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Pres. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf at the UN
General Assembly |
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(Sep
23, 2008)
Mr. President,
Mr. Secretary
General,
Excellencies, Heads
of State and Government, and Heads of Delegations,
Distinguished Ladies
and Gentlemen:
I am honored to
address the United Nations General Assembly on behalf of the Government
and people of Liberia, the second time I am doing so since I assumed
office in 2006. I congratulate you, Mr. Miguel d’Escoto Broadman, and
your country, Nicaragua, on your election as President of this historic
63rd Regular Session. There is no doubt that you will bring your vast
experience and tested diplomatic skills to guide this Session to a
successful conclusion. You can rest assured of the full cooperation and
support of the Liberian delegation.
Let me also seize
this opportunity to pay tribute to your predecessor, Mr. Srgjan Kerim of
the Republic of Macedonia for the exemplary leadership he provided this
august body in the year past.
By the same token, I
would like to commend our distinguished Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon,
for his farsightedness and wisdom in carrying out his mandate. The
Liberian people still recall with fondness his visit to Monrovia earlier
this year when they shared with him their respect and appreciation of
the United Nations which has provided exceptional support and a
guarantor of the peace we now enjoy in our country after 14 years of
war.
Mr. President:
In our 161 years as
the first independent Republic in Africa, we navigated for nearly a
century among sharks of racism, colonialism, prejudice, human
degradation and underdevelopment. We have experienced a war that killed
nearly 8%, and displaced nearly 40% of our population, a war that
destroyed our underdeveloped economy and inadequate infrastructure.
Through it all, Liberia has come to appreciate the United Nations as
truly a fundamental, relevant and important forum and instrument for
world peace.
In its sixty-three
years of existence, the United Nations Organization has expanded in
scope, form and content. It is correctly still predominated by the
promotion of international peace and security.
From our experience
as a founding member, Liberia is committed to contributing to the
re-definition of that international peace and security that it is very
strongly linked to, and demands the promotion of Economic Growth and
Sustainable Development, particularly food security, relief from the
debt burden, globalization and fair trade. We believe in a peace and
security environment that combats HIV/Aids, Malaria and other diseases;
that promotes poverty eradication and human rights especially the rights
of women and children; the fight against international terrorism, drug
and other international crimes; in disarmament, especially the
elimination of nuclear weapons and the control of small arms and light
weapons.
Mr. President:
The history and
experience of Liberia has taught us to have faith in the UN which is
maintaining nearly 11,000 men and women from all over the world to help
our country consolidate its newly won peace. We wish to thank the
Security Council which has correctly seen the necessity to renew the
mandate of the UN Mission in Liberia. We particularly thank the resource
contributing countries without whom the Mission could never be there
saving lives and promoting development.
Our history and
experience have taught us to believe in regional peace and security and
cooperation. Liberians still say, with passion, the slogan: “THANK GOD
FOR ECOMOG”, referring to the period of our war when young men and women
from countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
led by Nigeria and including Ghana, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Mali and Benin
laid down their lives to save the country. Subsequently, a Nigerian led
military mission, the ECOWAS Mission in Liberia (ECOMIL) provided the
beachhead for the establishment of UNMIL. We shall always be grateful to
ECOWAS which is now dedicating itself to its prime objective of economic
integration and development.
We also believe in
our sub-subregional entity, the Mano River Union which comprises the
countries of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone and Cote d’Ivoire which
joined us earlier this year. The Mano River basin, as is well known, was
the epicenter of the conflict system in West Africa since 1990. As the
current Chair of the MRU, I can say on behalf of my colleagues that the
countries of that basin have declared “never again to war and all forms
of armed violence”. The MRU will henceforth be the net exporter of peace
and all the dividends that come with peace in West Africa.
Mr. President:
I am proud to say
that Liberian history and experience have taught us never to shirk in
our opposition to wars and the causes thereof, to man’s inhumanity to
man, to oppression, racism, human rights abuses, especially those
against women and children, and abuses inflicted against race, creed,
and religion.
In doing so, we know
that we may at times not be seen as following established line, the
“party line”, be it in Africa or on African issues, or the positions of
some close allies. We continue to ask our friends to realize that we
will be guided by our principles, history and experience to act in the
best interest of our people and the greater world community.
It is in this
connection that we took a stand on the situation in Zimbabwe because we
had faith that the leaders of that wonderful and great country needed to
know that fairness in elections and justice in political participation
were the best way to durable peace. My government wishes to thank the
Zimbabwe leaders and their people for choosing the path of negotiation
for the Global Agreement that has been reached. We thank the Leaders of
SADCC, especially South African President Thabo Mbeki for his role in
facilitating the peace deal. May all Zimbabweans work to ensure the full
implementation of the Agreement.
Africa
has, over the last year, registered unprecedented economic growth and
experienced relative peace in many hitherto turbulent regions and
countries. Unfortunately, the people in Somalia and parts of Sudan –
especially the Darfur Region – Chad, Niger, DR Congo and others are yet
to breathe an air of relief and peace. They need the concerted effort of
this United Nations and strong support to the African Union and the
sub-regional bodies to take the necessary actions for peace. Where there
is evidence of non-cooperation and even aggression against the peace
forces, the world must move into the Chapter seven gear of the UN
Charter.
