The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Fonati Koffa, has pledged his unflinching support to achieving sustainable WASH activities in the country, and also join the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Legislative Caucus as a full member.
The Speaker intimated that Liberia’s national and international commitments to the sector and the establishment of a WASH Standing Committee will be given keen attention under his leadership.
The decision by the Grand Kru District 1 Representative was taken on Wednesday, February 21, when an array of CSOs, INGO, and Chairman of the WASH Legislative Caucus, Grand Bassa County District 5 Representative, Thomas A. Goshua, paid a courtesy call on him at his Capitol Building Office.
The Rep. Goshua-led WASH Legislative Caucus has been engaged by Civil Society Organizations and other WASH stakeholders in the country, stressing the need for the establishment of a WASH Standing Committee, which, from sector-wide strategic analyses, remains an indispensable response to the many challenges faced by the WASH Sector.
Last week, the Caucus, through Rep. Goshua, received a resolution adopted by approximately 18 civil society organizations and other WASH stakeholders under a USIAD sponsorship, calling for establishment of the WASH Standing Committee at the Legislature.
The decision was reached at a one-day consultative meeting organized by Compassion for Humanity (C4H) Liberia, with support from the USAID funded Countywide Sanitation Activity (CWSA), being implemented by consortium of International NGOs led by Population Services International (PSI).
Styled Corina Resolution, it emerged from a WASH CSO and stakeholder engagement meeting organized by Compassion for Humanity (C4H) Liberia, under its project titled ‘Legislative Engagement to Formalize WASH Caucus into Standing Committee.’
The project is part of USAID-sponsored Countywide Sanitation Activity (CWSA), which is managed by a consortium of International NGOs led by Population Services International (PSI). CWSA has a goal to permanently end open defecation in Liberia.
The program was held on Tuesday, February 13, in Monrovia where many CSO actors have described the move by Rep. Koffa as a responsible and timely one, as the WASH sector is faced with critical challenges, ranging from limited political will to support regulatory enforcement to low budgetary appropriation.
The undersigned CSOs and WASH Sector Actors specifically focusing on result one, “Improved Sanitation Governance” of the CWSA, have unanimously committed to the advocacy campaign for the establishment of a Standing Committee on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in the Legislature.”
The petition which was formally submitted to the Legislature to ensure that a Standing Committee on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene is established among other things stated, that the sector actors will participate in Legislative engagements to formalize the WASH Caucus into a Standing Committee within the Legislature with priority of inclusive women, youth and persons in need of special attention, as well as other vulnerable persons.
Among other things, the sector will facilitate the works of the Committee to support WASH oversight and budgetary allocations at the National Legislature for adequately meeting the needs of the country.
It seeks to also promote improved WASH/sanitation governance in the country for reducing the burden of health and economic challenges on the citizens while the WASH Committee strengthens the national WASH policy communication to promote sector-wide behavior change and that the Legislative WASH Caucus Secretariat be strengthened to ensure continuous championing of WASH issues at the Legislature.
That the government of Liberia, through the standing Committee, will ensure the standardization and regulate activities of the WASH sector; that WASH CSOs, WASH Sector Consortium, and private sector stakeholders, lead and support the Standing Committee’s establishment advocacy campaign at the national and subnational levels.
The activities of the WASH Committee will among other thing establish countywide WASH campaigns for improved national and local water management, sanitation and hygiene behavior change and practices in every part of the country.
The government of Liberia, as part of its ARREST agenda, under the sanitation pillar, declares a national emergency on open defecation and ensure an enabling environment for active private sector participation.
