Sustainable Development

The fall in price of iron ore and other minerals has had an adverse effect to the Sierra Leonean economy as reflected in the poor performance of the government sector.
Before the outbreak of the deadly haemorrhagic Ebola disease in the country in May 2014, Sierra Leone was referred to as the one with the fastest growing economy by the government itself, official sources and other partners.
The 18 months standoff period of the Ebola era halted if not all, but most of the economic activities that were going on in the country and the problems within the mining sector left the country’s economy in bad shape.
But this does not mean there are no ways to rescue the situation. One major sector that can rescue the country’s economy, but also make it sustainable for a very long period is the ‘Tourism Sector’ which has the potential to transform the image of Sierra Leone, but only if much attention is given to this sector.
This country can learn from the success story of ‘Hainan province’ which was once an exile town but it has recently been transformed into a paradise for tourist’s attraction.

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, upon receiving an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Loyola Marymount University, in Los Angeles, California, today:

Thank you so much for your warm welcome.  It is a pleasure to be here at Loyola Marymount University.  I would like to express my great appreciation for this honorary degree.  I know you are recognizing not just me, but also the United Nations.  Thank you for this vote of support for our efforts to advance peace, development and human rights across the world.

I thank my good friend, professor Tom Plate, for his kind introduction.  My connection with LMU starts with him.  Our friendship goes back decades.  He was a long-time journalist, specializing in East Asia.  I was a senior official in the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and eventually became Foreign Minister.  Professor Plate and I came to know each other and talked often about Asian affairs.  When I became Secretary-General, our talks turned to global issues.

It was early in my tenure that he told me about Loyola Marymount University — a wonderful community, he said, that is strongly committed to the ideals of the United Nations.  “You must visit,” he said.  Since there is nothing I like as much as spending time with young people, here I am.