Statement from The UN Resident Coordinator, Niels Scott at the Mano River Union Diplomatic, Peace, Security & Democracy Conference

Honourable Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Liberia and Sierra Leone

Honourable Minister Delegate to the Minister of State, Minister in charge of African Integration of Foreign Affairs, African Integration and the Diaspora, of La Côte d’Ivoire,

Honourable Ministers of Defense of Liberia, Sierra Leone and La Côte d’Ivoire,

Chiefs of Defense Staff of Liberia, Sierra Leone and La Côte d’Ivoire,

Officials of the Government of Liberia here present,

Excellencies, Members of the Diplomatic and Counselor Corps,

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I wish to extend my deep appreciation to His Excellency, Dr. George Manneh Weah, President of the Republic of Liberia, the Government and people of Liberia for so generously hosting a rewarding and seminal Mano River Union Diplomatic, Peace, Security and Democracy conference. Liberia is indeed a fitting venue, as one of the founding members of the Mano River Union, along with Sierra Leone, and a long-standing advocate of sub-regional peace and security. I also wish to thank Her Excellency Madam Medina Wesseh, Secretary General of the Mano River Union and her able team very much for their excellent management of what has turned out to be a successful and highly stimulating conference. I am particularly pleased and privileged to have ben part of the fruitful, constructive and open exchanges throughout the past two days.

Much has been debated in the conference and it came out clear that peace and security in Member States, as has been underscored, is critical to deepening democracy, fostering good governance and sustainable development in the sub-region. I particularly welcome the general agreement among Mano River Union Member States to seek practical and bold solutions in maintaining, securing and consolidating sub-regional peace.

I took keen note of the rich ideas, profound insights and far-reaching recommendations that have been presented during the conference. I welcome President Weah’s leadership and bold clarion call for urgent concerted and common action by Member States. Similarly, the President expressed high expectations about the role of the United Nations in supporting the maintenance and consolidation of peace and security in the sub-region. While I hasten to reassure that the United Nations will continue to work with and support the Mano River Union, I also wish to highlight the existing partnership between the two institutions. The United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel has been working closely with the Mano River Union to, inter alia, strengthen the Joint Border Security and Confidence Building Units. The United Nations Development Programme and the Mano River Union consolidated their collaborative efforts through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on 27 November 2019 in Freetown, Sierra Leone, to enhance the effectiveness of their development efforts and strengthen regional peace and security. Additionally, the Peacebuilding Fund is already pioneering cross-border peacebuilding efforts in the sub-region, notably between La Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia, to strengthen social cohesion and border security. This approach is in line with the vision of the Secretary-General of the United Nations on conflict prevention in which regional initiatives in the areas of peace and security are key instruments to prevent and sustainably resolve conflicts, strengthen States’ resilience in the face of current threats and promote sustainable development.

Let me conclude by affirming the commitment of the United Nations in Liberia to continue to work to strengthen the Mano River Union partnership, and, together, consolidate peace, enhance security and deepen the democratic dividends. I am confident that this partnership will be dynamic and self-renewing as we respond to the changing demands, priorities and specificities of this exceptionally promising region.

I thank you for your attention.