MONTSERRADO COUNTY, LIBERIA – The 11th anniversary observance of the World Day Against Statelessness in rural Montserrado on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, brought together hundreds of parents, children, community leaders and local authorities in what residents described as an unprecedented event for their region. Held in Jallabah Town, Arthington, District 17, the gathering united people from nearly 50 surrounding villages under the theme, “Everyone Deserves a Nationality: The Campaign Against Child Statelessness.”
According to organizers, the day began with a lively parade that moved through the community, accompanied by a marching band and joined by collaborating partners, local officials, residents, students, teachers and traditional leaders. Villagers said the event was the first of its kind in their area and expressed excitement and gratitude as the parade passed by, with one resident noting that “we have greatly honored their village,” as the marching band played to their delight. The participation of the Paramount Chief, several town chiefs and the Mayor of Arthington City added symbolic weight to the day, especially given Arthington’s historical significance.
Residents welcomed the delegation with traditional gestures, including kola nuts, rice and a hen, emphasizing the cultural importance of hospitality. The formal program later shifted to awareness discussions on the causes and prevention of statelessness, with speakers highlighting Liberia’s national efforts and stressing the urgent need for a census to determine the stateless population in the country. Organizers underscored that without accurate data, policy reforms and international commitments remain difficult to implement.
A central moment of the event was the keynote speech delivered by Hon. Jackson Paye, Executive Director of the Liberia Refugee, Repatriation and Resettlement Commission (LRRRC), who arrived during the presentations. Paye urged the government to take concrete policy steps, declaring that Liberia must “formally adopt the National Plan of Action required of every West African country by ECOWAS since 2015,” and appealed for amendments to the 1993 Act establishing the LRRRC so that it includes a direct mandate for addressing statelessness. He also called on Liberians to “stop discrimination based on nationality (especially against women), amongst others.”
To symbolize the importance of legal identity for every child, officials presented birth certificates to 15 children selected from among the 500 printed for the occasion by the Ministry of Health. The presentation was performed jointly by the LRRRC Executive Director, the Mayor of Arthington and the Paramount Chief. Organizers noted that these documents represent more than legal papers; they signify inclusion, protection and the foundation of citizenship.
The event concluded with prayers, refreshments and an unexpected cultural moment when a local masked dancer arrived requesting prayers from the gathered leaders. Women from participating villages also used the moment to publicly request skills training programs, underscoring broader community needs tied to economic empowerment and social development.
In the days leading up to the celebration, religious leaders also observed the global commemoration. On Friday, October 31, 2025, Rev. Dr. Kortu K. Brown held a special “Prayer Point” for stateless populations worldwide. Bishop Brown, who served as Convenor of the observance, reminded Liberians that “the United Nations estimates that more than 15 million people are without nationality or citizenship in the world; and many more are at risk of being stateless due to the lack of preventive measures, i.e. awareness on causes and prevention, birth registration and discriminatory nationality laws against women.”
Bishop Brown added that since 2014, the international community has used November 4 each year “to bring awareness and provoke action on ending statelessness in the world,” noting that more than one million people in Africa alone lack nationality. He highlighted the work done by Church Aid Inc., which he said “has led efforts in Liberia to bring awareness to the issue and to initiate actions to prevent statelessness, including the registration of more than 20,000 birth certificates to under-12-year-old children in more than six counties.”
Calling for continued advocacy and faith-based engagement, Brown urged national leaders, clergy, civil society and “people of goodwill” to join in prayer for those affected by statelessness globally and for Liberia’s local observances. “To God be the Glory,” he declared, stressing that unity and compassion must guide the effort to ensure no child grows up without a nationality.
As Liberia joins the global community in confronting the issue, advocates say that the momentum witnessed in Arthington must now translate into long-term policy commitments. For the parents and children in rural Montserrado who witnessed Tuesday’s gathering, the event served as an important affirmation: that every child deserves legal identity, inclusion and a place to call home.
