The United Nations Security Council is one of the six main organs of the UN structure. Its primary responsibilities are to maintain international peace and security, investigate disputes, apply sanctions, authorize the use of force, establish peacekeeping missions, address human rights issues, and refer situations to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for prosecution under the Rome Statute.
The Council comprises fifteen (15) members: five permanent members and ten non-permanent members. The five permanent members are China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The ten non-permanent members are elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly.
These ten non-permanent members are distributed among five regional groups: Africa with three (3) representatives, Asia-Pacific with two (2) representatives, Eastern Europe with one (1) representative, Latin America and the Caribbean with two (2) representatives, and Western European and Others with two (2) representatives.
Firstly, it’s important to note that only five non-permanent seats are available for elections this year, with another five becoming available next year. The terms of Algeria, Guyana, the Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone, and Slovenia end this year, which will create two vacant seats for the African Group.
There are always three non-permanent seats allocated to Africa. One seat comes up for election during every even calendar year, and two seats are available during odd years. For the past decade, elections for seats allocated to Africa have usually been uncontested, as the African Group maintains an established pattern of rotation among its five sub-regions (North Africa, Southern Africa, East Africa, West Africa, and Central Africa).
This year is an odd year, which means two seats are available for Africa, for which only Liberia and the Democratic Republic of Congo are running uncontested. The West African seat, as per the rotation, is being reserved for Liberia, while the Central African seat is being reserved for the Democratic Republic of Congo. This is thanks to former President George M. Weah, who in 2023 lobbied with fellow West African countries to have Liberia as the preferred country to replace Sierra Leone this year.
The Charade :
On January 29, 2025, President Joseph Nyumah Boakai formally announced the establishment of a National Steering Committee tasked with overseeing Liberia’s bid for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (https://www.emansion.gov.lr/media/press-release/liberia-announces-national-steering-committee-un-security-council-bid). This committee, designed to spearhead a significant diplomatic initiative, comprised representatives from various government ministries, civil society organizations, and members of the legislature. Notably, it also included numerous advisors, yet conspicuously absent from its membership were the names of the former President and the former Foreign Minister. This specific omission has drawn sharp criticism, being widely interpreted as a telling demonstration of President Boakai’s profound insensitivity and seemingly vindictive disposition, particularly given that it was the immediate past administration, led by the former President, that originally conceived and successfully advanced Liberia’s candidacy for this very influential international position.
The very notion of Liberia securing a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council under the current administration, therefore, raises considerable questions and concern among many. There is a palpable sense of apprehension regarding how a nation, led by a President perceived as highly divisive and seemingly disregardful of the rule of law and justice, can effectively represent global peace and security. Furthermore, serious doubts persist about the government’s capacity to uphold the safety and well-being of its own citizens. Critics point to an alarming transformation of the country into what is increasingly described as a “police state,” characterized by a disturbing surge in rampant crime, documented instances of extrajudicial killings, and widespread reports of police brutality. These domestic challenges, many argue, fundamentally undermine the credibility of Liberia’s bid for a significant role on the international stage.
Indeed, since the Unity Party government assumed power, there is a prevailing sentiment that the country has regressed significantly, with many of the hard-won advancements and promising prospects achieved over the preceding six years being systematically dismantled or undermined. The current state of affairs is particularly disheartening, as Liberia now regrettably stands out as one of the most insecure nations globally. This grim assessment is not merely anecdotal; it is substantiated by objective data. According to the authoritative Gallup 2024 Global Report on Law and Order, as reported by the reputable FrontPage Africa newspaper, Liberia has unfortunately been identified as the most unsafe country across the entire African continent. This stark reality casts a long shadow over Liberia’s aspirations for enhanced international standing and underscores the urgent need for domestic stability and the restoration of public trust.( https://frontpageafricaonline.com/news/liberia-ranks-as-most-unsafe-country-in-africa-due-to-political-corruption-limited-access-to-public-services/)
WASTE OF TAXPAYERS’ MONEY:
It is extremely insensitive of the government to lavish taxpayers’ money on meaningless travel and meetings under the pretense of campaigning for a non-permanent seat. Why are we campaigning when the slot for West Africa was granted to us long ago? Why are we wasting thousands of dollars to go to the UN with no one contesting against us?
As of December 2024, the Liberian Ministry of Foreign Affairs used USD 900,324.00 for what it termed “meaningless travel,” the bulk of which was for campaigning for a non-permanent seat.This amount includes USD 544,849 for foreign travel, USD 337,587 for foreign travel daily subsistence allowance, and USD 17,888 for foreign travel incidentals.(National Budget FY2024)
Furthermore, a total of USD 720,000 has been allocated in the approved 2025 budget under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for foreign travel. A significant portion of this amount has been used for what appears to be useless travel to campaign for a seat that doesn’t require campaigning, as we have no opponent. Additionally, a new line item, “Transfer to support Liberia Security Council Bid,” with an amount of USD 200,000.00 (Budget code 26555), has been approved in the 2025 budget.
In total, over the past two years, Liberia has spent approximately USD 1.8 million on meaningless travel for foreign ministry delegations, seemingly for photo opportunities, printing banners, and personal enrichment.
The government is lavishing such a huge amount of public funds on pageantry while the Emirate Hospital in Gbarpolu, which is responsible for serving the people of the western region (Gbarpolu, Bomi, and Grand Cape Mount), remains abandoned. Simultaneously, JFK Hospital has deteriorated, resembling a funeral home with no drugs, fewer doctors, and a dysfunctional dialysis center.
Spending USD 1.8 million for something we already secured by consensus is appalling. Meanwhile, University of Liberia students still carry chairs from one class to another, Monrovia has become filthy, and civil servants are taking home less than USD 100.00. The living conditions of the citizens are at an all time low.
Conclusion:
It is our firm belief that expeditions by large delegations to campaign for Liberia’s Security Council seat are entirely without merit. Liberia is expected to be elected by white ballot at the 79th General Assembly, standing as one of two uncontested African candidates. Moreover, the deplorable state of our nation under the current administration of Mr. Boakai significantly diminishes any potential positive impact of our presence at the UN Security Council. This is primarily due to the government’s demonstrated incapacity to ensure citizen protection, effectively combat corruption, or establish an environment conducive to investment. As Liberia is projected to be categorized as a “red zone” travel destination in 2025, our inability to secure our own territory negates any moral standing we might claim in advising other nations on matters of citizen safety.
Assuming that the government of Liberia justification is that they need to build confidence or relationship with members States. What confidence are you building when your country is being misrule , no rule of law and democracy , rampant corruption and extrajudicial killing are on the rampage . What are you campaigning with ? What message are you taking to other countries to obtain the 129 positives votes if 193 UN states members will be present to vote? You have no persuasive message to take to other countries for vote. In fact you will need no campaigning when you are standing for the values of the United Nation in your country.
All we have heard from Mr. Boakai and his Ministers is Liberia historical role during the formation of the UN. Do we still hold those values as a nation today , are we prepared to make the ultimate sacrifices for peace or it’s just for a mere position with no impact ? Liberia in 1945 is different from the Liberia today . The former is far better than the latter in terms of it moral credential to be among comity of nations sitting on the UN Security council. Mr. Boakai is a tyrant in disguise and a man who detest every form of democracy . Stop the waste of public funds and divert those funds to impacting the population positively. When the living conditions of the people are better , your citizens and foreigners are safe in your country, there is no need to be flying a bunch of mediocre people around in the name of seeking votes. Truth be told , we don’t deserve a seat at this moment because this government has consistently abused the values and principles for which the United Nations stands for .
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