Jaishankar meets parliamentary delegation from Liberia on India visit

NEW DELHI, Aug 11 : External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met a parliamentary delegation from Liberia visiting India for an IBSA-funded peer-learning programme, and said the interaction reaffirmed the commitment towards a deeper Global South partnership.

Jaishankar shared the update in a post on X on Tuesday, along with photographs of the meeting.

The project is funded by the governments of India, Brazil and South Africa through the IBSA Fund (India, Brazil, South Africa) administered by the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC).

“A pleasure to meet a Parliamentary Delegation from Liberia visiting India for the IBSA funded peer-learning programme. Exchanged views on development programmes, sharing the experience of Jan-Dhan Yojana, MUDRA Yojana, SVAnidhi, Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, Jal Jeevan Mission, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Yojana, and Mission Amrit Sarovar.

“Appreciated their interest and reaffirmed our commitment towards deeper Global South partnership,” Jaishankar said.

The delegation comprises 15 members of the Liberian Senate, the House of Representatives and Secretariat, accompanied by staff members of UN Women Liberia and India, according to a statement issued by the UN Women India country office.

The mission has been organised under the project ‘Women Legislators in Liberia: Promoting Voice, Leadership and Gender-Responsive Governance for Sustainable Development’, implemented by UN Women Liberia in partnership with the Women’s Legislative Caucus of Liberia.

The project seeks to strengthen the capacity of legislators to advance gender-responsive legislation, oversight and governance, while expanding opportunities for women’s political and economic empowerment, it said.

The delegation is visiting India for nearly a week starting August 10.

Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Annpurna Devi, also met with the Liberian delegation led by Ellen-Attoh Wreh on Tuesday, the ministry said in a statement.

Wreh represents Electoral District 3, Margibi County, and is currently in her second term in the 55th national legislature, according to her profile shared by the UN Women India country office.

“During the meeting, the delegation was briefed on India’s key initiatives for women-led development,” the ministry said in the statement.

Devi underlined India’s approach of viewing women as active agents of national development and highlighted “India’s legislative, programmatic and institutional commitment” to women’s empowerment, including in the areas of women’s political representation, gender-responsive governance and budgeting, institutional responses to violence against women, the care economy and women’s leadership in local governance, the statement said.

“Both sides had a substantive exchange on areas of shared interest and expressed their commitment to deepening cooperation between the two countries within the framework of South-South cooperation,” it said.

India has been a trailblazer in integrating women into peacekeeping, officials said.

In 2007, India deployed the first ever all-female police unit in Liberia, which served till 2016. It comprised women CRPF personnel who were praised for their dedication, professionalism and courage during their discharge of duties, they said.

At present, Indian peacekeepers (around 4,200) are active in nine out of 11 UN missions.

India has contributed more than 3,00,000 peacekeepers in more than 50 UN missions. So far, 184 Indian peacekeepers have made the supreme sacrifice, the officials said.

India’s engagement in peacekeeping activities is held in high esteem by the UN and the member states, which is illustrated by the various citations and awards received by Indian peacekeepers, they said. (PTI)