By Jamesetta D. Williams
MONROVIA-Liberia is poised, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti, to assume the presidency of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in December 2026, with the government preparing to use the opportunity to advance national, regional and continental priorities.
Minister Nyanti made the disclosure Thursday during the Ministry of Information’s regular press briefing in Monrovia, where she outlined Liberia’s priorities as a member of the UN Security Council and provided an update on a vessel previously reported to be in Liberia’s territorial waters.
According to Nyanti, Liberia’s engagement at the Security Council is centered on five major priorities: Women, Peace and Security; the relationship between climate change, conflict and natural resources; reform of the UN Security Council; reform of UN peacekeeping; and greater consideration of subregional blocs in the formulation of Security Council resolutions and decisions.
She said Liberia’s membership on the Council provides the country with an opportunity to contribute to international discussions while advancing issues that are important to Liberia, Africa and the wider West African region.
Nyanti stressed that Liberia’s representation at the Security Council should not be seen as the responsibility of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs alone, but as a collective national responsibility requiring the participation of various ministries and government institutions.
This is Liberia’s seat. We are representing Africa, and we are representing Liberia,” Nyanti said.
She explained that relevant sectoral ministries must provide the technical information and expertise needed to ensure that Liberia’s positions at the Security Council accurately reflect the country’s priorities and national interests.
The Foreign Affairs Minister said the government is also working to strengthen Liberia’s engagement with other countries and international partners by ensuring that it obtains first-hand information to support evidence-informed decisions.
Nyanti disclosed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will facilitate several Security Council-related engagements in New York in September as part of Liberia’s broader diplomatic activities.
She said the engagements will bring together Liberian ministers responsible for key sectors, giving them an opportunity to showcase the country’s policies, programs and investment opportunities to international partners.
According to her, the Ministry of Gender is expected to host a major event focused on Women, Peace and Security, one of Liberia’s key priorities at the Security Council.
Another engagement will focus on the relationship between climate change, conflict and natural resources, an issue Nyanti said has important implications for peace, security and sustainable development.
She said the activities will not only highlight Liberia’s priorities but will also seek to attract new partnerships and demonstrate Liberia’s willingness and capacity to contribute to addressing global and regional challenges.
Nyanti also highlighted Liberia’s position within the Mano River Union, emphasizing the interconnected nature of security and development challenges in the West African subregion.
She said developments in one country can have direct implications for neighboring countries, making it important for the Security Council to take subregional perspectives into consideration when discussing certain issues and formulating resolutions.
Liberia, she said, is therefore advocating for greater recognition of subregional blocs in Security Council deliberations and decision-making.
Meanwhile, Minister Nyanti provided an update on a vessel that had previously been reported to be in Liberia’s territorial waters and was being pursued by Liberian authorities.
She confirmed that the vessel has now been returned to Liberia following close cooperation between Liberian authorities and their counterparts in Côte d’Ivoire.
Nyanti explained that she was in Côte d’Ivoire when the matter was being addressed and worked directly with Ivorian authorities to facilitate the vessel’s return to Liberia.
The minister did not provide further details on the circumstances surrounding the vessel but said cooperation between the two countries helped resolve the matter.
As Liberia prepares to assume the Security Council presidency in December, Nyanti said effective coordination across government will be critical to ensuring that the country uses its leadership role to advance its interests and those of Africa and the West African region.
She maintained that Liberia’s upcoming presidency presents an opportunity to strengthen the country’s international partnerships and ensure that its voice is meaningfully represented in global discussions on peace, security and sustainable development.
Nyanti said Liberia’s Security Council role should ultimately demonstrate the country’s ability to contribute to international peace and security while advancing issues that directly affect its people, the African continent and the wider international community.
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