By E. Geedahgar Garsuah
MONROVIA: The sixteen members countries styled Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has unanimously given its signature of approval to Liberia, the continent oldest democracy’s candidature for a non-permanent place on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
ECOWAS statement of endorsement was made public at a gathering of African Heads of States during a meeting held in Guinea-Bissau.
Liberia’s acquisition of a non-permanent member position on UNSC has been considered by diplomatic pundits as a ‘revolutionary foreign policy success’ by the leadership of President George Manneh Weah.
The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, announced at the end of Guinea -Bissau summit that all ECOWAS member states have pledged to back Liberia’s quest to become a member of the UNSC.
The communiqué, which was also signed by Umaro Sissoco Embalo, the President of Guinea-Bissau, who is the immediate former Chairman of the ECOWAS, noted that Guinea-Bissau’s candidacy for a seat at the UNSC would follow after Liberia.
The UNSC is the most powerful body within the United Nations, responsible for maintaining international peace and security.
As a non-permanent member, Liberia would have the opportunity to contribute to the decision-making process and shape the global agenda.
This would elevate Liberia’s international standing and give the country a stronger voice on issues that affect its citizens and the wider African continent.
The UNSC consists of 15 member countries, including five permanent members—China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States – who have veto power over resolutions and decisions.
The remaining 10 seats are non-permanent and are filled through elections conducted by the General Assembly, in line with geographical distribution by region. Candidates must secure a two-thirds majority, or 128 votes, even if they run uncontested.
The elections for the non-permanent seats, including the one for the West Africa region, are scheduled to be held in June 2025 at the UN in New York, United States of America.
Meanwhile, if Liberia is elected to the UNSC, it would provide the country with an invaluable platform to advocate for its national interests and those of the broader West African region.
With its history and enormous experience in post-conflict reconstruction, Liberia has come to be known as a strong contender for a non-permanent seat on the UNSC for the term 2026 to 2027.
The nation’s political stability and commitment to democratic governance have earned it respect and admiration within the international community.
The West African region has faced numerous security threats, including terrorism, piracy, and transnational organized crime. Liberia’s participation in the UNSC would enable it to address these challenges more effectively, working alongside the international community and neighboring countries within ECOWAS.
Also, Liberia’s experience in post-conflict recovery, disarmament, and reconciliation could provide valuable insights to the UNSC in addressing similar challenges faced by other nations.
Meanwhile, the Government of Liberia has commended the African Union for formally endorsing Liberia’s candidature for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the term 2026- 2027.
The decision to formally endorse Liberia’s candidature was adopted on July 14, 2023, in Nairobi, Kenya, at the 43rd Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the African Union, reaffirming the earlier endorsement by the AU Ministerial Committee on Candidatures in 2022.
Ambassador Sarah Safyn Fyneah, Liberia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, represented the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Liberia, Ambassador Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah, Sr., at the Session.
Ambassador Fyneah attributed the formal endorsement to the farsightedness of Minister Kemayah, who acted with urgency to deliver on President Weah’s quest to ensure that Liberia is represented on the United Nations Security Council.
Ambassador Fyneah: “The endorsement was a clean slate, thanks to the farsightedness of Minister Kemayah.
The Government of Liberia requested early consideration of its candidature and further mobilized ECOWAS to endorse Liberia as the only candidate of the West African region.
The United Nations Security Council is one of the most powerful organs of the United Nations and it will be considered a milestone achievement when Liberia is elected as a non-permanent member of the Security Council at the elections that will be held in 2025 in New York.”
Ambassador Fyneah expressed Liberia’s appreciation for the regional support of ECOWAS and the solidarity of the African Union and looks forward to the actualization of their support during the elections in 2025.
In a related development, Ambassador Fyneah pledged Liberia’s support to the African Union’s ongoing Institutional Reform and called on the African Union to reform its recruitment process, prioritizing candidates from under-represented countries like Liberia to ensure equitable representation.
Liberia currently has less than 5 persons in the junior professional category at the African Union Commission, even though its representation quota was increased from 8 to 19 in 2021, in line with the institutional reform of the AU that started in 2019.
“Liberia laments the slow pace of the recruitment process and proposes that a moratorium be placed on the further recruitment of Member States that have exceeded their representation gap cap. This will allow underrepresented countries to benefit from the recruitment process,” Ambassador Fyneah emphasized.
On the issue of the new scale of assessment of member states, which increases the assessed contribution of member states, Liberia proposed that the current scale of assessment be retained due to the prevailing global socio-economic challenges facing member states.
The 43rd Ordinary Session of the Executive Council convened under the African Union’s Theme for the Year 2023: “Acceleration of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Implementation”, in support of implementing the AfCFTA Agreement in a manner that truly benefits the people of the Continent and achieves the aspirations and goals of Agenda 2063.
The session will be followed by the 5th Mid-Year Coordination Conference between the African Union and Regional Economic Communities/Regional Mechanism, which is scheduled to take place on July 16, 2023.
The Liberian delegation to the 43rd Ordinary Session included Mr. Jimmy Barchue, Acting Head of Liberia’s Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and the Permanent Mission to the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), who also played a pivotal role in ensuring Liberia’s endorsement.
