Liberia’s former President and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Madam Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, has hailed the country’s journey from war-torn collapse to post-conflict recovery as a powerful testament to what can be achieved through national resilience and international support.
Speaking via video message during a United Nations Peace-building Commission (PBC) event, she described Liberia as a country that has endured immense suffering but now stands as a symbol of hope and determination.
“Liberia’s story is one of pain, but also of promise,” Johnson-Sirleaf declared. “A nation once brought to its knees by prolonged conflict now stands as evidence of what’s possible when national will is strengthened by global solidarity.”
Her remarks came as the international community reflected on the two decades since the signing of the 2003 Accra Peace Agreement, which ended Liberia’s 14-year civil war.
That agreement, brokered in Ghana, brought together the government, warring factions, and political stakeholders in a landmark move toward peace.
The former Liberian leader highlighted that the post-conflict period required more than ceasefires, emphasizing that it demanded rebuilding Liberia from the ground up.
According to Madam Sirleaf, critical institutions, including the Central Bank, judiciary, Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission, and civil society, had to be restructured or created anew.
“We knew we couldn’t return to the Liberia that once was,” she said. “Instead, we had to build a new nation founded on justice, transparency, inclusion, and hope.”
She praised the vital role that women played in driving peace, organizing advocacy efforts, leading community mediation, and supporting reconciliation at the grassroots level.
A Shared Journey with the World
Johnson-Sirleaf stressed that Liberia’s path to peace was not one the country could walk alone.
She credited regional and international partners, including the United Nations, ECOWAS, the African Union, the European Union, and other global stakeholders, for their steadfast commitment through peacekeeping, development support, and diplomacy.
“International engagement-technical, financial, and moral-helped laid the foundation for the peace we are privileged to experience today,” she noted.
While celebrating progress, she acknowledged ongoing challenges: economic instability, weak governance structures, and a rising generation of young Liberians seeking greater opportunity and inclusion.
“Liberia’s peace is still a work in progress,” she cautioned, “but we have come a long way.”
The forum also featured voices from across the international peace-building spectrum.
Gambia’s Foreign Minister, Mamadou Tangara, referred to Liberia’s post-conflict recovery as a critical reference point for the Peace-building Commission’s work worldwide.
“Its timely intervention and bold action at a defining moment remains a historic milestone-a blueprint for international diplomacy and solidarity,” he said.
Rosemary DiCarlo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peace-building Affairs, warned that today’s global conflicts are becoming more complex, prolonged, and resistant to resolution.
In such a climate, she said, the Peace-building Commission’s role is more vital than ever.
“At a time when negotiated peace is harder to achieve, the Commission’s work remains indispensable,” DiCarlo asserted.
She referenced the Pact for the Future, adopted in 2024 by UN member states, which affirmed the importance of empowering civil society, women, and youth in peace-building.
The Pact also called for a strengthened, more integrated PBC with stronger connections to institutions like the UN Security Council.
“We must turn that vision into real progress,” DiCarlo said. “The Commission is no longer a fledgling body-its relevance is stronger today than ever before.”
In closing, DiCarlo emphasized that for the Peace-building Commission to reach its full potential, it must be better resourced, more empowered, and deeply connected to international financial institutions and regional partners.
“We must equip the Commission to meet today’s challenges-and to deliver fully on its mandate for a more peaceful world,” she concluded.
Johnson-Sirleaf’s message serves as both a reflection and a reminder: the road to peace is long and demanding, but with sustained national effort and continued international partnership, the journey is far from over, and full of promise.
