UN HQ, Manhattan, New York, United States | October 20, 2025: Thank you, Madam Chair, I congratulate you and your Bureau on your election and assure you of Liberia’s fullest support during this session.

We appreciate the Secretary-General, H.E. Mr. Antonio Guterres, Mr. Jesus’ Velazquez Castillo, Vice Chair of the Committee for Programme and Coordination (CPC), and Ms. Juliana Gaspar Ruas, Chair of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) for introducing their respective reports on the Proposed Programme Plan and Budget for 2026.
Also, we commend the Secretary-General for submitting the Proposed Programme Budget for 2026 and thank the Advisory Committee for its analysis.

Liberia aligns itself with the statement delivered by Iraq on behalf of the Group of 77 and China and Angola on behalf of the African Group, we make the following additional remarks in our national capacity.

Madam Chair,
Liberia is aware of the complexity of preparing a budget in the face of fiscal constraints, global economic uncertainty, rising costs, and expanding mandates. These pressures required balancing fiscal discipline and the need for the United Nations to effectively and efficiently deliver on its mandates. Too many around the world experiencing conflicts, uncertainties, injustice and changes in the climate expect us to do so, and be better at doing so.

Madam Chair,
Our choices are limited. The fiscal space is shrinking. Budgeting must remain mandate-driven and people-centered. Accordingly, the strength of this Organization can no longer be measured by the size of its organs, nor cuts, we are compelled to make. We cannot compromise the quality of its delivery. Liberia stands ready in support of cost-saving measures that will at the same guarantee with positive impact on peacebuilding, development coordination, and human rights. A proposed reduction in these areas should be accompanied by a clear impact assessment and section-by-section justification.

Also, Liberia is concerned about the human impact of prolonged vacancies, hiring freezes, among many others, which are continuing to hinder institutional capacity, reduce diversity, and disillusion young professionals from developing and least developed countries. As such, Liberia calls for a renewed commitment to equitable geographic representation and regional gender parity.
On the issue of job reclassification, Liberia supports transparent and evidence-based adjustments, in line with International Civil Service Commission standards, which encourage high standards of ethical conduct and professionalism.

Madam Chair,
As a country that has transitioned from conflict to peace, Liberia attaches great importance to adequate resourcing for peacebuilding and Special Political Missions. These areas are central to sustaining peace, preventing relapses into conflict, and implementing the Secretary General “New Agenda for Peace”.
We further support ongoing human-capital reforms and digital transformation efforts and support reskilling as a priority over redundancy. Furthermore, we stress that every reform must seek to advance gender parity and geographic balance.

Liberia reaffirms its support for the oversight bodies—the Office of Internal Oversight Services, Joint Inspection Unit, and Board of Auditors, and at the same time, encourages enhanced transparency in reporting on consultancy use, vacancy rates, and post reclassification trends.

Madam Chair,
In conclusion, Liberia supports a realistic, transparent, and equitable budget—one that protects mandates and people; strengthens accountability; and delivers measurable impact where it is needed the most. We are committed to working with all delegations to ensure that the 2026 budget enables the United Nations to uphold its Charter obligations and serve humanity.

I thank you.