Helen Clark Liberia film

UNDP Administrator Helen Clark met today with Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf on the first day of her official visit to that country. Miss Clark commended the President for the real progress made in Liberia under her three year-old presidency, which came on the heels of decades of violent conflict.

Liberia is the first stop on Helen Clarks inaugural visit to Africa as UNDP Administrator. She has indicated that Africa, where UNDP has a presence in every country, will be a top priority during her administration. Following Liberia, she will meet with Government and local leaders and tour UNDP programmes in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia in the days ahead.

During her discussion with President Johnson-Sirleaf, who served as Director of UNDPs Regional Bureau for Africa in the 1990s, Miss Clark acknowledged that the current global recession would create additional obstacles to Liberias fragile peace-building process and she re-affirmed UNDPs commitment to continuing its work with the Liberian Government in addressing this and other challenges.

UNDP has been a key partner to the Government and the people of Liberia in the post-civil war recovery and rebuilding process. For example, UNDP helped establish 15 Truth and Reconciliation Commission offices, trained people to staff them and assisted 500 women who testified before the Commission. Through the Peacebuilding Fund, UNDP and its partners relocated and trained as farmers some 800 ex-combatants who had been working in illegal mining and logging. It has worked with the Government and local people to repair roads, clinics, schools, markets, wells, latrines and bridges, directly improving the lives of an estimated 400,000 people.

Later in the day, Helen Clark travelled to the Liberian village of Kakata where she led a town hall meeting with key government ministers and local leaders. During the meeting, Miss Clark also launched the Youth for Volunteer programme, an initiative of the UNDP-administered UNV Volunteers. The programme will launch a cadre of trained Youth Peace Ambassadors who will be responsible for identifying and diffusing potential violent conflicts in local communities.

The Youth for Volunteer programme is an offshoot of a national youth volunteer programme that UNDP, UNV Volunteers and the Government launched in 2007, sending university graduates across the country to provide much-needed educational, agricultural and health services.

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[isahone]

Fantastic Helen. We miss you in New Zealand. Now you are using your leadership to help the world's poorest and most vulnerable, we realise even more how great you really were.

[meringandan]

Why cant they do something to rid this country of the corruption and poverty that are destroying it.

[TheOhmum]

As long as I can get my case through those Big Huge Glass doors of the International Criminal Court, we should be able to stop this genocide now. Hopefully that will help to stop some of your people from having to become victims long term. It should also stop future genocides. The UK, Australia and NZ have yet to be tested in this Int'l Criminal Court. Does anyone know of somewhere else I can apply? War crimes do apply and are very well officially documented, and witnessed by Snr Govt officials.

[TheOhmum]

Now to the People Of Liberia. I am Maori. I am a parent/grandparent. Helen Clark makes a grating attempt at using my language. I have told her to stop using us and our culture to create "inroads" ingratiating herself and the European Armed forces into your culture.Helen represents the European Army, not our Maori People. She has known for years fo the Genocide committed in Australia against the people. She is now a defendant, in my case in the Int'l Criminal Court.I hope the court is for us too.

[TheOhmum]

meringandan, I agree. Thats why I will keep going until we get justice in this country too. My concern is also: Helen (who knows our countries well and our world region well) is on the other side of the world whilst my concerns about what is happening in Australia to Australians and New Zealanders is redirected by the UN in Canberra to the UN in Suva Fiji? What the hell or how well would they know the legal/governing politics of Australia or NZ? How stupid do they think we are?

[TheOhmum]

Helen is great for the people. But, Helen if you're way over there who are we supposed to trust over here? I am having a terrible time being sent by the UNIC to various addresses except the ICC. Sorry Helen but you know what they say "While the cats away" - watch the confusion unleashed on the victims. We need you Helen or someone equivalent. In trust we await.

[Ancupola]

Helen would make a wonderful leader for the planet. She is an inspiration and good hearted and warm. I wish her well. She is a role model for women.

[supertrinko]

It seems losing the elections has helped you go on to even greater things, I hope to see you take the top seat.

[ChelseaLane93]

I personally think that Helen would make a great replacement for Ban Ki Moon.

ps. What's with the freaky music in the background?