United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres says the United Nations is in total solidarity with Liberia and remains fully committed to supporting the country in its strive to sustain the peace, and urged the Government of Liberia not to hesitate to call upon the United Nations whenever it is in need.
The United Nations Secretary-General expressed appreciation for the peaceful and responsible handling of recent protests in Liberia by the Government of Liberia and expressed the hope that Liberia will continue to do its best to sustain its hard-earned peace.
The United Nations Secretary-General was speaking during a bilateral meeting with Liberia's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, His Excellency Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah, Sr. on Tuesday, February 4, 2020, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
United Nations Secretary-General Guterres and Ambassador Kemayah discussed an array of issues, including the current state of the Liberian economy, the recent protests in Liberia, and the Thirty-third (33rd) African Union Summit, which convened in Addis Ababa from February 9-10, 2020.
For his part, Ambassador Kemayah expressed immense gratitude to the United Nations for its work in Liberia and informed the United Nations Secretary-General that His Excellency Dr. George Manneh Weah, President of Liberia, remains incredibly committed to ensuring the continuous peace, growth, and development of Liberia, in spite of many inherited challenges; including those attributed to the decline in prices of the major export commodities (rubber & iron ore) of Liberia, which undercut rapid economic growth.
The Liberian Envoy informed the Secretary-General of the recent development between the Government of Liberia and the International Monetary Fund, which culminated in the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approving a four-year arrangement under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) for Liberia; aimed at restoring macroeconomic stability and promoting sustainable growth.
Ambassador Kemayah also informed the United Nations Secretary-General of His Excellency President Weah's appointment of a new Central Bank Governor as part of reforms to ensure a functionally independent Central Bank with the ability to tackle issues affecting Liberia’s economy.
Ambassador Kemayah then asserted that Liberia counts on the renewed support of the United Nations and all the national and international stakeholders, including the international financial institutions to ensure that Liberia receives the necessary backing it needs to consolidate its peace, security, stability, democracy, and prosperity.
A dispatch from the Permanent Mission of Liberia to the United Nations quotes Ambassador Kemayah as seeking support for plans to hold an international investment forum for Liberia in order to generate the resources that the Country needs to support all of its development and peace priorities.
In response, Secretary-General Guterres assured that on the margins of the Thirty-third (33rd) African Union Summit, which convened in Addis Ababa from February 9-10, 2020, he would engage with relevant international financial institutions and seek support for Liberia.
The United Nations Head then inquired about Liberia’s plans on promoting agriculture and informed that in a few days, the United Nations will host a Forum on Financing and Development; and expressed the hope that Liberia will participate and articulate issues it is faced with.
In response to the inquiry on Liberia's agriculture plans, Ambassador Kemayah informed the Secretary-General that the agriculture sector is a major priority for His Excellency President Weah to the effect that the President recently appointed a qualified female as Minister of Agriculture to revive the sector.
Earlier, the United Nations Secretary-General expressed his pleasure to have received Ambassador Kemayah and conveyed through him, best wishes to His Excellency Dr. George Manneh Weah, President of the Republic of Liberia, as well as the Government and People of Liberia.
Ambassador Kemayah also expressed on behalf of His Excellency Dr. George Manneh Weah, President of the Republic of Liberia, and the Government and People of Liberia, greetings and well wishes to the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres.
