Foreign Minister of Liberia H. E. Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan has challenged all actors in the global community to make collective commitment and proportionate contribution to the impact of climate change in the world. Speaking at the UN Climate Change Summit at the UN headquarters in New York on Tuesday, September 23, 2014; the Liberian Foreign Minister said as small and developing countries make commitments to save the planet bigger or developed countries should do similar.

“The hard truth is that if all countries, small or big, developing or developed, do not make similar and proportionate contributions to this noble effort, what we do here today will not avail much in achieving the lofty goals we have set for this Summit”, Minister Ngafuan remarked.

He said developing countries, like Liberia, contribute very little to global greenhouse emissions but suffer disproportionately from the adverse impact of climate change.  Minister Ngafuan hopes that the UN Climate Change Summit will spur the global community into concrete actions in the interest of the current generation and the generations of the future.

The Foreign Minister told the world gathering that the impacts of climate change have resulted in low agricultural and fisheries productivities, and unprecedented coastal erosion in Liberia. He revealed the negative impacts of climate change on critical sectors like agriculture, health and energy continue to impede our Agenda for Transformation.“Cognizant of the potential consequences of climate change, our Agenda for Transformation and our long term development framework, Vision 2030, captured the development of a national climate change policy, strategies and plans”, the Liberian Foreign Minister said.

Minister Ngafuan on behalf of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf who was unable to attend the all important high level climate event at this time due to the severity of the Ebola crisis in Liberia and the region, extended sincere thanks and appreciation to His Excellency Ban Ki Moon, Secretary General of the United Nations for organizing the event on Climate Change, particularly, at a summit level.