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Posted October 25, 2006
How Presidential Travels Benefit The Nation
A Tip of the Iceberg
By Gabriel I.H. Williams
The election, followed by the
inauguration on January 16 this year of Madam Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf as the
first democratically elected female president in Liberia and Africa, has
generated very strong international interest and goodwill toward Liberia.
The country’s tainted international image is now experiencing dramatic
improvement, as members of the international community demonstrate their
confidence in the new government by very high level of affirmation and
engagement.
On the ground, the international
community is fully involved with the new Liberian government in instituting
very difficult but necessary reforms in the public sector, to ensure
accountability, the rule of law, and other tenets of democratic governance -
following decades of a dysfunctional governance system and endemic
corruption that reduced the country to a failed state.
With commendable policies and programs
being instituted to sustain peace and the reconstruction process, the
Liberian people have every reason to be hopeful that their government will
fulfill their expectations by undertaking development programs that are
aimed at improving the conditions of the people. For example, the
government, with the assistance of our international partners, has begun the
process to provide electricity and pipe borne water in Monrovia and its
environs, the rehabilitation of roads, bridges, health and educational
facilities across the country, among others.
As the President departed Liberia
October 16 for another quick trip to the United States, this article
attempts to highlight the benefit of the Liberian leader’s foreign travels,
with a focus on her September trip to the U.S. for her first appearance at
the opening session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. But
firstly, it is important for the Liberian people to understand why the
country stands to benefit enormously from the President’s frequent travel
abroad, which affords her the opportunity to passionately advocate Liberia’s
cause to the world community.
Liberia’s dramatic turnaround from a
state of international isolation and relegation to a country that has begun
to enjoy international respectability and tremendous good-will, is largely
due to the choice the Liberian people made by electing Madam Johnson-Sirleaf,
who is widely respected internationally for her demonstrated leadership
qualities and commitment to democratic governance.
She is admired around the world for
making history as the first elected female African president. She is also
regarded internationally as the best hope for war-torn Liberia’s recovery
because of her track record. At a recent dinner in Washington, D.C. where
she and United States First Lady Laura Bush were recipients of the
International Republican Institute’s Freedom Award, Mrs. Bush described
President Johnson-Sirleaf as a model for women, not just in Africa, but
around the world. While visiting Monrovia for her inauguration, South
African President Thabo Mbaki described the new Liberian leader as a “Beacon
of hope” in Africa.
Liberia’s growing international profile
is manifested by the numerous invitations the President continues to receive
from abroad. Even though she has been unable to honor all of the
invitations, she is setting a record as one of the most widely traveled
presidents currently in the world.
After languishing for years under regimes
that enjoyed little or no international recognition and support, Liberians
should be pleased that their leader is so universally accepted that she is
being invited everywhere around the world.
The President’s visits continue to
afford her the opportunity to project the positive image of Liberia and the
hopes of the Liberian people. Through the foreign trips, President Johnson-Sirleaf
has been able to fully acquaint world leaders with the plight of the country
and its people. She has been able to tell them that even though Liberia is
devastated from years of brutal civil war, the Liberian people remain
resilient and are determined to ensure sustainable peace and the process of
reconstruction. She has also been telling world leaders that while Liberians
are very grateful for the intervention by the international community to end
the bloodshed and destruction, the people of Liberia look forward to more
international support as they face the challenges of sustaining peace and
the reconstruction process.
Her appeals to world leaders and others
who are in the position to help the war-ravaged nation have been generating
positive results for the country. Besides the United Nations system, the
United States government, European Union and some individual European
countries, China, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS),
the African Union, and some individual African countries, among others, are
fully engaged with the government in peace consolidation and the
reconstruction process.
Having given a general scope of why
Liberia stands to benefit from the President’s foreign travels, I wish to
now highlight some of the important aspects of her September visit to the
United States.
Mindful that revival of the national
economy and job creation are among the major challenges of the Johnson-Sirleaf
administration, it is important to note the appeal the President made to
foreign investors to come to Liberia and partner with the government in
utilizing the country’s abundant natural resources.
Speaking as one of the high-profiled
international panelists at the opening of the 2nd Annual Clinton
Global Initiative conference in New York, President Johnson-Sirleaf told the
conference attended by many global leaders, including heads of state and
government, as well as heads of major international institutions, that with
peace now prevailing, Liberia was seeking partnership with foreign
investors.
