"You Preach Peace Abroad and Attack Justice at Home," STAND Heatedly Applauds Liberia’s UN Security Council Victory

Monrovia, Liberia: The Solidarity and Trust for a New Day (STAND), a leading civic movement that prides itself on championing transparency and constitutional justice, has issued a sharp, thought-provoking response to Liberia's victory in securing a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.

While the group applauds Liberia’s historic diplomatic milestone, it warns the Boakai-Koung-led administration that international prestige must not overshadow the deteriorating state of governance and civil rights at home.

By: Abraham Sylvester Panto

In its strongly worded release issued on late Tuesday, June 3, 2025, STAND described the Security Council seat as a long-overdue acknowledgment of Liberia’s diplomatic evolution but stressed that the symbolic weight of global recognition would mean little without a deliberate and immediate effort to restore the rule of law, protect civil liberties, and reverse entrenched governance failures.

“We congratulate the Liberian government,” the statement read, “but we caution: leadership on the world stage demands adherence to the rule of law and protection of civil liberties at home.”

STAND emphasized that the country’s increased visibility now comes with heightened scrutiny, arguing that global respect is earned through tangible demonstrations of domestic integrity that include judicial independence, institutional transparency, and protection of fundamental rights.

The group described the UN victory as a pressure point for change, calling on President Boakai to treat the global achievement as a “moral and constitutional turning point,” one that demands principled leadership, bold domestic reforms, and a clear rejection of the cycles of silence and suppression that have historically defined Liberian governance.

STAND also underscored that Liberia’s position on the UN Security Council must be underpinned by internal democratic legitimacy, warning that the nation’s international image will collapse under the weight of its contradictions if the government fails to uphold the very values.