President Sirleaf Departs for Official Visits to Canada, United States and Costa Rica; to participate in ‘We Day Toronto,’ UN General Assembly, Official Visit Monrovia, Liberia - President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf departed the country Wednesday evening for official visits to Canada, the United States of America, and Costa Rica. She is expected back home on October 9th. According to an Executive Mansion release, the first leg of the Liberian leader’s visit, from September 19-21, takes her to Toronto, Canada, where she has been invited by Free the Children organization to participate in the We Day Toronto event. We Day celebrates the power of young people to change the world. It is the largest event of its kind, bringing together over 70,000 youth and educators across Canada with celebrities, musicians and heroes sharing their inspirational stories. The We Day event is free; however, students and their schools must earn their way through their year-long commitment to local and global actions. President Sirleaf’s participation at the event will consist of on-stage and other media interviews, a VIP lunch with honored guests, and she will be the keynote speaker at an exclusive dinner to celebrate the work of the individuals and organizations that made We Day possible. President Sirleaf arrives in New York on September 21st, to participate in the general debate of the 68th regular session of the United Nations General Assembly, which commences of Tuesday, September 24th. The Liberian leader will address the Assembly in the afternoon of the 24th. Thirteen Liberian youth will form part of the President’s delegation at this year’s Assembly. Throughout the week, on margins of the General Assembly, President Sirleaf will participate in a series of meetings focused on: the post-2015 development agenda; implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); and the African Union High-Level Committee on the Post-2015 Agenda to arrive at Africa’s Common Position, among others. The Liberian leader served as one of three co-chairs of the UN High-Level Panel constituted by the UN Secretary-General last year to develop a post-2015 global development agenda. Other events will include: a High-Level Event on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), for which she serves as Goodwill Ambassador for Africa; and the Sixth Annual Liberia Foundations Meeting. The President will also join in other activities and hold a series of meetings with important personages. From September 29 to October 1, President Sirleaf will pay an official visit to the Central American country of Costa Rica at the invitation of the President Laura Chinchilla Miranda. While in the Costa Rican capital, San Jose, a sculpture in honor of President Sirleaf will be unveiled on September 30, at the “Garden of Nations,” located on the campus of the United Nations Mandated University for Peace. Thirteen members, along with two advisors of the “Put Ma Ellen There” Project team, will be on hand for the ceremony. The “Put Ma Ellen There” Project, initiated by 15 young Liberians representing the country’s 15 political sub-divisions, met President Sirleaf to inform her of their plan to erect a sculpture in her honor at the “Garden of Nations” at the UN’s University of Peace in Costa Rica, through their fundraising activities. Following her visit to Costa Rica, President Sirleaf returns to the United States for more discussions and meetings. Members of the President’s high-powered delegation to the General Assembly include: the President Pro-Tempore of the Liberian Senate, Senator Gbehzohngar Findley; Minister of Gender and Development, Mrs. Julia Duncan Cassell; Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Walter Gwenigale; and the Coordinator of the African Heads of State and Government on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, Dr. Abdoulaye Dukulé. While President Sirleaf is away from the country, the Minister of Justice, Cllr. Christiana Tah, will chair the Cabinet in consultation with Vice President Joseph N. Boakai, Sr.
Posted on: Thu, 19 Sep 2013 09:07:04 +0000
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