“The United Nations has contributed immensely to the safety and advancement of people around the world,” Superintendent of Grand Gedeh County Peter Solo observed when staff from the UN fraternity and the local administration congregated to fete UN Day in the small but vibrant town of Zwedru on 24 October.

The function at the headquarters of the UN Field Office came hot on the heels of a peacebuilding confab of clan chiefs and elders from Liberian and Ivorian border towns, which was held in Zwedru just the weekend before. UNMIL and fellow UN agencies had been very instrumental in the success of the meeting and, in a brief statement, Superintendent Solo seized the occasion on UN Day to acknowledge that support.  “Once again, we’d like to express our appreciation for the services the UN continues to render us,” Solo declared.

At the flag-raising ceremony, Thomas Mtaisi, Head of the Field Office in Zwedru read the message of the UN Secretary General to an audience that included civilian personnel from UNMIL and UN agencies, UNPOLs, MILOBs from Team Site 7, and detachments of the Pakistani, Indian and Chinese Contingents. In attendance, too, were officers from Liberian security units, officials from the Office of the Superintendent and City Corporation, and students from four local high schools.

The ceremony was preceded by a march of UN civilian and military personnel, accompanied by their counterparts of the County administration and students to the town centre and back to the ceremonial grounds. Celebration wrapped up in the afternoon with the final of a four-school football tournament in which Mike Tuleh Wilson High School snatched a late goal to stun favorites Zwedru Multilateral and lift the trophy on a full-time score of 2-1. 

In Harper, students, teachers, County officials and security agencies attended the days’ programme at UNMIL’s Regional headquarters. UN Flag was hoisted by PakBatt 19 while Acting Head of Field office Omar Mall read the Secretary General message. The County Superintendent was represented by the County Development Superintendent Nathaniel Toe. Other activities included football match with three high Schools, the United Nations team and Security agencies.

A team of UN staff visited two schools in Pleebo and made presentations on the work of the UN. Along the Pleebo- Harper highway, the group distributed UN day promotional materials  to the  communities.

In Kakata the UN Day programme was organized by the UN Field Office in collaboration with Booker Washington Institute (BWI) and the Ministry of Education. More than 200 students from BWI and other schools in Kakata, teachers, BWI management staff, county authorities, line ministries, youth, community members and representatives of UNMIL civilian, police and military staff from the Field Office attended the celebrations. 

More than 100 students from six schools, wearing UN T-shirts and carrying banners, paraded on the streets of Kakata. Posters were also distributed and placed in various locations of the city.