High-level UN Peacebuilding Commission delegation arrives in Liberia – Global News Network

(New York, June 5, 2022) A high-level delegation from the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission arrives in Liberia this week on an official mission. The delegation is led by Her Excellency Ambassador Anna Karin Eneström, Permanent Representative of Sweden to the United Nations and Chair of the Liberia Configuration Peacebuilding Commission, and includes the Under-Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support peacebuilding, Ms. Elizabeth Spehar.

While in Liberia from June 5-9, 2022, the delegation will discuss Liberia’s peacebuilding priorities, with particular emphasis on the Configuration’s priority themes for 2022, including support for preparedness and organization of peaceful, transparent and inclusive presidential elections in 2023, social cohesion and national reconciliation efforts, and the promotion of women’s empowerment and gender equality.

In this context, the Peacebuilding Commission delegation will discuss with the Government of Liberia and key stakeholders Liberia’s progress in peacebuilding, monitoring the implementation of measures promoting gender equality gender and women’s empowerment, in particular the activities and funding status of the anti-SGBV roadmap. for 2020-2022 and ongoing efforts to ensure women’s participation in politics.

According to a dispatch from the Permanent Mission of Liberia to the United Nations, the Peacebuilding Commission recognizes that the Government of Liberia has made significant progress in implementing its peacebuilding priorities , noting recent progress in the areas of gender equality and women’s empowerment. This progress includes the adoption of the revised National Policy on Gender Equality (2018-2022) and the second National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (2019-2023), the Law on Local Governance and Land Rights Act (both of which include a responsive approach), and the Domestic Violence Act passed by the government, as well as the Anti-SGBV Roadmap for 2020-2022 developed in 2019.

The delegation will further discuss ways to support the progress made towards the consolidation of democracy, including dialogue and the preparation for the holding of peaceful, transparent and inclusive presidential elections in 2023, and will exchange views on the possibilities of making further advance the peacebuilding agenda, while supporting partner engagement in support of the country’s peacebuilding priorities.

The Peacebuilding Fund has already expressed its readiness to approve an immediate response mechanism project in support of a peaceful electoral environment in Liberia, to complement the United Nations electoral support project.

The United Nations peacebuilding delegation is expected to meet with the President of the Republic of Liberia, senior government officials, including ministers of foreign affairs, interior, gender equality, children and Social Welfare, Finance and Development Planning, and Justice, as well as National Electoral Commission (NEC) officials and visit Bomi County.

The delegation will also meet with members of civil society promoting peacebuilding, women and youth, and elections, the Economic Community of West African States, the Mano River Union, institutions international financial organizations operating in Liberia, including the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and African Development Bank, the diplomatic community in Liberia, and the United Nations Country Team in Liberia.

This year’s visit is the first in-person visit for the Liberia Setup since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, and the first for Ambassador Anna Karin Enestrom, President of the Liberia Setup, who expressed optimism that the visit will provide an opportunity to listen and identify ways in which the Peacebuilding Commission can continue to support Liberia.

Ambassador Enestrom noted that since the President’s last visit in 2019, the PBC has continued to be committed to supporting Liberia’s peacebuilding priorities, revealing that the configuration’s work in 2020 focused on strengthening partnerships with international financial institutions (IFIs), particularly in light of the four one-year agreement under the International Monetary Fund’s Extended Credit Facility for Liberia, to help the country restore stability macroeconomic.

This year, the PBF is engaging with the resident coordinator, the UN country team, the government and other stakeholders to establish its key investment priorities for the next five years to guide further investments. coherent and more impactful aspects of the Peacebuilding Fund.

From Liberia, Ambassador Eneström and Assistant Secretary General Spehar will travel to Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire on June 10, 2022, to meet with the President and senior officials of the African Development Bank to discuss cooperation in support of Liberia’s peacebuilding and development efforts.

Prior to the visit of the Peacebuilding Commission delegation to Liberia, the Liberia Configuration convened a hybrid meeting of the Government of Liberia and international partners on May 19, 2022 and discussed priorities for continued support, highlighting emphasis on gender equality and the empowerment of women, including the elimination of gender-based violence and the promotion of women’s political participation in the context of the upcoming presidential and legislative elections.

Minister for Foreign Affairs, HE Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah, Sr., Minister for Gender, Children and Social Welfare, Hon. Ms. Williametta E. Saydee-Tarr, United Nations Resident Coordinator, Mr. Niels Scott, and a civil society representative and coordinator for the establishment of the Angie Brooks International Center for the Empowerment of Women, Cllr. Yvette Chesson-Wureh, briefed the Commission on peacebuilding progress and challenges in Liberia.

Several members of the Commission commended Liberia for the progress it continues to make in peacebuilding, called for support for the upcoming elections and expressed their full support for the implementation of the Agenda pro-poor for prosperity and development 2018-2023.

It may be recalled that at the request of the Liberian Government, in May 2010, Liberia was placed on the agenda of the Peacebuilding Commission. Since then, the Peacebuilding Commission has accompanied Liberia on its peacebuilding journey.

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