Boakai Delivers First UNGA Oration -Reiterates Liberia’s Commitment to Sustain Peace, Achieve MDGs

When World War II ended and the global community, mainly the victorious powers, sought to replace then world body League of Nations with a border international platform to pursue and foster the restoration of peace and order, Liberia was “in the fries”—involved prominently in midwifing the United Nations. This, Liberia 26th President Joseph Nyuman Boakai reminded guests and international actors about at the 76th Regular Session of General Assembly yesterday, September 25, 2024, when he took the stage to speak. After underscoring monumental achievements of the 79-year-old United Nations, the Liberian leader accentuated commitments by Liberia, an original member of the UN, to fight for global peace and the achievements of its flagship program, Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). THE ANALYST reports.

President Joseph Nyuma Boakai delivered his maiden United Nations General speech, reaffirming Liberia’s dedication to promoting sustainable growth and ensuring human dignity for all.

Boakai said Liberia is prepared to work together with the United Nations, other global allies, and the international community to accomplish the Sustainable Development Goals and establish a fair, peaceful, and sustainable world.

This commitment to unity is deeply ingrained in Liberia’s history as a founding member of the United Nations and other post-war international institutions, as well as regional and sub-regional organizations, he refreshed memories at the UNGA. He added: “[this] also affirms our strong belief in multilateralism and an international rules-based world built on shared values and principles crucial to our future”.

He said the future of a more peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable world must be all-encompassing, fair, and dignified for everyone worldwide.

The Liberian leader asserted he was honored to have delivered his first speech to the world body as the President of Liberia on behalf of the government and people of his country “after a smooth back-to-back democratic transition”.

“Liberia congratulates His Excellency Philemon Yangon on his election as President of the Seventy-ninth (79th) Session of the United Nations General Assembly. You can be assured of Liberia’s support as you steer the affairs of General Assembly,” he said.

“I deeply thank Secretary-General ANTÓNIO GUTERRES for the remarkable and visionary leadership he continues to provide in pursuit of our collective mandate.”

He recalled that in the summer of 1945, Liberia joined other nations in San Francisco as one of the original signatories to the United Nations Charter.

“On that fateful day,” he reflected, “the world, having suffered the scourge of war, was full of hope and determined to reverse the past. Nearly eighty years on, and reflecting on the Preamble of the United Nations Charter, which declares our commitment to ‘promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,’ we ask the question: has our reaffirmation of ‘faith … in the dignity and worth of the human person …’ made eight decades ago been realized?”

“We must admit that the world has changed and the frontiers that we now embrace are different innate greed, insensitivity to the poor, the international drug epidemic, money launderings, dynamics of climate change and the impact of social media must compel us to rethink our approach to global peace and security,” the President continued.

“Our beloved United Nations must undergo the institutional and philosophical reflections required to respond to this new age.”

Boakai asserted that as the international community assemble under the theme, “Unity in Diversity for the Advancement of Peace, Sustainable Development, and Human Dignity for Everyone Everywhere,” it is important to recognize the shared values and collective efforts that come from our unity within diversity.

“We must acknowledge these as essential for advancing peace, sustainable development, and the inherent dignity of every human being worldwide,” he said “By doing so, we can build a better world where no one is left behind. Like many nations gathered at this assembly, Liberia re-commits to the Sustainable Development Goals.”

He briefed the world body that since the end of the Liberia’s conflict, citizens have strived to follow a development path that will lead to building a capable state.

“Twelve years ago,” Boakai said, “we dared to dream of a future within the realm of possibility, harboring core national aspiration to transform the future.

“Named Liberia Rising or Vision 2030, it has been the driving force behind all our planning efforts. The building blocks and tenets of Vision 2030 are significantly aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals.”

He also spoke of his Government’s ARREST Agenda, describing it a comprehensive approach developed to address the economic and social needs of millions of Liberians, especially the youth, who account for sixty percent of the population.

“With an emphasis on agriculture, roads and infrastructure development, justice and the rule of law, education, sanitation, health, and tourism,” he said the Agenda has mainstreamed the SDGs and is designed to take Liberia to the “finish” line of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

According to the Liberian leader, the fight against poverty and the promotion of human dignity is a steadfast commitment of his government, acknowledging that “despite our progress, poverty remains a significant challenge, with over half of our population living below the poverty line”.

He said: “The Sustainable Development Goals aim to eradicate poverty in all its forms by 2030, ensure social protection for the poor and vulnerable, and improve access to essential services. Liberia is dedicated to assessing the levels and causes of poverty and implementing strategies to reduce it and promote shared prosperity.”

Boakai noted that his government also acknowledges the pressing need to address maternal and newborn mortality by implementing robust monitoring and evaluation of health services in the country to accelerate the reduction of maternal and newborn mortality.

“We are particularly pleased with the United Nations H6 Joint Mission to Liberia earlier this year, which concluded with a commitment to combat the high burden of increasing newborn deaths,” he told the UNGA, welcoming UN General Assembly’s decision to declare July 25th as the International Day of Women and Girls of African descent this year.

He said such a significant milestone acknowledges that women and girls of African descent have unique challenges and that the global fight against slavery and racism is necessary to achieve gender equality.

“Liberia credits its credentials by producing the first woman President of the UN General Assembly, Angie Brooks Randolph, and the first female President of Africa, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf,” he boasted. “Liberia has witnessed and continues to witness the immense contributions of women and girls of African descent to politics, culture and in every area of societal development.”

He also spoke of the fact that Liberia has enjoyed an uninterrupted peace for almost two decades following 14 years of civil conflict, after which “we have held four democratic elections, with last year’s election marking the fourth since the return to democratic order in 2006”.

“In January of this year,” Boakai further updated the UNGA that Liberia achieved a historic milestone by peacefully transitioning from one democratic government to another.

“This progress is significant because, before the 2018 transition, the last democratic transition occurred in 1944, about 74 years earlier,” he said. “We are gradually fostering and solidifying a democratic culture, ensuring that democracy is here to stay in Liberia. Now it is time for our people to reap the democratic dividends.”

As the rule of law is fundamental for peace, justice, strong institutions, and dignity for the human person, Boakai averred that Liberia is taking significant strides toward openness, transparency, and accountability by empowering and supporting transparency institutions.

“Our government is committed to implementing audit recommendations by the General Audit Commission to restore public and donors’ confidence in the governance system and improve regional and international cooperation,” he vowed.

“In addition, the country has taken a major step in confronting its conflict past to ensure accountability and justice for crimes and other human rights violations committed during the war and promote healing and national reconciliation.”

On the most widely expected issue, the President divulged that there has been a significant development in Liberia’s transitional justice process with the signing on May 2, 2024, of Executive Order 131 to create the Office for the establishment of War and Economic Crimes Courts for Liberia, a key recommendation from the truth and reconciliation process in Liberia.

“Our actions align with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Joint Follow-Up on Impunity, and Past Human Rights Violations,” he said. “As we embark on this process and acknowledge the enormity of this task, my government seeks the support of the United Nations, partners, and stakeholders in the pursuit of justice for victims, peace, and reconciliation.”