Joseph Nyuma Boakai, President of Liberia, welcomed the election of his country as a non-permanent member of the Security Council for the 2026-2027 term, marking its first full tenure on the Council, eighty years after the country signed the Charter [of the United Nations].  “While the nameplate during this two-year term will read ‘Liberia’, the seat, however, belongs to Africa,” he said, noting that its contributions to discussions and decisions are shaped by our hard-earned experiences in conflict resolution, as well as our successes in peacebuilding, democratic reform, political transition and governance.  His delegation also plans to advocate for the continent’s fair representation on the Council, which can only be achieved through permanent representation as a key part of the organ’s reform agenda.

Against the backdrop of wars, displacement, climate change — “challenges that no country can solve alone” — his country feels morally obligated to call for a renewal, rather than reversal of multilateralism.  “Wars in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa remind us that peace is often fragile and must be constantly defended,” he said, voicing support for all credible mediation efforts aimed at resolving the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, as well as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  Liberia stands behind the common African position for the realization of the two-state solution.  “We call on the international community to act together and decisively to protect civilians, hold perpetrators of atrocities accountable and strengthen mediation efforts,” he added.

He went on to highlight his country’s three peaceful and orderly democratic transitions since 2003, making it safer and more secure after more than thirty years of unrest, instability and destruction.  On climate change, which is “not a distant threat but a present reality” to his country, with rising seas eroding its coasts and storms and heavy rains devastating communities and exacerbating food insecurity, he enumerated efforts to address it, including coastal defense projects, climate information systems for early warning systems, carbon market policies, and advancing a blue economy strategy.  “But our efforts alone are not enough,” he emphasized, calling for urgent implementation of the Paris Agreement, full capitalization of the Loss and Damage Fund, and greater global investment in adaptation and mitigation.  “Above all, we call for Climate Justice — those who contribute the least to this crisis should not be forced to suffer the most,” he said.

As well, he emphasized the need for urgent reforms to the international financial architecture to ensure fair representation, a new approach to debt servicing, and financing that supports sustainable development, given that too many developing nations spend more on debt servicing than on health or education. Turning to other measures by his country, he touched on efforts to improve governance, including through accountability and anti-corruption measures, such as asset declarations, as well as national reconciliation, by honouring the memory of victims, supporting initiatives for memorialization, and upholding commitment to justice and the rule of law. He also renewed his country’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”.