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The lunch held at UN Headquarters in Manhattan, positioned Liberia at the center of United Nations diplomacy.
Liberia, coordinating both the A3, Africa’s three Council members and the E10 — the 10 non-permanent members since August 1, held the lunch to align positions ahead of one of the busiest months on the Council’s calendar.
The lunch, not ceremonial brought together the E10 which includes Bahrain, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Greece, Latvia, Liberia, Pakistan, Panama, and Somalia.
Three of the states DRC, Liberia and Somalia also constitute the A3, the group that articulates African priorities inside the Council.
Liberia’s dual coordinating mandate has given Ambassador Brown unusual convening power this month, at a time when the Council is handling crises across the Middle East, Africa, and Europe.
The month also includes two signature events: an August 19 open debate on Council working methods, and the August 25 high-level debate on "Food Under Fire" — conflict and hunger.
Diplomats are also monitoring Ukraine, tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, and the planned closure of the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon at year’s end — any of which could trigger emergency sessions.
LIBERIA SETS TONE ON MIDDLE EAST AND REFORM:
At the Council’s 10,207th meeting on August 17, Ambassador Brown presented Liberia’s position on the Middle East, warning that prospects for a two-state solution are "rapidly diminishing" due to continued violence, Palestinian displacement, and settlement expansion.
He invoked Liberia’s 1947 vote for UN General Assembly Resolution 181, the original partition plan, to frame the stance as one of long-standing principle.
Speaking for the entire E10 during the working methods debate, Brown called for reforms to Note S/2024/507.
He urged time-bound leadership of subsidiary bodies after two years of delays in appointing sanctions committee chairs, and pushed for elected members who make up two-thirds of the Council to be included at the beginning of the drafting resolutions, including thorough shared "penholdership" now dominated by the P5.
As A3 coordinator, Liberia is also steering African positions on Libya, South Sudan, the DRC’s eastern conflict, and AU-led responses in the Sahel and Horn of Africa.
Diplomats say the A3 under DRC, Liberia and Somalia has favored political solutions over sanctions, a posture expected to continue through August.
The coordinating role carries added significance because Liberia will assume the Security Council presidency in December for the first time since 1961.
President Joseph Boakai is expected to chair high-level sessions that month.
UN officials described August as a "rehearsal" for the larger task.
Monday’s lunch, they say demonstrated how Liberia intends to use the presidency by driving direct dialogue between the Secretary-General and elected members, rather than leaving coordination to fragmented channels.
Liberia's engagement is being described as consequential for both the August’s immediate decisions and for laying groundwork for December.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Liberia.
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