Armed conflicts as
we have seen in Liberia and the world over are exacerbated by easy
access to small arms and light weapons. Thus, as part of the efforts for
durable peace in conflict zones, we must put into place rigid measures
to ensure effective controls of these weapons. My government, in the
same vein, supports the Arms Trade Treaty. We continue to champion the
call for total and complete nuclear disarmament in order to prevent the
world from self-annihilation.
These fears are not
unfounded if one imagine such weapons in the hands of a terrorist. But
the threat of terrorism - the senseless destruction of innocent lives
and property, often times including oneself beats every imagination. The
world must unite to fight this scourge. No nation or person is protected
against it. Those who feel so angry to carry out these dastardly acts
defeat their own purposes because they end up killing those who may be
ready to let the world hear their cases. They actually end up losing
every thing. We grieve with those who lost their loved ones during the
terror attacks in Pakistan while the world is meeting here.
Mr. President:
While some plot evil
deeds, there are those who are committed to work with Liberia and Africa
fight poverty, promote positive all round international
cooperation. Among many avenues for cooperation, we thank the United
States for it Africa Growth and Opportunity Act which aims to promote
trade rather than aid; The European Union for its facility, Anything But
Arms; the Forum for China Africa Cooperation; the Japanese Government
and its partners in driving the Tokyo International Conference for
African Development; and others through which the continent looks
forward to new avenues for sustained development. We are pleased to note
that our cooperation efforts have included intra Africa and South-South
endeavors with great success so far.
Beyond Africa, yet
with great interest, my government believes that a durable solution can
be found to the Israeli-Palestinian / Arab-Israeli conflict. Late last
year, I visited and held talks with both Israeli and Palestinian leaders
in Tel-A-Viv and Ramallah. I gathered from the conversations and reports
from other sustained efforts in search for peace that the two state with
secured recognizable boarders – with mutual recognition of each other is
the way forward. We must never give up working for the formal end of the
conflict for a durable peace for all in the region.
Mr. President:
Please permit me to
now report on Liberia, the country in which the United Nations is most
likely to receive its best ever performance record.
On September 19,
2006, about eight months after I assumed the Presidency of Liberia as
the first woman to be so elected in Africa, I addressed this august body
laying out my vision for a country that had suffered near total
devastation, a country that was next to the best example of a collapsed
state. Then, I said that Liberia was “back” and moving on an
irreversible path of peace and development.
Today I come to
renew that pledge. I come to report how much progress has been made in
the light of what we inherited. Remember that we inherited a situation
where almost two thirds of Liberians lived below the poverty line, with
an even higher share in rural areas. The economy collapsed with GDP
falling 90% from 1987 to 1995, one of the largest economic freefalls
ever recorded in the world. Indicators on health, education, water and
sanitation, food security and infrastructure were very poor, sometimes
beyond measure.
My government, with
the support of international partners, began to take steps to move the
whole country in gear. First, there was the need for a clear direction –
something in the form of a national vision or agenda; formulated and
contributed by the people as their own; Second to restore the
International reputation and credit worthiness of the country and
thirdly, to demonstrate the necessary leadership – strong, committed and
focused – for the people.
The Government in
collaboration with civil society undertook broad consultations with the
people in all parts of the country. This resulted in the framework to
reduce poverty and to make progress toward the Millennium Development
Goals (MDG). The Poverty Reduction Strategy (2008-2011) is anchored on
four pillars:
Consolidating peace
and security;
revitalizing the
economy;
strengthening
governance and the rule of law; and,
building/rebuilding
infrastructure ad delivering basic services.
Clearly, these three
years are not enough for the daunting tasks as laid out in the PRS. They
are part of a process towards long-term development that will continue
far beyond 2011.
However, the
Liberian people are gaining confidence in this strategy for they are
seeing the once despised Armed Forces of Liberia, Liberian National
Police and other security services resurrecting into well-trained modern
bodies guided by a National Security Policy which promotes people’s
security instead of regime security. The people are seeing that the
economy has started expanding rapidly, with growth accelerating to over
9% in 2007, roads and buildings sprouting in many places, health clinics
and schools reopening or being established where they did not exist
before, agricultural production increasing, and a huge external debt
well on the way to being cancelled. There is growing confidence when
there are concrete efforts at decentralization to encourage popular
participation in the governing process and when corruption is being
fought relentlessly, especially where a new Anti-Corruption Commission
is, just last week, established with a very strong mandate.
Mr. President:
This is truly a
success story for a country coming out of so much destruction in so
short a time. But we owe this phenomenal achievement, first to our
people, the Liberian people, and very strategically and importantly, the
international community led by the United Nations.
