As part of ways to improve democratic governance throughout the country with emphasis on decentralization in national leadership, transparency and accountability among others, a consortium of three civil society organizations under the banner ‘CSO’s Governance Consortium’ has launched a €1.5 Million project looking into the direction of getting remedies to many of these challenges.
On Tuesday, November 12, 2024 at the Corina Hotel in Sinkor, the consortium consisting of its lead CSOs, the Center for Democratic Governance (CDG), the Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL) and the National Youth Movement for Transparent Elections (Naymote) partners for democratic development launched the project giving hopes to different stakeholders that are concerned about the key focus that the implementation of the project will cover.
According to the consortium, the title of the project is ‘Strengthening Governance and Accountability in Liberia’ and is being funded by the government and people of Ireland through the Arish Aid International development program and embassy in Liberia.
Speaking on behalf of the three-implementing partner CSO groupings, Anderson Miameh, CENTAL’s Executive Director explained that the timeframe for this initiative is three years running from September 2024 to August of 2027.
Miameh however noted that the hope of the project team is to have the funding partners and other international organizations of concern interested in expanding the duration of the project and making more resources available in the future.
He explained that the scope of the project is core targeting three counties namely Grand Bassa, Margibi and Bong counties but will also include Montserrado because of the high involvement and concentration of governance and democratic activities place in the city.
“This project being launched today is targeting building stronger governance system for Liberia, eradicating corruption and giving the ordinary citizens in the different counties the actual picture of what democratic governance is in the local government act. It will directly benefit over 10,000 people with women and men at an equal rate along with various marginalized groups in the society,” Miameh noted.
He thanked the Arish government for providing the fund to them maintaining to work with Liberian government through sector institutions, local government structures at county service centers and number of other civil society organizations.
Launching the project, the Deputy Internal Affairs Minister for Planning and Research, Eddie Mulbah, intimated that the project aligns with the government national development agenda which is focused on tracking service delivery and giving opportunities to the common people on the working performance of the regime.
Performing the task as a proxy of the Internal Affairs Minister, Mulbah intimated that the government welcomes the ideology in the project and will work with the implementing entities to maintain transparency and accountability in its working and amplify the voice of the locals.
For his part, Ireland Ambassador to Liberia Gerard Considine, committed his government’s willingness to supporting democratic governance in the country and promoting instruments that will be used in giving local citizens a louder and respected voice in the decision-making processes of Liberia.
He explained that Ireland’s Foreign and Development Cooperation Policy is based on the fundamental principles of justice, human rights and the rule of law that seek to promote the norms and principles which support key freedoms and to ensure enabled sustainable development.
According to Ambassador Considine, in Liberia, strengthening governance and transparency underpins all of their efforts as development partners to deliver transformative change, inclusive economic development and the realization of Ireland’s strategy in Liberia from 2024 to 2028.
“And it aims to deepen our development, political and economic cooperation, specifically in the area of strengthening governance, gender equality, food and security and climate action.” He said.
