NEW YORK — Liberia will place the security implications of climate change and natural-resource management before global leaders Wednesday, as the country continues to use its seat on the United Nations Security Council to elevate issues affecting Africa and other climate-vulnerable regions.
The Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia will host a high-level dialogue examining how the management of forests, land, water and minerals can either contribute to conflict or help communities build peace, climate resilience and sustainable development.
The event, titled "The Nexus between Climate, Conflict, and Natural Resources: Pathways to Peace, Resilience, and Sustainable Development," will take place from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on September 23 at the Westin New York Grand Central.
It represents the third major Security Council-focused event organized by Liberia on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, reflecting Monrovia's effort to give practical substance to its 2026-2027 tenure on the Council.
Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines
Liberia's latest initiative expands the country's security agenda beyond traditional questions of armed conflict. It will draw attention to climate change as a "threat multiplier" capable of worsening competition over natural resources, displacing communities, undermining livelihoods and aggravating existing social and political tensions.
At the same time, the dialogue will examine how responsible natural-resource governance and climate financing can help prevent conflict and create more equitable economic opportunities.
EPA Executive Director Dr. Emmanuel K. Urey Yarkpawolo will welcome participants, while Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti will formally open the event and outline its objectives.
Haoliang Xu, United Nations under-secretary-general and associate administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, will deliver the keynote address on "Climate Change as a Threat Multiplier and Global Security Imperative."
The program will also feature a documentary highlighting Liberia's natural capital, including the forests, waterways and landscapes upon which communities across the country depend for their livelihoods.
A high-level panel will examine global, regional and national dimensions of the climate-security relationship. The discussion will be moderated by Francine Pickup, UNDP deputy assistant administrator and deputy director of its Bureau for Policy and Programme Support.
Panelists will include Dr. Ali Daud Mohamed, Kenya's special envoy for climate change and former chair of the African Group of Negotiators. He is expected to discuss approaches that combine climate resilience, peacebuilding and natural-resource governance.
Antwi-Boasiako Amoah, current chair of the African Group of Negotiators and director for adaptation, climate resilience and risk management at Ghana's Environmental Protection Authority, will present an African perspective, with particular attention to the Sahel and West Africa.
The region has increasingly confronted the overlapping effects of environmental degradation, competition over land and water, population displacement and insecurity. These pressures have strengthened calls for climate policy to be treated as part of conflict prevention rather than solely as an environmental or development concern.
Liberia Carbon Markets Authority Chief Executive Officer Jeanine Milly Cooper will examine how carbon markets and climate finance can support environmental protection while delivering tangible benefits to affected communities.
Colorado State Representative Naquetta Ricks, president of the African Chamber of Commerce Colorado, will address Liberia's natural-resource opportunities and the potential contribution of the diaspora to climate-resilient investment.
The discussions will also include the human impact of climate change. Oretha Juah Bestman-Yates, described as a climate-change survivor, will give a personal account of how changing environmental conditions are affecting the lives and livelihoods of Liberians.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Liberia possesses substantial forests, rivers, mineral deposits and a long coastline, but those resources are also closely connected to longstanding questions of land rights, livelihoods, concession management and the distribution of economic benefits.
The country's own experience of conflict has made the governance of natural resources especially significant. Liberia's civil wars were partly sustained by the exploitation of resources, while more than two decades of peace have shown the importance of ensuring that the country's wealth contributes to stability and broadly shared development.
The EPA said the dialogue would allow Liberia to share its experience, learn from partners across Africa and encourage collaboration capable of transforming climate-related risks into opportunities for peace and prosperity.
The program will conclude with each panelist presenting one practical recommendation for governments, development partners and investors, followed by questions from participants.