The presence of the
UN Mission in Liberia has given hope to the people not to surrender to
the threat to peace and development that are represented by the large
percentage of unemployed youth who can not be absorbed by an economy
still too weak in spite of the recorded growth; the large number of
ex-combatants who were not properly re-integrated into society; and the
resultant armed robberies and drug and arms related crimes. In addition,
UNMIL’s presence is contributing to the economic growth because it
signals the guaranteeing of the peace.
Mr. President, I am
here making a strong case for UNMIL to be supported at appropriate
levels to continue its mandate in Liberia until the peace is properly
consolidated, thereby removing the threat of the country relapsing into
conflict again as some others before Liberia have experienced.
Mr. President:
Speaking of threat
to peace and development, I can not but join those before me to call for
increased action to combat HIV/Aids and curable diseases such as
malaria, tuberculosis and others that are ravaging parts of Africa and
have established formidable foothold in Liberia. Already, it is reported
that over 6% of Liberia’s relatively small population is infected by
HIV/Aids. Working with the government to combat malaria and this
pandemic are the President Bush Malaria Control Program and the William
J. Clinton Foundation’s HIV/Aids Initiative, as well as the special
program by the Government of the People’s Republic of China. We wish to
thank them all and others not mentioned herein.
Since education is
the single most barrier to women leadership, we have put in place
special programs to support girls education throughout Liberia. These
have resulted in the high rise in girl enrollment in our schools and
higher educational institutions. I truly believe that when you educate
the girl child you educate the whole nation and progress will become
manifest and even.
This brings me to
the issue of Aid Effectiveness which has been a subject of many meetings
around the world. Vulnerable communities and countries in crises need
aid to bring short term relief. But aid must soon move on to trade and
then transform long term development initiative. Aid must be accounted
for by both the donor and the recipient. And aid must come when it is
needed. There must be a short road between pledges or commitment and
delivery or cash.
Mr. President:
I come from a
continent where women leadership – particularly a woman Head of State
and Government – is still unthinkable in some quarters. At the global
level, there are only a handful of colleagues. To help sensitize and
energize the world to the reality of women leadership, my friend and
colleague, Ms. Tarja Halonen, the President of Finland and I are
organizing an International Colloquium on Women’s Empowerment,
Leadership Development, International Peace and Security around the
event of International Women’s Day in March, 2009 in Monrovia. I believe
that to correct the inequalities in leadership and denials that women
have suffered as a result of untenable and unacceptable practices,
special efforts must be applied in support of women desirous of elective
public offices or to encourage women to seek such offices.
Mr. President:
As I conclude, I
wish to once again thank you for the great work you and colleagues are
doing for a world meant for succeeding generations. You can count on
Liberia for the success of your work.
May God, Almighty
bless us all.
niversity of Liberia (UL) students can now check their bio-data
and registration information online through a project
facilitated by the government and installed by Socket
Works, an IT firm headquartered in Ghana.
Socket
Works has also provided free 16-hour Internet service
daily since April 2007 for the more than 15,000 UL
students through the Socket Works Bridge Project,
commissioned by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
“We are
really making good use of these facilities,” said Alex
Bryant, a UL student at the university's newly
constructed Centre for ICT. “It is a real privilege for
us to be communicating and keeping abreast of the trends
in the technological world as part of our academic
pursuit. We never had this a few years ago.”
The ICT
center, situated in a warehouse-type hall on the UL
campus, contains 200 flat-screen desktop computers with
Internet facilities for students. An additional 50
computers were installed in the staff laboratory.
According to one of the center's attendants, 30 of these
computers are configured to use Microsoft Word and other
productivity software.
The
center is open for students everyday between 9 a.m. and
5 p.m. Students produce their ID cards to use the
facilities for a restricted time of 50 minutes, unless
the center is not full.
This
form of online access for students -- through a school’s
portal -- is the first of its kind in Liberia’s
education sector.
Computer literacy among Liberian students and
instructors is now improving after the country’s 14-year
civil war, said Carlton Boah, deputy managing director
of Socket Works Liberia.
According to Boah, the free service will expire by the
project’s second year, when students will be charged a
small amount. The generated income will be shared
between UL and Socket Works based on a workable
arrangement. This initial contract will run for five
years, at which point the university would either decide
to extend the contract or take over the system.
“Apart
from UL, we are also putting similar systems in place
for the United Methodist University, which has a
population of well over 2,000 students, but the
installation is yet to be completed," Boah said. "After
UMU, we plan to introduce it to other schools too.”
“In
all, this project is aimed at helping boost computer
literacy in the country, not only for the students but
for their administrators too who are not
computer-literate," he explained. "It will also help
students be at par with other students in various parts
of the world. We ought to always remember that Liberia
is just coming out of a brutal civil war.”
In the
years to come, Boah said, Socket Works is planning to
introduce the system at the K-12 level. “We’ll focus
particularly on pupils between grades 6 and 12, known as
children of the war, where we have the most deficits of
education and computer literacy,” he said.
The
system will not be limited to UL but will be extended to
all institutions of learning in the country,
irrespective of them being public or private, Deputy
Information Minister Gabriel Williams confirmed. “It is
part of the government’s plan to link all colleges
together online and ensure that ICT improves in the
country,” Williams said.
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