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Madam Chair, Madam Foreign Minister, Excellencies, Colleagues,

We commend the commitment and remarkable progress in peace gains Liberia has made over the past two decades. The election of President Boakai served as another important milestone with the peaceful transition from one democratically elected government to another. If Liberia is elected to the Security Council on June 3^rd, the peacebuilding experience will come full circle, as Liberia has gone from being on the Security Council’s agenda and hosting a UN Peacekeeping Mission following its traumatic civil war, to successfully building sustaining peace with the accompaniment of the PBC Liberia configuration. The Liberian experience contains many valuable lessons on a nationally led, owned and driven peacebuilding process with essential contributions from civil society, including women and youth. This is the type of national prevention strategy that the Pact for the Future encourages all countries to develop. 

However, peacebuilding is still work in progress and many of the root causes of Liberia’s conflict remain unresolved. Persistent economic challenges, inequalities in the provision of public services and land disputes are some sources of discontent and can still trigger violence. 

Advancing transitional justice is crucial to address root causes of conflict. We welcome Liberia’s strong resolve to promote social cohesion, in particular through the implementation of the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). We also commend the accomplishments to date on extending the duration and the mandate of the Office of the War and Economic Crimes Court (OWEEC) and the peaceful conduct of the Nimba by-elections. 

Making progress on governance and institution building is equally important. This includes fighting corruption, promoting inclusive institutions, the rule of law and sound economic policies. Governance is one of the focal sectors of the EU’s partnership with Liberia. We congratulate Liberia on successfully hosting the 13^th EU-Liberia Partnership Dialogue on 16 May this year. This meeting reconfirmed the European Union’s commitment to provide technical assistance in the area of peacebuilding and partnership in crucial areas. We will remain committed to our partnership with Liberia, bilaterally and here at the UN. 

Thank you.