Welcoming Liberia’s Assumption of Security Responsibilities, Secretary-General Calls on Partners to Stay Engaged as Peacekeeping Efforts Enter Final Stage

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

The Secretary-General welcomes the full assumption today by the Government of Liberia of its national security responsibilities from the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), in accordance with Security Council resolution 2239 (2015).

The Secretary-General pays tribute to the determination of the people and the Government of Liberia to work towards lasting peace after the end of the conflict that led to the deployment of UNMIL in October 2003.  The continuing improvement in the security and stability of Liberia has enabled the United Nations to enter the final stage of its peacekeeping efforts in the country.

The Secretary-General recognizes the important role played by partners, in particular the Economic Community of West African States, the African Union and the Mano River Union, in supporting the consolidation of peace, security and stability in Liberia and in overcoming the recent Ebola outbreak.  He further welcomes the contributions from troop- and police-contributing countries, as well as bilateral partners and multilateral organizations, which facilitated the considerable achievements made by UNMIL.

The Secretary-General calls on all partners to stay engaged and to continue assisting the Government of Liberia to consolidate peace.  The timely conclusion of the security transition is a major benchmark in the peace process and a testament to the hard work of the Liberian people to create a nation built on peace, stability, human rights, democracy and rule of law.