LIBERIA – Following the just-ended high-level summit between the Government of Liberia (GoL) spearheaded by the Governance Commission (GC) and CSOs under the umbrella of the National Civil Society Council of Liberia (NCSCL), both partners have signed a communiqué for mutual cooperation and collaboration.
The communiqué, which was signed in the post city of Buchanan, Grand Bassa County, called on the government and CSOs to see each other as partners with CSOs maintaining their independence with strong, well-intentioned, and genuine long advocacy discussions on strengthening the partnership.
It was agreed that the partnership maintains an independent standing on the role of civil society in influencing policy and other government decision-making processes.
It stressed the need that such independence works to support positive synergy building for the common collective good of all Liberians, especially the most vulnerable including women, children, and people living with a disability.
Furthermore, the partners at the meeting agreed to recognize and uphold the role of Liberian CSOs in influencing and advancing the GoL’s Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity Development (PAPD) and any subsequent and inclusive, collective, and people-centered national drive.
“The participants at the First Government of Liberia and Civil Society National Summit also resolved that CSOs and Government Ministries, Agencies, and Commissions including the subnational County Authorities recognize the collective mandate of all stakeholders in contributing to government efforts, with the council and her members remaining the connector, the overall and independent voice within the national development agenda, that must be assured genuine commitment empowered and follow up with Ministries, Agencies and Commission on their commitments,” stated the communiqué.
The partners resolved to sustain strong relationships with the government and other stakeholders to ensure political will that is exercised with good intent, and with a vision sustained for progressive advancement – building a flourishing nation that works for all.
The communiqué indicated that government and government actors show willingness and invest in cultivating genuine and lasting inclusions of every Liberian home and abroad.
They also committed to ensuring that the youthful generation has a social mandate to leave a legacy that the next generation ahead can leverage and as such, must be included in all policy planning and implementation to create an enabling environment for excellence.
“CSOs must ensure to engage community structures on the issues of Natural Resource Governance, Revenue Generation, Decentralization, Fiscal Transparency, and Accountability and harness best practices in and draw synergies to strengthen collective actions. The government of Liberia must ensure full implementation of the open budget partnership which calls for active citizens and CSO engagement. Going forward, both government and Civil Society need each other in the development of Liberia without any reservation with the goal of leaving no one behind,” the communiqué asserted.
Meanwhile, the 1st Government of Liberia and Civil Society National Summit was organized by the GC NCSCL with Support from The African Development Bank, European Union, Irish Aid, and the Swedish Embassy.
