By Christine N. Umutoni
| The author is the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Liberia, where she leads the development work of the Organization as the Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General on the ground. |
“The United Nations was not created to take humanity to heaven, but to save it from hell.”
– Dag Hammarskjöld, Second Secretary-General of the United Nations
As the United Nations turns 80, Liberia’s President Joseph Boakai reminded the world during his address at the high-level session of the United Nations General Assembly last September in New York that a “reversal of multilateralism is not an option for a just and peaceful world.” His call served as a powerful reminder of Liberia’s historic role and its vision for a renewed multilateral system. It parallels Liberia’s own history: that of a founding signatory of the United Nations Charter and a steadfast advocate of inclusive cooperation.
From Legacy to Leadership
As the world emerged from World War II in 1945, Liberia was one of four African countries to sign the UN Charter in San Francisco, an act of global citizenship that still shapes the country’s role today. Savina Ammassari, my Colleague and the UN Resident Coordinator in Algeria, says the founders of the United Nations were “witnesses to the worst atrocities in human history,” and knew peace is the most courageous option. Liberia’s journey from conflict to stability transcends that courage.
Fast-forward 80 years, and Liberia’s election to the UN Security Council for 2026-2027, its first full term since the United Nations inception, takes on a historic and symbolic significance. For a country that endured two civil wars, this moment underscores a hard-won truth: peace is never guaranteed. It is earned: through institutions that serve all, through dialogue over division, and through democratic renewal.
This also heralds a continent’s leadership. Africa is no longer spoken for. It speaks for itself. Liberia supports the African Union’s call for two permanent seats with full veto powers on the Security Council for the continent, and two additional non-permanent seats. This is not a favour. It is a matter of justice, balance, and legitimacy. The notion of a truly “United Nations” cannot be realised with 54 African nations lacking a permanent voice at the highest table.
President Boakai said that while the nameplate may read “Liberia,” the seat belongs to “Africa.” The message is clear: equitable representation, including permanent African representation, must be a cornerstone of Security Council reform.
From Leadership to Local Impact
Liberia has long helped shape regional and global institutions – from being Africa’s first republic to its role in the formation of the African Union and the United Nations. Today, amid geopolitical tensions, a triple environmental emergency, and growing social inequalities, Liberia’s leadership is rooted in inclusion and reform, and the same principles are shaping its development priorities on the ground.
The country is investing in accelerators aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the African Union’s Agenda 2063, putting people first. With nearly 60 per cent of its population under the age of 25, Liberia has the right ambition ofaccess to quality education and opportunities for young people. It efforts to boost economic inclusion for women and rural communities, prioritises climate resilience and nature-based solutions and strengthens infrastructure to open markets are well recognised.
Liberia’s flagship ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID) turns vision into progress by focusing on the basics that create jobs, uphold dignity and stabilise communities: productive farms and value chains; passable roads and feeder networks; justice that is accessible and fair; schools that equip young people with skills; cleaner, healthier towns; and a visitor economy that showcases Liberia’s natural and cultural assets.
The United Nations in Liberia stands shoulder to shoulder with the people and the Government of Liberia. Over the decades, our support has evolved from peacekeeping to peacebuilding to sustainable development. Under the upcoming UN Cooperation Framework (2026-2030), we are aligning even more closely with national priorities to deliver long-term, locally led results. Progress that lasts must be nationally owned and community driven.
This locally led progress is part of a broader transformation, one that connects community priorities to global challenges.
From Local Solutions to Global Systems
For Liberia, climate change is a daily reality: rising seas and heavier rains threaten livelihoods and food security. President Boakai has urged full implementation of the Paris Agreement and treated the SDGs as a global emergency. Climate justice must guide adaptation and mitigation financing so that those contributing least to the crisis are not forced to bear the most significant costs.
Reform of the international financial architecture is equally essential. We must move from aid to autonomy, from extraction to equity, from dependency to dignity. Liberia is exploring innovative tools, including green bonds, diaspora investments and gender-responsive finance, while calling for fairer lending rules and improved access to affordable capital. African economies should be treated not as risks to be managed but as partners to be trusted.
The Pact for the Future sets the stage for a reimagined United Nations: one that builds on its legacy while evolving to meet the needs of a changing world. Just as climate justice demands new financial tools, the digital transition requires global cooperation grounded in equity. Liberia supports a Global Digital Compact that guarantees open access, privacy, and equity in technology. With its youthful population, Liberia is investing in digital skills and entrepreneurship so that today’s stability becomes tomorrow’s leadership.
From commemoration to recommitment
Liberia’s experience offers lessons beyond its borders: peace as courage; democracy as discipline; development as dignity. It places people at the centre: the mother in Grand Gedeh walking for clean water; the student in Buchanan dreaming of coding; the fisher in Robertsport reading the tides; the entrepreneur in Paynesville seeking access to financing.
These are the lives our policies must reach. This is where the work of our UN in Liberia team must meet the moment – not in abstraction, but in concrete change.
Eighty years ago, Liberia contributed to the launch of the United Nations. Today, we celebrate that legacy, and we extend it.
Liberia is no longer a receiver of peace only. It is one of its builders.
Liberia is no longer a beneficiary of multilateralism only. It is one of its shapers.
At 80, the UN must be more than a commemoration. It must be a recommitment.
As we look to the next 80 years, the Pact for the Future must be more than a statement of intent; it must be a blueprint for transformation – toward a UN that is more inclusive, more effective and more accountable. Liberia is ready to contribute its voice and leadership to that effort: a renewed UN, a rebalanced multilateralism, and a future built on partnership and peace.
In his General Assembly address, President Boakai affirmed Liberia’s intent to be “a bridge to peace, a development partner, and a defender of human rights.” That aspiration is shared across Africa and around the world by people who believe the UN can still be a force for justice, inclusion and dignity.
