Africa-Press – Liberia. Liberia’s recent election to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) presents an unprecedented chance to advance national development, regional advocacy, and economic empowerment. This historic achievement should be strategically leveraged to enhance Liberia’s global presence and advocate for pressing issues affecting both the country and the region.
Speaking on the ARREST Talk as a guest on the weekly one-hour radio program hosted by Obediah Kpoe, aired at 3 PM every Saturday on Punch FM. Mr. Caesar Morris stressed the importance of Liberia’s new status. He appealed to national leaders to put collective interests first on the global stage.
“181 countries voted for Liberia,” Morris emphasized. “That’s a powerful vote of confidence in our capacity to make a significant contribution to global peace and security. It’s not only a diplomatic victory, but an international affirmation. Now that we have visibility and access, we must use it wisely and strategically.”
“The region badly needs free trade area. Sub-Saharan Africa alone boasts of a huge market of over one billion people and an aggregate GDP of close to $2 trillion USD. Liberia can initiate new calls for the removal of trade barriers, enabling free trade across borders, which could open up tremendous economic opportunities.
This would not only drive shared prosperity for every citizen in the region, but it would also underpin regional peace and stability through increased economic integration and interdependence.”
Mr. Morris urged the government to use Liberia’s position to spearhead an agenda of change towards sustainable peace, inclusive development, and youth empowerment. “Young people across the region are vulnerable to manipulation due to unemployment and disillusionment,” he said. “If jobs and meaningful opportunities are created for them, we will be putting an end to the cash violence that ignites political disturbances and civil unrest”
The civil unrest witnessed in some West African nations, such as Liberia, are usually traceable to the absence of economic opportunities for young people. Liberia’s seat at the UNSC must be utilized to push for global partnerships and investments that tackle unemployment directly, enhance healthcare, and education, and offer young people a path to success.
Along with empowering youth, Morris called for tackling healthcare issues, specifically access to healthcare insurance Liberia’s high out of pocket cost for care has made quality healthcare accessible to limited a fraction of the population across the region “We need to go to the negotiating table at the UN and other international forum with defined objectives; one of our top priorities should be upgrading our healthcare systems for access to all.
He stressed that our leaders must attend international forums not just as attendees but as agents of change. “Go into those negotiations with the priority needs of our people in mind,” Morris challenged.
Mr. Morris also highlighted practical diplomatic challenges facing Liberians, such as the inability to access Canadian visas easily. “Currently, Liberians have to travel to Guinea or Ghana to apply for a Canadian visa.”. This is an actual economic burden on our citizens,” he stated. “Now that we are sitting at the table with world leaders, like the Canadian Prime Minister, we must use these moments to negotiate for better access and remove such barriers.” Such concrete solutions, he continued, have a direct and positive impact on the lives of ordinary citizens by making travel more affordable and enhancing opportunities for education, tourism, and business, which translates to significant contributions to our GDP through remittances.
In his closing remarks, Mr. Morris called on the Liberian government to institutionalize national development through legislation. “The ARREST agenda is a solid blueprint for Liberia’s growth. However, development should not be at the mercy of political transitions. We need a legally binding national development plan that ensures continuity beyond the current administration.” As a country, we have never been fully committed to national development. President Tubman’s open-door policy ended after his death, same as President Tolbert’s mat-to-mattress economy plan.
President Doe’s green revolution was abolished after his death, and President Sirleaf’s poverty reduction strategy was replaced with President Weah’s Pro-poor agenda for prosperity and development after her exit; the same will occur if the Unity Party loses the 2029 election.
He cautioned against the cyclical disruption of national priorities after every election cycle. “We can’t keep reinventing the wheel after every election. A legislative framework will ensure that national development is consistent, sustainable, and immune to political whims.”
After graduating from the Foreign Service Institute, Caesar Morris, a career IT specialist, is also contributing to Liberia’s growth through entrepreneurship. He co-founded Travel Liberia Consultant (TLC) at tlc.com.lr, a company that facilitates visa processing, airport pickup, and accommodation services for foreign nationals visiting Liberia. Since 2022, the TLC platform has become a leading online provider of bus tickets for easy travel between Monrovia and key West African cities, including Freetown, Conakry, Abidjan, Banjul, Dakar, Accra, and Lagos.
For More News And Analysis About Liberia Follow Africa-Press
