Ambassador Brown Highlights Liberia’s Pioneering Role in Global Diplomacy at Senate Hearing

By Julius T. Jaesen, II.
Managing Editor
coyies2004@gmail.com

Monrovia, Liberia – Ambassador Lewis Garseedah Brown, Liberia’s Special Representative Designate to the United Nations, delivered a compelling address during his Senate confirmation hearing yesterday, emphasizing Liberia’s storied legacy in international diplomacy and his commitment to advancing the nation’s foreign policy agenda.

Addressing the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Brown expressed gratitude to President Joseph Nyuma Boakai for his nomination, describing it as a testament to the President’s inclusive leadership. “The President’s consideration of me testifies to his commitment to be a President for all Liberians, and to not exclude any Liberian from the benefits of rights and privileges to which all are entitled by virtue of their citizenship,” he stated.

Ambassador Brown pledged to serve with “honor, dedication, astuteness, and distinction” if confirmed, highlighting Liberia’s historical contributions to global diplomacy. Tracing Liberia’s foreign policy trajectory, he recounted its transition from a focus on maintaining independence before 1944 to a broader objective encompassing economic, social, and political development post-1944.

He underscored the skill and vision of past Liberian leaders in shaping foreign policy, stating, “Liberia has earned global respect for its foreign policy positions and its mastery of international diplomacy.”

Ambassador Brown also highlighted Liberia’s pivotal role in founding the United Nations in 1945, alongside 50 other nations, and its contributions to establishing the Organization of African Unity (OAU, now the African Union) in 1963. He noted Liberia’s leadership in forming the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), initiated by President Tubman in 1964, which has since evolved into a critical framework for regional cooperation.

“Liberia’s involvement in world affairs stands our country out as a leader in international diplomacy,” he declared, adding that the nation has consistently sought to “reshape our world through diplomacy.”

From casting the tie-breaking vote to create the State of Israel in 1948 to giving the world its first African woman President of the United Nations General Assembly, Liberia has been a beacon of diplomatic leadership, Amb. Brown noted.

The ambassador-designate acknowledged Liberia’s challenges, including underdevelopment, but insisted that the nation has never been a passive observer in global affairs. “Comparatively small we may be, and grappling with underdevelopment as we continue to do, Liberia has never been a spectator to global developments. We have led and participated from the front,” he asserted.

Amb. Brown also called for a collective effort to reclaim Liberia’s place of influence in international diplomacy. “Led by the President as Chief Architect of our foreign policy, and reliably aided and supported by all of you, the leaders of our country today; this, too, is our responsibility—the legacy we are being summoned to equal,” he emphasized.

Ambassador Brown concluded his remarks with a call for unity in restoring Liberia’s global standing. “Liberia’s place of leadership around the family table of the world is ours to reclaim,” he said, expressing confidence in the nation’s ability to rise to the occasion.

Reaffirming his readiness to serve, he added, “Being respectfully counted in global affairs is where Liberia has historically been, and where we truly belong. Back in the forefront of leadership in global diplomacy is exactly where Liberia will be returned.”

As the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs deliberates on his confirmation, Ambassador Brown’s impassioned speech has set a high bar for Liberia’s ambitions in the realm of multilateral diplomacy.