MONROVIA – At a media breakfast commemorating the United Nations’ 80th anniversary, the UN Resident Coordinator in Liberia, Ms. Christine Umutoni, hailed Liberia’s decades-long partnership with the UN, outlined concrete results achieved in 2024, and previewed a new five-year plan to drive inclusive growth, stronger institutions, and climate-smart development.
“This year, 2025, marks a historic milestone for the United Nations: 80 years since its founding,” the Resident Coordinator told members of the press, framing the anniversary as both a look back at multilateral achievements and a recommitment to “building our future together.” Liberia’s role as a founding member of the UN featured prominently, alongside the UN’s long engagement through conflict recovery, peacekeeping, humanitarian support, and today’s push toward the Sustainable Development Goals.
Organized under the Liberia-specific theme “One Liberia, One UN, One Future: 80 Years of Partnership and Progress,” the commemoration will span October with community storytelling, exhibitions, youth dialogues, climate actions, health outreach, and the formal launch of the new UN Cooperation Framework for 2026–2030. The global UN@80 theme is “Building Our Future Together.”
The UN said Liberia’s economy grew by 5.1% in 2024, with growth projected at 5.8% in 2025 on the back of mining, agriculture, manufacturing, and services—momentum the Resident Coordinator linked to the Government’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development. Through the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework, agencies supported Liberia across four areas last year:
- Human development and essential services: More than 368,000 women accessed family planning; over 70,000 schoolchildren received daily meals; 80% of births occurred in health facilities; and 92.6% of HIV-exposed infants were tested early. The UN also reported rehabilitating 345 kilometers of rural roads to connect farmers with markets.
- Sustainable economic development: The UN purchased 1,313 metric tons of locally grown food from 15,110 smallholder farmers; climate resilience initiatives reached 30,337 cocoa-farming households; 700 women farmers were trained in land rights and sustainable practices; and solar-powered infrastructure improved water access for 200,000 rural residents.
- Peace and security: Peace and human-rights campaigns reached more than 100,000 people; 15 gender-based-violence observatories were established; and legal reforms advanced access to justice, including the draft Legal Aid Act and steps toward establishing a War and Economic Crimes Court.
- Governance and transparency: 6,890 properties were added to the real property tax system, and 280 compliance focal persons were trained across ministries.
“These events are not only about looking back at history. They are about renewing our shared vision for the future,” the Resident Coordinator said, underscoring month-long activities designed to “engage communities, showcase results, and reaffirm the enduring bonds between Liberia and the UN.”
Central to that future is the new UN Cooperation Framework, co-created with the Government of Liberia, which will guide support from 2026 to 2030. It is anchored in three strategic priorities—Human Capital Development; Good Governance and Rule of Law; and Economic Development and Sustainability—and will be operationalized through four integrated flagship programs:
- EduSkills, to boost foundational learning and market-relevant skills.
- Adolescent Girls First, to improve health and empowerment outcomes for adolescent girls.
- Digital Liberia, to strengthen governance and service delivery through technology.
- SheFeeds Liberia, to expand climate-smart agriculture and support women farmers.
“This framework is more than a plan—it is a shared roadmap,” the Resident Coordinator said, pledging that the UN’s work will “leave no one behind” while catalyzing sustainable development nationwide.
The Coordinator also highlighted the media’s role in Liberia’s democratic journey and called for partnership to tell the UN@80 story. “Your partnership is essential to showcase Liberia’s achievements and to highlight the opportunities ahead,” the Coordinator said. “I call upon you to join us in spreading the message of hope, unity, and collective progress.”
As Liberia and the UN mark eight decades side by side, the message was forward-looking. “Together, we can build on past achievements to shape a Liberia that is resilient, inclusive, and thriving,” the Coordinator concluded. “The United Nations is proud to stand with Liberia—yesterday, today, and tomorrow.”
