Foreign Minister Nyanti, Youth & Sports Minister Kruah unveil 10-year vision to create pathways for every young Liberian by 2035; UNFPA, UN Youth Office hail Liberia’s leadership at Security Council

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Foreign Minister Nyanti, Youth & Sports Minister Kruah unveil 10-year vision to create pathways for every young Liberian by 2035; UNFPA, UN Youth Office hail Liberia’s leadership at Security Council

BY: Rufus Divine Brooks Jr.

New York – The Republic of Liberia has officially launched its comprehensive PATHWAYS Framework for youth, peace, security and development, declaring the country’s readiness to lead and partner on the global youth agenda.

The framework was launched on September 18, 2026, by Liberia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Sara Beysolow Nyanti, during a high-level side event on the margins of the 81st UN General Assembly, titled “Rooting and Rising: Liberia’s Vision for Youth, Peace, and Security.

The event was held at the African Union Permanent Observer Mission to the United Nations in New York.

The PATHWAYS document is designed to establish sustainable pathways for future generations and mobilize strategic investments to achieve Liberia’s youth vision for 2035.

Launching the vision, Minister Nyanti said the PATHWAYS Framework answers Liberia’s transformational call by consolidating interventions for young people across the country’s fifteen counties and ensuring their active participation in shaping the nation’s future.

She said the framework unites the Ministry of Youth and Sports’ Five-Year Strategic Plan and the National Youth Policy under one powerful mandate.

Minister Nyanti stressed that youth, peace and security remain a top priority for Liberia as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, noting the importance of amplifying Liberian youth voices on the global stage.

According to her, the framework is built on six interconnected pillars: governance, evidence, pathways, sports, creative economy, and strategic investment – which together form a sustainable system for youth and sports development through strong institutions, credible data, and sustained investment.

She called on international and national partners to join Liberia in “building the pathways that will elevate generations.

For her part, Minister of Youth and Sports, Atty. Cornelia Wonkerleh Kruah, said the PATHWAYS vision is Liberia’s public commitment to its young people, its partners, and its history.

By 2035, every young Liberian should have a pathway to achieve their goals,” Kruah said.

She noted that the vision includes measurable targets, a clear timeline for evaluation, and represents the mandate of a generation.

She emphasized that the reform initiative is transparent, accessible, and backed by evidence and progress, not promises, and invited stakeholders to invest in a well-established plan.

Minister Kruah commended UNFPA, UNDP, the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), the UN Youth Office, and other partners that have supported Liberia’s youth agenda.

Speaking at the event, Ms. Diene Keita, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UNFPA, urged young people to be active partners and leaders in shaping peaceful and inclusive societies. She praised Liberia’s ten-year framework for its inclusive approach.

“Young people are peacebuilders, they are leaders, they are essential partners, and UNFPA is a proud sponsor of the youth, peace and security agenda.

Investing in young people fosters economic growth and creates stable communities,” Keita said.

Dr. Felipe Paullier, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs, said the UN is working to amplify youth voices across regions and described Liberia’s leadership on youth, peace and security, particularly ahead of its Security Council presidency in December, as a source of pride.

“We need to create a connection between the real needs everybody has in their daily life and connect them to the pathways of sustaining peace, leveraging opportunities for young people in arts, culture, sports, and more,” Paullier said.

Also speaking, Par Skold, Counsellor and Civilian Adviser at the Permanent Mission of Sweden to the United Nations, applauded Liberian youth for taking ownership of the YPS agenda and called on government institutions to create space for youth.

He highlighted Sweden’s contribution to Liberia’s first National Action Plan on YPS and reaffirmed Sweden’s commitment to advancing the agenda.

Ms. Nathalie Ndongo-Seh, Director of the Western Africa Division at DPPA-DPO, said aligning the National Action Plan with PATHWAYS and the Government’s ARREST Agenda is essential.

She reaffirmed the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel’s (UNOWAS) commitment to support Liberia in sharing its experience with ECOWAS and the Mano River Union.

She announced that DPPA will support Liberia in presenting youth, peace and security issues to the Council during its presidency in December.

2011 Nobel Peace Laureate Leymah Gbowee, Founder of the Gbowee Peace Foundation Africa, challenged young people to familiarize themselves with the PATHWAYS document and called for nationwide town hall meetings to popularize it.

She urged the Government of Liberia to commit 50 percent domestic funding for the implementation of the PATHWAYS reforms to inspire confidence among international partners.

In solidarity, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Youth Affairs, Hon. Ibrahim Sannoh, described Liberia’s vision as “a beacon of hope.”

“We are collectively committing to the YPS agenda, turning fragility into a foundation for resilience and transforming the scars of war into a testament of change,” Sannoh said.

The high-level event, convened under the theme “Rooting and Rising,” brought together international partners, youth leaders, government representatives, and civil society actors to foster investment in youth-led peace and development initiatives.