Minister Kamara outlines goals to implement peacebuilding objectives in Liberia

Liberia’s Minister of Finance and Development Planning has underscored the need to mobilize technical and financial resources to implement the Statement of Mutual Commitments (SMC) endorsed by the Government of Liberia (GoL) and the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) on May 2, 2016.

Minister Boima S. Kamara urged the PBC, during a visit to Liberia of its Chairperson, Amb. Macharia Kamau, to increase its advocacy to mobilize the needed technical and financial resources to implement the PBC-GoL partnership for peacebuilding in Liberia.

Minister Kamara outlined five key priority areas identified by the GoL, including security sector development; strengthening the rule of law; promoting national reconciliation; promoting peaceful and inclusive elections; and Human rights; for implementation over the next 2-3 years and beyond. “These areas are quite critical in addition to needed support to overall Ebola recovery and UNMIL’s transitional plans,” Minister Kamara maintained.

The Finance and Development Planning Minister made the statement at a lunch meeting with Amb. Kamau and delegation at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) on Friday, June 10, 2016. Providing updates on some of the priorities outlined in the SMC, Minister Kamara informed the delegation that Liberia is in the process of holding general and presidential elections in 2017, as GoL assumes all aspects of national security from UNMIL by June 30, 2016, in line with the mission’s withdrawal schedule.

He extolled the delegation for visiting Liberia at this critical time and assured it of government’s preparedness to work with the PBC and the international community to address priority areas. “On behalf of the President, the Government and people of Liberia, we are exceedingly glad that you have come at the time when Liberia is at the critical juncture towards sustaining the peacebuilding gains made during the last 12 years of peace and stability" Minister Kamara asserted.

The Minister disclosed that the Peacebuilding Office is currently working with the relevant government institutions to develop and set realistic targets to be achieved during the implementation of the SMC.

For his part, Amb. Kamau said the commission has been a friend to Liberia and will remain a committed partner in sustaining peace. “We are also committed toward sustaining peace, especially drawing down to your electoral process come 2017,” he assured.
According to him, the experiences from Liberia has taught the PBC an important lesson. “We have learned,” he emphasized, that the commission must invest in sustaining peace, instead of focusing on infrastructure alone, “because the challenges in sustaining peace are important to the growth and development of Liberia.”

Amb. Kamau said creating jobs, issues of agricultural transformation, vibrant health and education systems are all components in sustaining peace as a nation.

At the request of the GoL, Liberia was placed on the agenda of the PBC on May 27, 2010, followed by the adoption of the SMC on November 16, 2010, following a PBC assessment mission to Liberia. Since its adoption, progress has been made in the implementation of the commitments of both the GoL and the PBC.