New York – President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has reaffirmed Liberia’s commitment to global peace and Africa’s collective interests in his address to the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
Speaking under the theme “Better Together: 80 Years and More for Peace, Development, and Human Rights,” Boakai described the UN as the world’s “most critical multilateral platform” and pledged that Liberia’s new role as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council (2026–2027) would serve the entire continent.
“While the nameplate during this two-year term will read Liberia, the seat belongs to Africa,” he declared, noting Liberia’s hard-won lessons in conflict resolution and its duty to amplify Africa’s voice in global decision-making.
On global security, Boakai reaffirmed support for peaceful dispute resolution, backing mediation in Ukraine and the Middle East, and calling for a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine.
He also pushed for urgent climate action, stressing that Liberia’s coastlines are already under threat from erosion and storms. He demanded full funding of the Loss and Damage Fund and greater climate justice, warning: “Those who contribute the least to this crisis should not be forced to suffer the most.”
Boakai joined other Global South leaders in calling for reforms to the international financial system, which he described as “outdated and unjust.” He urged debt relief frameworks that allow developing nations to prioritize education, healthcare, and sustainable growth.
Domestically, he highlighted Liberia’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development, prioritizing agriculture, roads, rule of law, education, sanitation, and technology as pathways to transform Liberia into a lower-middle-income country by 2030. He also renewed his push for a War and Economic Crimes Court, framing justice and accountability as essential to national healing after Liberia’s civil wars.
Concluding, President Boakai aligned Liberia with the Pact for the Future, the Global Digital Compact, and the drive to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“Using outdated 1945 solutions to tackle 2025 challenges is neither reasonable nor realistic,” he said. “Liberia pledges to remain a bridge to peace, a development partner, and a defender of human rights.
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