Editorial: Mr. President, Let These Meetings Produce Tangible Results

President Joseph Nyuma Boakai is in the United States for the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA81), where world leaders are gathering to deliberate on pressing global challenges and pursue bilateral and multilateral engagements.

Liberia’s participation offers another opportunity to present the country’s development priorities to international partners and explore cooperation in investment, trade, infrastructure, energy, security, and other critical sectors.

President Boakai began laying the groundwork ahead of the UNGA high-level week through meetings in Washington with U.S. officials and other stakeholders, seeking to strengthen Liberia-U.S. relations and advance the country’s development interests.

We welcome these engagements. But meetings alone are not achievements. Photographs of handshakes, speeches from international platforms and announcements of new partnerships should not be mistaken for tangible development outcomes.

Liberia has witnessed numerous high-level international engagements over the years. Memoranda of Understanding have been signed, commitments announced and partnerships celebrated, yet too often the public hears little afterward about implementation.

That must change. The real test of Liberia’s participation at UNGA81 will come after the delegation returns home. What investments were secured? What commitments were made? What projects will move forward? What timelines were agreed upon, and which government institutions will ensure implementation?

These questions should define the trip’s success.

International diplomacy is important. Liberia cannot isolate itself from the rest of the world, especially when the country needs investment, technology, infrastructure, jobs, and stronger development partnerships.

But diplomacy must ultimately deliver benefits for ordinary Liberians.

Government officials must therefore treat follow-up as seriously as they treat the meetings themselves. Every meaningful commitment secured in Washington or New York should be documented, assigned to the appropriate ministry or agency, and tracked until implementation.

Too often, promising agreements lose momentum once delegations return home. Meetings are held, communiqués are issued, and photographs dominate newspapers and other platforms, but the public is left wondering what became of the commitments.

This year should therefore mark a departure from measuring diplomatic success by the number of meetings held or agreements signed.

Success should be measured by results. If agreements are reached, Liberians should know what they contain. If investment commitments are secured, the government should explain their value and implementation timetable. If development partners make pledges, responsible officials should ensure sustained follow-up.

We therefore urge President Boakai and his delegation to use UNGA81 not merely as another international gathering, but as an opportunity to secure practical outcomes that can contribute to Liberia’s development.

The country does not need another collection of agreements gathering dust on government shelves.

Liberians want jobs. They want reliable electricity, better roads, improved healthcare, better schools, increased agricultural production, and greater economic opportunities.

Diplomacy should help deliver those results: bring the meetings home in the form of tangible results.