rates have been significantly reduced. There are now better prospects for economic growth compared to previous years, despite the negative effects COVID-19. Our efforts in instituting new policy measures to fight graft are also particularly commended in the report, along with our adherence to prudent fiscal management. Democracy in Liberia also continues to grow from strength to strength. After many years of civil upheaval, Liberia is becoming a stronghold of peace and a safe haven for democracy. That is because we have taken actions in the past few years to build and strengthen democratic institutions, such as the press and the Liberian judiciary. We have put forward new legislation that empowers the media, while eradicating laws that have tended to suppress free speech. I am proud to say that, from the beginning of my Administration to date, there have been no political prisoners in Liberia. At the regional conferences of the Mano River Union and ECOWAS, which have been convened to discuss efforts to restore democracy in a few trouble spots in our West African region, Liberia has constantly and consistently pleaded for strict adherence to constitutional term limits and a return to democratic civilian rule in cases of military takeovers. Liberia is expected to hold presidential and legislative elections in October 2023. The upcoming elections will be crucial to consolidating our democracy. In that regard, I underscore my Government’s unwavering commitment to ensuring that the enabling environment will continue to exist for the holding of peaceful, free, fair, transparent and inclusive elections. That is in keeping with my commitment to ensuring that the democratic will of the Liberian people is respected at all times. In the run-up to the 2023 elections, it is incumbent upon all prospective candidates to avoid the incitement of violence and any other behaviour that could deprive the Liberian people of the peaceful space that they need to freely exercise their franchise and express their political will in choosing their leaders. We must let the people decide, and then we must respect their decision. That is indeed the true essence of democracy. If we are to advance the common good of humankind, the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals, then international cooperation must be given primacy and the principle of solidarity must have its rightful place. We have the platform to generate the transformative solutions that we seek. The world is watching. Our people are watching. We must now seize the moment, confront the challenges and collectively endeavour to lift the poor from poverty, hunger, sickness and disease and ensure progress, development and prosperity for all. At the same time, we must protect our planet and guarantee and maintain global peace, security and stability. We must pursue efforts to make the United Nations more efficient, more effective, more inclusive, more accountable and more suited to its purpose.