Ambassadorial-level meeting of the UN Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) on Liberia

Check Against Delivery

Thank you, Madam Chair for convening this timely meeting with less than six months until the October elections.

The upcoming elections mark 20 years since the end of the second civil war, which paved the way for peace and democracy in Liberia and will be the first elections since the drawdown of UNMIL in 2018.

Denmark commends Liberia’s remarkable progress.

I would like to highlight three points relating to women's political participation and civic space:

Firstly, the full, equal and meaningful participation of women in electoral processes is key for peaceful and inclusive societies. The actions taken by the House of Representatives and the Senate in September 2022 on a 30% gender quota is an important step to accelerate equal representation. While waiting for the passing of the revised New Elections bill, political parties have the opportunity to continue efforts toward women’s representation in party leadership and candidate listings.

Secondly, legislation cannot stand alone: we need safe and enabling environments for participation. Threats and harassment may deter candidates from running for political positions. In particular women and youth candidates. This is a challenge well-known, also in my own country, Denmark; a recent study shows that 75% of the candidates experienced harassment or threats during our recent electoral campaign in November 2022. In Denmark, more than one in four female candidates under the age of 40 were sexually harassed during the campaign. We must do better - including by taking into account the particular challenges faced by women and youth.

Liberia has taken measures to preventing violence and ensuring accountability: From the Protocol and Action Plan of Liberia’s National Elections Commission to the Early Warning and Response Mechanism. 

Finally, the importance of a strong, independent and diverse civil society and a free press cannot be overstated. Civic space is essential towards sustaining peace.

I would like to conclude by asking how the international community can best support the Liberian government towards promoting a safe and enabling environment for civil society organisations, journalists and civilians in the run-up to, during and after the elections? 

I thank you.