New York — President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has called on the international community to act "together and decisively" to protect civilians, hold perpetrators of atrocities accountable, and strengthen mediation efforts, as he addressed the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.
In a speech framed around the theme "Better Together: 80 Years and More for Peace, Development, and Human Rights", President Boakai drew on Liberia's experience of war and recovery to emphasize the urgency of global cooperation in the face of rising conflicts.
"We call on the international community to act together and decisively to protect civilians, hold perpetrators of atrocities accountable, and strengthen mediation efforts. Rising from the ruins of civil war, Liberia knows all too well the human cost of conflict and the importance of peace," Boakai told world leaders. "Since 2003, Liberia has experienced three peaceful and orderly democratic transitions, each marked by smooth transfers of power, making our nation safer, more stable, and more secure after over thirty years of unrest, instability, and destruction."
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Liberia, Africa's oldest independent state, has long played a significant role on the international stage. It was a founding member of the United Nations, the Organization of African Unity (now the African Union), and ECOWAS, among others. The country also championed the independence of African nations during the colonial era, with its shores serving as a safe haven for notable freedom fighters and Pan-Africanists such as Nelson Mandela and Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
However, Liberia's own internal struggles plunged the nation into a devastating 14-year civil war that claimed an estimated 250,000 lives, displaced hundreds of thousands more, and destroyed much of its infrastructure and economy. A collective effort by the international community finally brought the conflict to an end in 2003.
'Liberia's Seat Belongs to Africa'
President Boakai credited multilateral cooperation--with the support of ECOWAS, the African Union, and the United Nations--for helping Liberia rebuild from its violent past, positioning the country as a moral voice for peace and stability in global affairs.
He hailed the United Nations as the "most critical multilateral platform" for peace, justice, and prosperity, and stressed Liberia's moral obligation to defend multilateralism at a time when its credibility is under question.
He pledged to advance Africa's interests during the country's historic election to the UN Security Council while renewing a call for justice through the establishment of a War and Economic Crimes Court at home.
"While the nameplate during this two-year term will read Liberia, the seat belongs to Africa," Boakai declared, referencing the country's election to a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for 2026-2027 -- the first full tenure in its history. He vowed that Liberia's contributions would be guided by both its own hard-earned lessons in conflict resolution and the collective experiences of the continent.
On global security, the Liberian leader reaffirmed his country's support for diplomacy and peaceful dispute resolution, backing mediation efforts in Ukraine and the Middle East while calling for the realization of a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine.
Boakai also pressed for urgent climate action, warning that rising seas and severe storms were already eroding Liberia's coast and threatening livelihoods. "Those who contribute the least to this crisis should not be forced to suffer the most," he said, calling for full capitalization of the Loss and Damage Fund and stronger climate justice.
The Liberian President joined the Global South in demanding reforms to the international financial system, decrying a framework he described as "outdated and unjust," and urged debt servicing mechanisms that allow developing countries to prioritize health, education, and sustainable development.
On the home front
At home, Boakai highlighted his administration's ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development, which prioritizes agriculture, roads, rule of law, education, sanitation, and technology as pillars of Liberia's transformation to a lower-middle-income country by 2030. He underscored his government's anti-corruption drive and ongoing efforts to strengthen accountability and transparency.
But Boakai's most striking domestic message was his renewed appeal for international support to establish a War and Economic Crimes Court -- a longstanding demand by civil society and victims' groups. "These efforts are essential steps toward achieving lasting peace and genuine national healing," he said, framing justice as integral to Liberia's recovery from its brutal civil wars.
Steps toward National reconciliation
Boakai also told the UN General Assembly that his "government has taken deliberate and meaningful steps toward national reconciliation."
"These include honoring the memory of the victims, supporting initiatives for memorialization, and upholding our commitment to justice and the rule of law," he said.
In July, Boakai was praised leading justice advocates for openly apologizing to victims of the country's civil wars on behalf of the Liberian state, an action none of his predecessors took. Advocates also commended Boakai for pledging to build a war memorial for victims of the wars and the peacekeepers who died in them, part of 207 recommendations from the 2009 Truth and Reconciliation Commission report.
Boakai told the General Assembly that "these efforts are complex and challenging," but "essential for lasting peace and genuine national healing."
"May I now take the opportunity to renew my government's request for international support and assistance in establishing a War and Economic Crimes Court, which will further the Liberian people's aspiration for national healing and reconciliation through justice," he said.
His latest comment followed his first address to the body in 2024, where he called for support the court and a national anti-corruption court. Boakai had also requested support for the courts from the U.N. in a letter sent to the Secretary General last May.
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Earlier on Tuesday, the Executive Mansion said Boakai held a meeting with António Guterres, the U.N. secretary general, on the margins of the General Assembly.
The Mansion said Guterres "pledged the United Nations' full support to Liberia's initiatives in peacebuilding, reconciliation, and sustainable development."
While advocates have praised Boakai for his reconciliation initiatives, they criticize him for not fulfilling his pledge of $U.S.2 million annually to the Office for War and Economic Crimes Court of Liberia, the body overseeing the courts' establishment. So far, only $U.S. 300,000 the Office has received, according to Jallah Barbu, its executive director. Hasan Bility, a leading justice advocate, "called on the President to fund the Office set up to establish the court" adding in a message to FrontPage Africa/New Narratives, "On our (the Global Justice and Research Project) part, we'll make sure that all the murderers in different jurisdictions are made to account for their crimes."
Concluding, Boakai aligned Liberia with the Pact for the Future, the Global Digital Compact, and the urgency of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, insisting that "using outdated 1945 solutions to tackle 2025 challenges is neither reasonable nor realistic."
"Liberia pledges to remain a bridge to peace, a development partner, and a defender of human rights," he said, urging the UN to leave its 80th anniversary not with words but with action.
Anthony Stephens of New Narratives contributed to this story.
