Liberia

I congratulate Mr. Vuk Jeremić and the people of Serbia on his election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its sixty- seventh session. I would like to assure him of Liberia’s full cooperation and support as he carries out the responsibilities entrusted to him in steering the affairs of this session. I would also like to pay tribute to his predecessor, Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser of the State of Qatar, for his capable stewardship of the affairs of the sixty-sixth session and the many bold initiatives undertaken in the interests of world peace during his tenure. My highest commendation goes to Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon, who continues to demonstrate sound leadership in the face of new and complicated challenges. He has begun his second term with renewed vigour and a clear articulation of the priorities that represent the major concerns of the international community. The selection of the theme for this session, which calls for the settlement of disputes by peaceful means, could not have been more appropriate. When we review the state of the world, we see an international landscape checkered with armed conflict, economic crises and environmental degradation. For those who have been through the painful experience of conflict, including my own country, Liberia, this year’s theme becomes very pertinent. The cost of conflict in lives and infrastructural destruction makes us doubly appreciative of the value of preventive action in averting conflict. The need for conflict prevention takes on added urgency, because most conflicts are internal, engendered by marginalization, inequity and injustice. It becomes imperative, therefore, to identify and remove those triggers of conflict before they cause explosions. Our Government’s efforts to achieve the twin objectives of conflict prevention and peace consolidation are being reinforced through our engagement with the peacekeeping and peacebuilding architecture of the United Nations. In an environment of peace, we have prioritized actions aimed at re-establishing the rule of law by building the capacity of our institutions and processes to deliver justice and security. We have formulated a road map for national reconciliation to ensure that peace is sustainable. Our development partners, including the United Nations and its specialized agencies, have remained faithful to our national agenda. They have supported our priority programmes for women’s empowerment, increased agricultural productivity and food security, roads and infrastructure, and job creation. All the United Nations agencies must be supplied with the capacity to provide support to Government programmes in those areas. That is particularly critical for the new gender entity, UN-Women, which is the youngest among them and whose viability must be assured. We have made strong strides in gender equality, but much more must be done for girls’ education and women’s empowerment. Tremendous progress has also been made in health-care delivery. We are particularly pleased by the recent UNICEF report, which shows a sharp reduction in the level of child mortality. However, there are still many challenges to overcome before we can ensure universal access to health care. Many developing countries, such as Liberia, have structured their economies around the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). While some countries have made considerable progress in reaching some of the Goals, many others will be unable to achieve them by 2015. There is an emerging consensus that efforts must be accelerated in order to achieve maximum progress in reaching the MDGs over the next three years. I am honoured and humbled to have been selected by the Secretary-General as one of the co-Chairs of the High-level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post- 2015 Development Agenda. We are mindful of the difficulty of our task, which requires us to propose a framework that builds on but goes beyond the MDGs in the establishment of goals that are ambitious but achievable. We know that the results of our work must reflect the broad political consensus of the public and private sectors and civil society. We know that the defined goals should enable all people in all countries to be freed from the shackles of poverty through sustainable development. Liberia remains fully committed to the ideals and purposes of the United Nations. We believe that the Organization should continue to occupy the centre of global governance by leading efforts to meet our collective challenges to peace, security and development. To meet that objective, the intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council reform need to come to an early and logical conclusion. My Government is encouraged that an increasing number of Member States support the enlargement of the Council in both the permanent and the non-permanent categories. That would ensure a fairer and more equitable participation, ref lective of the world demography. In that regard, Liberia supports the African common position, based on the Ezulwini Consensus adopted by the African Union. In the same vein, we must ensure that the General Assembly is revitalized in order for it to fully assume all the responsibilities entrusted to it under the Charter. It remains, after all, the most representative body of the United Nations. The high-level United Nations Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty, which ended recently here in New York, sought to develop the highest possible international standards for the trade in conventional weapons. However, strong national positions on that sensitive global issue prevented an agreement on a binding arms trade treaty. Yet, nations of goodwill and countries like Liberia that have experienced devastation from the illicit trade in and diversion of conventional weapons must continue our strong advocacy, taking into account the full range of differences and disagreements. We would therefore encourage