Published: September 29, 2025
LONDON — Liberian lawyer and political figure Cllr. Charlyne M. Brumskine brought an African perspective to a stage dominated by European and North American leaders at the Global Progress Action Summit (GPA) on Sept. 26, urging governments to rebuild public trust through tangible results, from food security to fair justice, rather than lofty rhetoric.
Seated alongside former Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, French European-parliamentarian Raphaël Glucksmann, and Pedro Abramovay of the Open Society Foundations, Brumskine was the sole African voice on the high-level panel, “Renewing the Social Contract: Shaping a National Identity Built on Trust.”
The session was moderated by Patrick Gaspard, former U.S. ambassador to South Africa.
‘Liberians want lights on and jobs’
Cllr. Brumskine told the London audience that in Liberia, ideology is secondary to basic needs.
“Liberians are not thinking about ideological labels,” she said. “They do not know the difference between the Global South and the Global North, Progressivism versus Conservatism. They are thinking about whether there is food on the table, whether the lights will stay on, whether their children will find jobs.”
Her comments drew attention to the widening distrust divide between citizens and their governments, a divide she said can be bridged only when leaders deliver practical improvements to daily life.
Justice as part of ‘delivery’
Cllr. Brumskine argued that justice itself is a service that must be delivered equitably.
“Justice continues to elude too many Africans, and Liberians in particular. Our laws are written in English, yet most of our citizens cannot read or write English. What justice is there when people cannot understand the very laws that govern their lives?”
She called for translating laws into local languages, simplifying legal procedures and making courts accessible to ordinary citizens:
“True delivery means a market woman can defend her land rights without bribery, and a victim of violence can find redress without waiting years in silence. Justice should not depend on your wealth, your connections or your literacy level.”
A warning on exclusion
She also cautioned that Africa’s absence from global debates undermines the legitimacy of decisions on migration, security and development.
“We cannot allow others to speak about us without us,” she said, stressing that the effects of migration and insecurity begin in Africa’s villages and cities and must be shaped by African leaders at the table.
Lessons for Liberia
Her message for Liberia’s own leadership was: “Delivery matters more than promises.”
She said citizens will judge trust by the services they receive, jobs for youth, reliable electricity, clean water and equal access to justice, not by political manifestos.
She underscored that infrastructure without fairness will not heal distrust: a road can ease travel, she noted, but it will not restore legitimacy if courts remain out of reach for the poor.
Brumskine’s appearance, set against the backdrop of prime ministers from the U.K., Canada, Australia, Spain and Iceland, as well as former leaders of New Zealand and Sweden, marked a rare moment where Liberia’s domestic challenges on governance and equity were spotlighted at a major international policy forum.
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