Weah Speaks To World Leaders at UNESCO Confab -Calls for Action against Climate Change, COVID 19 and Gender Inequalities

President George Manneh Weah has called on world leaders and other stakeholders to take serious action against the menace of climate change and the ongoing COVID pandemic which he noted posed serious threats to the survival of mankind as well as the inherent disparities against women and girls in many societies in the world.

President Weah made this clarion call on Friday, November 12, 2021 when he addressed the 41st General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Science and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) held in Paris, France

President used the occasion to shared his experience at the just concluded 26th United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Glasgow, Scotland where he stated he came face to face with the stark reality that the future well-being of the entire planet is not only being threatened by the devastating consequences of global warming, caused by the high emission of greenhouse gases from the industrialized nations of the world but that the time window for corrective behavior is rapidly shrinking.

President also said he was acutely and distressingly aware that the world is still suffering from the terrible Covid-19 pandemic, which for almost two years now has caused the unfortunate deaths of millions of people around the world, and has taken an unprecedented toll on the ways of life and on the livelihoods of all survivors.

“These unfortunate developments should remind us of our collective responsibilities and the roles we must all play in looking ahead, beyond present and pending disasters, to find global solutions that are sustainable, equitable, and inclusive”

He said it was an honor to have the privilege of attending the conference to discuss pressing global challenges, with a view to finding solutions that will make the world a better place. He congratulated UNESCO on its 75th anniversary of its existence, of which Liberia was one of the founding signatories of the organization as well as felicitated with Ms. Audrey Azulay, for her re-election to a second five – year term as Director General.

Speaking on gender inequalitty, President Weah said the world can never be a better place so long as there is discrimination between men and women and said that he is   personally passionate about gender equality, because he believes that men and women are equal citizens, and should therefore enjoy equal opportunities, and have equal access to knowledge and skills, if a society is to develop to its maximum potential.

“As President of the Republic of Liberia and a self-titled Feminist-in-Chief, I have long been a champion of women’s rights and a “HeForShe”.  As such, achieving gender equality in Liberia is one of the top priorities of my Administration, and I remain committed and obligated to ensuring that my Government achieves this within the context of Sustainable Development Goal #5”, President Weah said.

He said because of the inherent disparities in societies against women and girls, there is also an urgent need to develop and strengthen mechanisms for their full protection and empowerment, to ensure that their rights are protected and their livelihoods are sustained.

“As a Government, we have made significant strides in legal and systemic reforms to be able to lawfully address the entrenched inequalities that exist between men and women.  These will be presented in detail by my delegation during your further discussions”, the President stated.

President Weah ended his speech by publicly reaffirming his support for the agenda and programs of UNESCO and wished the conference fruitful deliberations so that the targets that will be set in the areas of education, science and culture will be achieved.