Shining Light on Liberia Conflict, Photojournalists Moved International Community to Action, Deputy Secretary-General Says at ‘War and Peace’ Exhibition

Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, at the opening of the War and Peace in Liberia photo exhibition, in New York today:

It’s a great pleasure to be here with you this evening.  I want to express my deep gratitude to the Bronx Documentary Center, the United Nations Foundation and all our partners and friends who made this powerful exhibition possible.

We are here to remember the conflict and violence that tore into an entire region of West Africa, and the efforts that went into supporting the return to peace.  We are also here to celebrate the work of two of the finest — and bravest — photojournalists of our time.  Tim Hetherington and Chris Hondros created images that helped to move the international community to action in Liberia.  Their courage and tenacity made a difference.  Sadly, they were killed years later as they continued to pursue their life’s work of shining a light on conflict.

These pictures speak to us.  They are a powerful, moving and sensitive account of the war in Liberia, full of emotional honesty and empathy.  On these walls are the faces of those who suffered:  men, women and children; civilians and fighters; young and old.

Perhaps what moves me most about these pictures is that we also see hope.  We see progress.  We see rebuilding.  We see the first steps on a new path towards sustainable development and at the end peace.  Above all, we see the determination of the people of Liberia to move forward towards a brighter future.  We see the powerful effects of international engagement — from the region, led by my own country, Nigeria, and through the United Nations, which deployed peace operations into Liberia and the neighbouring countries of Côte d’Ivoire and Sierra Leone.

In March, I had the privilege of sharing some very emotional moments as I joined the Government and people of Liberia to celebrate their hard-won peace.  I was in Monrovia to mark the end of our peacekeeping mission, the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL).  Some 16,000 peacekeepers from more than a dozen countries served with UNMIL over its 15-year deployment.  Over 200 peacekeepers lost their lives and hundreds more died while serving with regional peacekeeping forces.

I want to pay tribute to the bravery and dedication of those who gave their lives for peace in Liberia.  Please join me in a moment of silence to honour them, their countries, their families and all the victims of conflict in this region.

During my visit, I saw first hand the progress that Liberia has made.  Thousands of fighters gave up their weapons; hundreds of thousands of refugees and displaced people returned home; elections were held, leading to the first peaceful democratic transition in the country’s history.  I saw for myself how strongly Liberians are committed to a new vision for their country — a vision of reconciliation, social cohesion and sustainable development.

Although our peacekeeping mission has closed, the United Nations is still supporting the people and Government of Liberia.  Our development agencies and many other offices are working with young people, with the marginalized, with women and girls, to build a brighter future for all Liberians.  Liberia will continue to need the support of the international community, to build on the gains it has made.

Finally, I have one last message.  This exhibition is Tim Hetherington’s and Chris Hondros’ legacy.  Their photos bear witness to the worst failures of humanity.  They also call on us to look, even when it would be easier to look away.  Together, Tim Hetherington and Chris Hondros built a narrative in pictures, contributing to the collective testimony on conflict, in the hope that shining a light on war would change us, make us better people, and contribute to peace in our world.

Journalists, photographers and all media workers are contributing to our collective humanity.  But, every day, many of them face unacceptable risks just to do their jobs.  This year alone, at least 88 journalists have been killed, and many more have been harassed, detained or imprisoned.  The United Nations stands with journalists all over the world as they do their important work.

I thank all of you for being here and hope you get as much from this exhibition as I have.