The Secretariat of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States

Madam President,
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

The visit of the President of a Republic to the Committee of Ambassadors is always a major event for the ACP Group, but that of the first democratically-elected female Head of State in Africa, as the Chair of the Committee of Ambassadors rightly pointed out, is quite an exceptional one.

I will now try to accomplish the difficult task of presenting H. E. Mrs. Ellen JOHNSON-SIRLEAF, President of the Republic of Liberia, given her long and distinguished career and immensely rich experience.

I will mention only a few aspects of her brilliant career to highlight her consistent devotion in the service of mankind.

Before her inauguration into office as President of Liberia on 16 January 2006, H.E. Mrs. JOHNSON-SIRLEAF, a Harvard graduate, led a very active life as a staunch advocate for the promotion of Human Rights, the defence of women’s rights, and the fight against poverty as a means of ensuring a more equitable and a safer world.

Over the years, President JOHNSON-SIRLEAF has been a member of the Advisory Board of the Modern Africa Growth and Investment Company, member of the Hong Kong Bank Group and Vice-President of CITICORP Africa Regional Office.

She was also a member of the Initial Group of World Bank’s Council of African Advisors and a founding member of the International Institute for Women in Political Leadership.

In her home country, she has occupied several posts, including that of Minister of Finance and President of the Liberia Bank for Development and Investment.

She is also the founder of Komah Development and Investment Corporation, a financial management advisory consultancy firm and MEASUAGOON, a community development NGO.

Our distinguished guest has successively served as Governor of Liberia for several international financial institutions, including the International Monetary Fund, the African Development Bank and the World Bank.

Extremely active on the local scene and widely sought after in the international arena, President JOHNSON-SIRLEAF has served on several advisory boards and committees such as the International Crisis Group (USA), Centre for Africa’s International Relations, and University of Witwatersrand (South Africa).

She was one of the seven eminent international personalities designated in 1999 by the Organization of African Unity to investigate the Rwanda genocide, one of the five Commission Chairpersons for the inter-Congolese Dialogue in 2002, and in the same year, one of the two International Experts selected by UNIFEM to investigate and report on the effect of conflicts on women.

Mrs. JOHNSON-SIRLEAF is the recipient of several special honours, including the “Commander of the Order of Mono” of Togo in 1996, the “Ralph Buche International Leadership Award of the United States” in 1995, the “Franklin D. Roosevelt Freedom of Speech Award of the United States in 1988, and the “Grand Commander of the Star of Africa Redemption of Liberia” in 1980.

Mr. Chairman,

I now would like to conclude by joining the Committee of Ambassadors in conveying to our distinguished guest that it has been a great pleasure for the staff of the ACP Secretariat and myself to have her with us this morning.

Thank you for your kind attention■