The Liberian leader told the hundreds
of distinguished attendees at the conference, which coincided with the
opening session of the United Nations General Assembly, that Liberia was
endowed with abundant natural resources, including timber, diamonds, iron
ore, and rubber.
President Sirleaf told the audience
that the Liberian Government was putting into place the necessary laws and
regulations that are “investor-friendly.” The measures, the President said,
would ensure that business practices meet international standards and
inspire confidence.
As a result of the President’s
well-applauded remarks at the jam-packed conference, the founder of the
internationally-popular network, Black Entertainment Television (BET),
billionaire Robert Johnson, announced that he will allocate $30 million for
initial investment possibilities in Liberia. As a result of Mr. Johnson’s
pronouncement, a high-level business delegation will be visiting Liberia
shortly.
Those on the opening panel with
President Johnson-Sirleaf were Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf,
Columbian President Alvaro Uribe Velez, and European Union leader Javier
Solana.
The President’s opening role at the
Clinton Global Initiative was extraordinary, considering the visibility
Liberia received, and also because the list of speakers included other
high-profiled international personalities, such as President Hamid Karzai of
Afghanistan, Queen Rania of Jordan, former US Vice President Al Gore,
Microsoft Corporation Chairman Bill Gates, and former US Secretary of State
Colin Powell.
The Liberian leader later made history
when she joined two other African Heads of State and a delegation of African
government officials at a bell ceremony at the New York Stock Exchange. The
other African leaders who participated in the event were the Presidents of
Mozambique and Tanzania. The visit by the three African leaders marked the
first time that three heads of state presided over a bell ceremony.
Her appearance at the New York Stock
Exchange along with an earlier meeting she held with Liberia’s donors
underscored the importance the President attaches to the revival of the
Liberian economy and creating jobs for the Liberian people.
The President also delivered an
address at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in
Massachusetts, during which she emphasized the importance of job creation,
especially for the young people. She spoke of the need to provide
educational and job opportunities for young people, many of whom are former
combatants, as a means to discourage them from being used to instill another
round of violence in the country.
In her well-received maiden address
during the opening session of the UN General Assembly, President Johnson-Sirleaf
said Liberia was grateful to the international community for the continuous
assistance and support toward the search for peace, security and post-war
reconstruction and development.
Amid applauds, the Liberian leader
said, “We have made important beginnings and we remain committed and
encouraged by the bilateral support provided by our bilateral and
multilateral international partners.” She added that outgoing UN Secretary
General Kofi Annan’s visit to Liberia and other similarly important visits
by leaders of international financial institutions clearly underscore the
commitment of the UN and the international community in working with the new
Liberian government to nurture and strengthen peace, and foster development.
In her address, which covered many
issues of international importance, President Johnson-Sirleaf’s called for
concerted international effort and increased resources to combat the spread
of HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, which are contributing
significantly in retarding progress in Africa. She also made a passionate
appeal for the UN and the international community to be more active in the
peaceful and amicable resolution of conflicts around the world, particularly
in Africa and the Middle East.
Later when she and US First Lady Laura
Bush appeared at a well-attended dinner for both of them to receive the
International Republican Institute’s Freedom Award, also used the
opportunity of that event, President Johnson-Sirleaf assured foreign
investors that her government will continue to provide the necessary
conditions to attract foreign investment to Liberia.
During her meeting with US Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice before departing the U.S. for Liberia, the President
briefed Dr. Rice on effort being made by her government to restore basic
services to the country and its people, including the restoration of
electricity, pipe borne water, and the rehabilitation of basic
infrastructure, including schools and hospitals.
Among the greatest challenges facing
her government, the President told Dr. Rice, is the creation of jobs to get
the country and its people back to work.
For her part, Dr. Rice lauded the
Liberian government for the concrete steps being taken, and assured the
Liberian leader and people of Liberia of continued US support in the
reconstruction of Liberia.
Indeed, benefits of the President’s
foreign travels are just a tip of the iceberg. 
About the author: Gabriel Williams is
Assistant Minister-designate for Information Services, Ministry of
Information, Culture and Tourism.
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