President George Manneh Weah has reaffirmed his administration’s support for the agenda and programs of UNESCO, hoping that the new targets set at the just-ended 41st General Conference of UNESCO, in the areas of education, science and culture, will be achieved through collective wisdom.
Making remarks at the UNESCO General Conference on Thursday, November 10, 2021, held in Paris, France, President Weah said it was an honor for him to once again have the privilege of attending this General Conference of UNESCO to discuss pressing global challenges, with a view of finding solutions that will make the world a better place. “On behalf of the government and people of Liberia, and in my own name, I wish to congratulate UNESCO on the 75th Anniversary of its existence, of which founding convention Liberia was a signatory,” he said.
He congratulated the Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azulay, for her re-election to a second five-year term, which he said was in order for her to continue her dynamic and innovative leadership of UNESCO, especially during these challenging times.
“The world can never be a better place so long as there is discrimination between men and women. I personally am passionate about gender equality, because I believe that men and women are equal citizens, and should therefore enjoy equal opportunities, and have equal access to knowledge and skills, if a society is to develop to its maximum potential.
“As President of the Republic of Liberia and a self-titled Feminist-in-Chief, I have long been a champion of women’s rights and a ‘HeForShe’. As such, achieving gender equality in Liberia is one of the top priorities of my administration, and I remain committed and obligated to ensuring that my government achieves this within the context of Sustainable Development Goal #5.
“Because of the inherent disparities in our society against women and girls, there is also an urgent need to develop and strengthen mechanisms for their full protection and empowerment, to ensure that their rights are protected and their livelihoods are sustained.
“As a government, we have made significant strides in legal and systemic reforms to be able to lawfully address the entrenched inequalities that exist between men and women. These will be presented in detail by my delegation during your further discussions.
“Once again, we wish to publicly reaffirm our support for the agenda and programs of UNESCO. We wish you every success in your deliberations, and we pray that the new targets which will be set here in the areas of education, science, and culture will be achieved through your collective wisdom,” President Weah remarked at the UNESCO General Conference.
Remarks By His Excellency Dr. George Manneh Weah, President Of The Republic Of Liberia, At The 41st General Conference Of UNESCO, UNESCO Headquarters, Paris, France
November 12, 2021
Your Excellencies, Heads of State and Government;
Distinguished Delegates;
Ladies and Gentlemen:
It is an honor for me once again to have the privilege of attending this General Conference of UNESCO to discuss pressing global challenges, with a view to finding solutions that will make the world a better place.
On behalf of the Government and People of Liberia, and in my own name, I wish to congratulate UNESCO on the 75th Anniversary of its existence, of which founding convention Liberia was a signatory.
Let me also congratulate the Director-General, Ms. Audrey Azulay, for her re-election to a second five-year term to continue her dynamic and innovative leadership of UNESCO, especially during these challenging times.
DISTINGUISHED DELEGATES, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:
We recently attended the 26th United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Glasgow, Scotland. There, we came face to face with the stark reality that the future well-being of our entire planet is not only threatened by the devastating consequences of global warming, caused by the high emission of greenhouse gases from the industrialized nations of the world but that the time window for corrective behavior is rapidly shrinking.
We are also acutely and distressingly aware that the world is still suffering from the terrible Covid-19 pandemic, which for almost two years now has caused the unfortunate deaths of millions of people around the world, and has taken an unprecedented toll on the ways of life and on the livelihoods of all survivors.
These unfortunate developments should remind us of our collective responsibilities and the roles we must all play in looking ahead, beyond present and pending disasters, to find global solutions that are sustainable, equitable, and inclusive.
DISTINGUISHED DELEGATES, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:
The world can never be a better place so long as there is discrimination between men and women. I personally am passionate about gender equality, because I believe that men and women are equal citizens, and should therefore enjoy equal opportunities, and have equal access to knowledge and skills, if a society is to develop to its maximum potential.
As President of the Republic of Liberia and a self-titled Feminist-in-Chief, I have long been a champion of women’s rights and a “HeForShe”. As such, achieving gender equality in Liberia is one of the top priorities of my Administration, and I remain committed and obligated to ensuring that my Government achieves this within the context of Sustainable Development Goal #5.
Because of the inherent disparities in our society against women and girls, there is also an urgent need to develop and strengthen mechanisms for their full protection and empowerment, to ensure that their rights are protected and their livelihoods are sustained.
As a Government, we have made significant strides in legal and systemic reforms to be able to lawfully address the entrenched inequalities that exist between men and women. These will be presented in detail by my delegation during your further discussions.
Once again, we wish to publicly reaffirm our support for the agenda and programs of UNESCO. We wish you every success in your deliberations, and we pray that the new targets which will be set here in the areas of education, science, and culture, will be achieved through your collective wisdom.
I thank you.