By Laurina B Lormia
(Cub-Reporter)
President Joseph Boakai has outlined a bold vision for the future of Liberia, promising increased prosperity and improvements in the livelihoods of Liberians.
On Saturday June 1, President Boakai joined leaders from 48 other countries at the Korea-Africa Summit, which marked a significant step towards dependent diplomatic and economic ties between South Korea and the African continent.
Delivering a speech on Tuesday June 4, 2024, at the summit in Soul which emphasizes the importance of expanding economic partnerships, particularly through South Korean involvement in Africa’s infrastructure projects, President Boakai highlighted the government’s commitment to sustainable development, economic growth, and social welfare.
According to him, the government seeks an outcome from this summit that allows the application of what it has collectively been endowed with to increase prosperity and improve the livelihoods of the Liberian people.
“We must equally recognize that sustainability should undergird the drive for development. It gives me great pleasure to join you at this momentous and auspicious gathering bringing together leaders of the African continent and their South Korean counterparts in a historic summit that will potentially impact about 20% of the world’s population,” President Boakai added.
“The Republic of Korea has been a true friend and partner, one that we can learn from, and has so much to offer Africa in the continent’s quest for a transformative future,” President Boakai narrated.
He asserted, this is why “shared growth” as part of the theme of the summit should express the collective desire to enable growth with development while prosperity must be inclusive to benefit all people and that the dividends of development should not be the exclusively preserved for a privileged few.
“Shared growth and a shared future must also be pursued in line with Agenda 2063, the pan-African effort to promote collective prosperity, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the World Sustainable Development Goals,” he said.
“Resources are not infinite; therefore, the judicious use or exploitation of our collective natural wealth must always be considered in maintaining a sustainable earth for future generations,” he stressed.
“As one of the custodians of the equatorial rainforest, Liberia intends to promote a sustainable future by leveraging this natural asset to contribute to the fight against climate change. This means achieving a sustainable future by accepting options or alternatives that do not leave the earth depleted but also safeguard the environment,” the Liberian leader maintained.
“The twin processes of globalization and technological advancement have spurred growth and economic development globally. But while they both have ushered the twenty-first century with remarkable feats of human development, such an impact on the world’s populations, especially in Africa, has been unequal,” he stated.
He continued, “Those attending this summit represent about a fifth of the world’s population, and as a community, we have a critical mass in solidarity that should enable us to confront and address the challenges facing our common world.”
In the context of South-south cooperation, the nations gathered here have in many respects shared experiences and a common objective to improve the social and economic conditions of their populations.
However, this summit should further foster South-South Cooperation to address mutual developmental issues in the global south. No nation can address the myriad of complex global challenges alone.
“It is by standing together in solidarity that we can bring our collective efforts to bear tackling climate change, disease, hunger, poverty, and the many problems that plague us collectively.”
Meanwhile, as we look forward to the deliberations of this first and historic Korea – Africa Summit, let us remember that the future is not guaranteed; let us determine it by deliberately taking actions that will leverage our potential to achieve common goals and foster a better future for our people, a transformed, equitable and sustainable future.
He concluded, we can achieve this in a firm partnership with the proud people of Korea who have taught the importance of human capital-their greatest resource-in transforming the future of any nation.
