New York — Liberia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Madam Sara Beysolow Nyanti on Thursday, Nyanti joined global leaders in a high-level panel discussion on asylum and refugee status during the 80th United Nations General Assembly.
The panel, convened by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau was held under the theme "The Global Refugee and Asylum System: What Went Wrong and How to Fix It."
It also featured the President of Kosovo, and leaders from Bangladesh and Venezuela.
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Speaking from both her humanitarian experience and Liberia's own history of displacement, Minister Nyanti stressed that while sovereignty is vital, it must go hand-in-hand with shared responsibility in addressing migration and asylum. She highlighted Africa's often-overlooked reality of intercontinental displacement, drawing from Liberia's own past when its people found refuge in neighboring countries during civil conflict.
"While sovereignty is vital, it cannot stand alone. Global challenges require collective action and solidarity," Nyanti said, highlighting Africa's often under-reported experience with cross-border displacement and recalling how Liberians once relied on neighboring countries for refuge during the civil wars.
Minister Nyanti called for a clear distinction between asylum and economic migration, stronger frameworks for labor mobility, and solutions rooted in solidarity, humanitarian obligation, and economic opportunity, ensuring that young people can find prosperity at home rather than being forced to leave. She also highlighted that economic diplomacy rooted in a vision for job creation addresses the root cause of migration.
Her voice reflected not only Liberia's journey from crisis to stability, but also the urgent need for global cooperation in reforming the asylum system.
.Before her cabinet appointment, Nyanti held several senior positions within the United Nations, including serving as the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative to South Sudan.
During the session, she called for a clear distinction between asylum and economic migration, robust frameworks for labor mobility, and solutions grounded in solidarity, humanitarian obligation, and economic opportunity. She underscored the role of economic diplomacy and job creation, arguing that prosperity at home is the most sustainable way to reduce forced migration.
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"Addressing migration begins with addressing its root causes. When young people can find hope and opportunity at home, they are less likely to risk everything abroad," she said.
Nyanti's intervention comes as Liberia prepares to assume its seat as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in January, following its successful election this year.
Landau, in his remarks, argued that the current asylum system--established in the aftermath of World War II--has been widely abused. He urged reforms to ensure asylum remains a temporary protection measure, stressing that those seeking refuge should ultimately return home once conditions allow.
"If you have hundreds of thousands of fake asylum seekers, then what happens to the real asylum system?" Landau said. "Saying the process is susceptible to abuse is not xenophobic; it is not being a mean or bad person."
