21/08/2025
President Boakai Makes the Case for Peace and Security at TICAD 9 Opening Ceremony in Yokohama, Japan
August 22, 2025
Yokohama, Japan –:At the opening ceremony of the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9), President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., highlights Liberia’s commitment to peace, security, and human dignity as the foundation for sustainable development across Africa.
President Boakai, addressing heads of state, government leaders, and international partners, expressed Liberia’s gratitude for the overwhelming support received in its successful bid for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for the 2026–2027 term.
“Peace is not simply kept; it must be nurtured,” President Boakai stressed. Adding, “Liberia’s journey from conflict to more than two decades of sustained peace has taught us that inclusion, justice, and resilience are indispensable to security and prosperity.”
The President outlined Liberia’s national priorities for peace and security, including:
• Establishing a National Peace and Security Coordination Architecture;
• Training 3,000 security officers to strengthen national capacity;
• Expanding community-driven peacebuilding initiatives;
• Developing sustainable financing mechanisms for peace by 2030;
• Supporting youth empowerment and skills programs as a pillar of stability.
President Boakai emphasized that young people remain central to Liberia’s vision for lasting peace, describing them as “both the present and the future of our nation.”
He furthered that Liberia’s upcoming tenure on the UN Security Council would be used to amplify African perspectives, deepen cooperation with the African Union and ECOWAS, and advance innovative approaches to conflict prevention, mediation, and resolution.
“It is Liberia’s honor to serve,” President Boakai declared. “Together, let us renew our collective resolve so that every African, and indeed every person, may live in dignity and peace.” He noted.