bilateral consensus-building ahead of a new round of negotiations. At the same time, we are convinced that the final draft text of the arms trade treaty, though imperfect and incomplete, contains essential elements, upon which future negotiations can succeed. We express our deep condolences on the death of the United States Ambassador and staff and the Libyan nationals in the attack on the United States consulate in Benghazi. All nations should be concerned about the spreading of violence in reaction to a film that demonstrates unacceptable insensitivity to the Islamic faith. Even in such circumstances, we must all be mindful that democracy requires freedom — freedom of ideas, freedom of association, freedom of religion and, more important, freedom of expression. That often results in statements and actions that may offend. Tolerance, not violence, is the appropriate response to prevent further violence. Liberia is a clear example, where, were it not for our own tolerance of our new- found freedom of expression, our country would be back in chaos. While the majority of the countries in our subregion are consolidating economic and social gains, underpinned by democratic processes, some are, regrettably, still dogged by serious challenges that risk undermining the peace and progress of the entire region. We in Liberia, like many other countries in the region and the world at large, were particularly appalled by the unconstitutional unravelling of the democratic Governments in Mali and Guinea-Bissau in the early part of this year. We unequivocally condemn such attempts to seize power through unconstitutional means. Accordingly, Liberia endorses the decisions of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which sought the full restoration of constitutional order in both countries in the shortest time. Liberia enjoins the world community, particularly the Security Council, to buttress the efforts of ECOWAS in restoring peace in our region, most especially in Mali. As the current Chair of the four-nation Mano River Union, comprising Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia has committed itself to never allowing an inch of its territory to be used in order to destabilize its neighbours. In that context, we categorically condemn all attempts to undermine the peace and democratic gains in Côte d’Ivoire and are working closely with the Ivorian authorities and the United Nations peacekeeping bodies in both Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire to protect and consolidate the peace in our two countries. We call on all countries in our region to work in concert so that those intent on destabilizing some parts of our region are treated as enemies in all parts of it. We are all part of a rapidly changing world in which the forces of globalization cannot be reversed. Our farming systems must adjust to the unusual weather conditions. The places where we live and work will need, in some cases, to be relocated from traditional safe areas. Our societies must also find responses to the distractions resulting from the demonstration effect. Developing countries, such as my own, must make globalization work if we are to achieve our growth targets and lift our people out of poverty. That means greater commitment and effort on our part to create an environment that ensures economic growth based on mutual benefits and responsibilities. Since its founding, Liberia has been a complex nation, and the divisions that led to decades of war still run deep. Our experience clearly shows that success has its pitfalls. Displaced citizens returning from refugee camps in the subregion and deportees from around the world swell the ranks of the desperate unemployed, thereby intensifying our vulnerability. Communities long deprived of basic services demand instant attention to their individual needs, thereby straining our capacity. Civil servants lacking a decent wage for two decades rightfully clamour for raises, thereby undermining the budgetary process. As Liberia moves towards its tenth year of sustained peace, we can say with conviction that our country has turned the corner. Liberia is no longer a place of conflict, war and deprivation. We are no longer the country our citizens f led, our international partners pitied and our neighbours feared. Our stabilization efforts over the past six years have resulted in average annual growth of over 6 per cent, major foreign investment, expanded fiscal space and unprecedented debt cancellation. More important, we have earned our rightful place on an irreversible path to sustained peace, growth and development. Our Vision 2030, resulting from a robust nationwide consultation, is a long- term programme for transformation that prioritizes youth development, infrastructure, reconciliation and capacity development. Yet, our Government is keenly aware of the challenges to be faced over the next three years. United Nations peacekeeping forces are gradually being withdrawn from Liberia. In our discussions with various United Nations teams that have come to Liberia — the technical assessment mission in March and the Security Council delegation in May — we have emphasized the need for a responsible transition, through a gradual process occurring over a period of three to five years. We also seek the alignment of transitional activities with our budget cycle, reflecting Government priorities. We wish to express our appreciation to the United Nations, which has been a very committed and effective partner. We owe the Organization much gratitude for preserving an enabling environment for peacebuilding and State-building. In conclusion, I wish to note that today, for the first time in two generations, Liberia has a second successive democratic Government elected by the will of the people. Despite the distractions, local and external, our people are determined to take their destiny into their own hands, and determined that our ambitious goal of making Liberia a middle-income country by the year 2030 will be achieved.