The European Union and its Member States welcome steps taken by the Government of Liberia and the Senate towards the legal abolition of the death penalty
The European Union and its Member States represented in Liberia (Germany, Ireland, France, and Sweden) also congratulate the Liberian people on Independence Day on 26th July. We welcome the leadership of President George Manneh Weah and the Government of Liberia in tabling and proceeding a proposal for the full legal abolition of the death penalty. We furthermore welcome the unanimous vote in the Liberian Senate and look forward to find an occasion to jointly commemorate this historic achievement taking place amidst the Bi-centennial Anniversary and 175 years of independence as a free democracy.
The death penalty is a cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment contrary to the right to life. It is incompatible with human dignity and makes any miscarriage of justice irreversible.
While there has been in Liberia since 2005 a moratorium on the implementation of the death penalty, its full legal abolition constitutes an important and essential step to ensure full respect of human dignity.
It increases the perception of the Republic of Liberia as a free liberal democracy and sends positive signals to the business community considering potential job-creating investments as well as to European citizens considering visiting Liberia.
Moreover, this move toward abolition of the death penalty is a concrete demonstration of the values shared by the people of Liberia and Europe, and we look forward to continuing our common endeavors to ensure respect for human rights multilaterally and regionally.
The Republic of Liberia currently plays an important role to restore peace, security, stability, democracy, and constitutional order in its Sisterly Republics in the region. The European Union reaffirms its readiness to support the Republic of Liberia and ECOWAS in these endeavors.
Those same values inspire the strong positions adopted by the Republic of Liberia after the illegal and unprovoked aggression of Ukraine by Russia, and its firm and decisive stance on human rights in the United Nations through the untiring diplomatic initiatives of His Excellency Ambassador Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah, Sr, Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The European Union and its Member States appreciate the constructive and regular exchanges based on shared values held with Minister Kemayah as well as with the Cllr. Musa F. Dean, Minister of Justice and Attorney General, at the fruitful exchanges in the 10th EU-Liberia Political Dialogue and in other formats. The EU and its Member States look forward to continuing our active cooperation to ensure the full respect for human rights and the promotion of the values of liberal democracy in multilateral fora and within the region.
Meanwhile, Liberians are now set to listen to the 175th Independence Day orator, Commerce Minister, Mawine Diggs oration next Tuesday July 26, 2022.
President George M. Weah name Minister Diggs as orator of this year's Independence Day celebration.
Since his ascendency to the presidency in 2018, the Liberian leader has given opportunity to women to serve as Independence Day orator.
Speaking to our reporter Thursday on the significant of the independence of Liberia and what Liberians are expected from the oration by the orator? A youth Advocate David Newton indicated that Liberians are hopeful of listening to nationalistic oration that will focus on peace and unity.
According to him, the selection of the country's Commerce Minister by President Weah at these challenging economic times in the history of Liberia, she will be in the position to provide economic solution through commerce.
Mr. Newton narrated that there could be no other person best to deliver the country independence day oration but Minister Diggs who have lots of knowledge on how the country and its citizens can derived the country commerce sector to provoke more Liberians to get involve into trade as a means of boosting the country economy.
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He encourages the National orator to keep the path of peace and unity with in her oration.
Also speaking, Peter Flomo anticipates an oration that will reflect on the current situation that are affecting the citizens and not to focus on historicity of the country.
He said Liberians will appreciate economic strategies by the government, the business sector, the political parties, the ordinary citizens in resolving the economic stagnation.
Flomo urged Liberians to unite for the betterment of the country regardless of the economic constraints that most of the citizens are face with.
He said this independence day anniversary needs to be observed through a reflection on how old the country is without development.
