Monrovia — A high-level delegation from the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission visiting Liberia has praised the government and people of Liberia for the level of peace the country has exhibited since the end of the 14 years of civil unrest in 2003.
The delegation is headed by Her Excellency Ambassador Anna Karin Eneström, Permanent Representative of Sweden to the United Nations and Chair of the Liberia Configuration Peacebuilding Commission, and includes the Assistant Secretary General for Peacebuilding Support, Ms. Elizabeth Spehar.
The team that arrived June 5 will end its visit in Liberia on June 9, 2022. The delegation will discuss Liberia's peacebuilding priorities, with a particular focus on the Configuration's priority themes for 2022, including support for the preparation and organization of peaceful, transparent, and inclusive presidential elections in 2023, social cohesion and national reconciliation efforts, and the promotion of women's empowerment and gender equality.
Speaking during the official visit at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Monday, the Permanent Representative of Sweden to the United Nations and Chair of the Liberia Configuration, Peacebuilding Commission Madam Eneström after applauding Liberia for the level of peace says her visit is help sustain the country's peacebuilding efforts.
According to Madam Eneström, her team is in the country to discuss the progress that has been made and the challenges the country is faced with -to enable Liberia to have a sustainable peace.
"I want to say also that Liberia is the aspiration for other countries when it comes to peacebuilding. The way you have transitioned from conflict through the peacekeeping operation and now to peacebuilding is an example and role model for other countries"- Madam Eneström said.
She added: "Thanks for the strong commitment by President Weah and the entire government. You are the only one in the driver's seat and so we will continue to support you."
Laying Out UN Peacebuilding Priority for 2022
The United Nations envoy also laid plans she says is the priority of the UN Peacebuilding Commission for the year 2022.
She named gender equality, the eradication of the sexual gender-based violence against women, the conduct of free, fair and credible election including the issue about climate change.
"We will discuss with you the issue of gender equality, the empowerment of women and how we can work together and eradicate sexual gender-based violence against women in Liberia," Madam Eneström said.
She added: "We are also here to discuss how the International Community can help and support Liberia in the preparation for the 2023 election which is going to be a milestone for the development of Liberia."
Also speaking, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemeyah praised the UN Peacebuilding Commission for their visit and the acknowledgment of the country maintaining its peace adding that the country is not going to be complacent in upholding its peace.
The Minister at the same time disclosed that the Weah-led government is in full commitment to the priority of the UN Peacebuilding Commission.
"I like I indicated in Stockton, the President is a feminist in chief of the Republic of Liberia. And that is not theory but Liberians including your people here are testimony to that," Minister Kemayah said.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs named the recent nomination of a female Public Works and other females he says are holding key positions in the public sector as a good example of the President striving to promote gender equity in Liberia.
"The President has been championing and advocating for the enactment for the law that will lead to a 30 percent quota for female desiring to take up elected positions -to contest," he said.
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Beside the meeting with Foreign Minister Kemeyah, the United Nations peacebuilding delegation is expected to meet with the President Weah and other senior Government Officials, including the Ministers of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Finance and Development Planning, and Justice, as well as officials of the National Elections Commission (NEC), and visit Bomi County.
The delegation will also meet with members of the civil society promoting peacebuilding, women and youth, and elections, the Economic Community of West African States, Mano River Union, International Financial Institutions operating in Liberia, including the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the African Development Bank, the Diplomatic Community in Liberia, and the United Nations Country Team in Liberia.
This year's visit is the first in-person visit for the Liberia Configuration since the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic, and the first for Ambassador Enestrom.
