Published: September 23, 2026
Global leaders and African climate voices to gather in New York on Sept. 23 to explore how natural resources can support peace, resilience and sustainable development
New York, USA – Liberia will welcome global leaders, development partners and climate negotiators to a conversation on how the thoughtful stewardship of forests, land, water and minerals can help communities build lasting peace, strengthen their resilience to a changing climate and share in sustainable development, at a high-level side event during the 81st session of the U.N. General Assembly.
The Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia will host “The Nexus between Climate, Conflict, and Natural Resources: Pathways to Peace, Resilience, and Sustainable Development” from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, Sept. 23, at the Westin New York Grand Central, 212 E. 42nd St., in New York. The dialogue takes place as Liberia serves its 2026-2027 term on the U.N. Security Council, a role the country has approached with a commitment to working toward a just and peaceful world.
Dr. Emmanuel K. Urey Yarkpawolo, executive director of the EPA, will welcome participants. Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti will formally open the event and share its objectives. U.N. Under-Secretary-General Haoliang Xu, associate administrator of the U.N. Development Programme, will deliver the keynote address, “Climate Change as a Threat Multiplier and Global Security Imperative.”
Guests will also view a documentary presenting Liberia’s natural capital, offering a window into the forests, waters and landscapes that sustain livelihoods across the country.
A high-level panel on global, regional and national trends will follow, moderated by Francine Pickup, UNDP deputy assistant administrator and deputy director of its Bureau for Policy and Programme Support. Dr. Ali Daud Mohamed, Kenya’s special envoy for climate change in the Executive Office of the President and a former chair of the African Group of Negotiators, will share insights on integrated approaches that bring climate resilience, peacebuilding and natural resource governance together. Antwi-Boasiako Amoah, chair of the African Group of Negotiators and director for adaptation, climate resilience and risk management at Ghana’s Environmental Protection Authority, will offer African perspectives on climate security, with a focus on the Sahel and West Africa.
Madam Jeanine Milly Cooper, chief executive officer of the Liberia Carbon Markets Authority, will explore how carbon markets and climate finance can bring meaningful benefits to communities while supporting environmental protection. Colorado state Rep. Naquetta Ricks, president of the African Chamber of Commerce Colorado, will reflect on Liberia’s experience and the opportunities its natural resources offer, including the diaspora’s contribution to climate-resilient investment. Oretha Juah Bestman-Yates, a climate change survivor, will share a personal testimonial on how climate change is touching the lives and livelihoods of Liberians.
Liberia’s forests, rivers, minerals, and coastline support families and communities across all 15 counties. More than two decades of peace have shown how deeply people’s well-being is connected to the land and resources around them. Through this dialogue, the EPA hopes to share Liberia’s experience, learn from partners across Africa and beyond, and encourage collaboration that helps turn climate challenges into shared opportunities for peace and prosperity.
The program will conclude with a closing round in which each panelist offers one practical recommendation for world leaders, development partners and investors, followed by questions from participants.
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