BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

CAPITOL HILL, MONROVIA

NEWS SUMMARY, WEDNEDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019

Today’s edition of our news summary highlights stories about President Weah declaring Wednesday, October 9, 2019 as World Postal Day which is to be observed throughout the Republic as a working holiday; the Government of Liberia and her Partners Signing Policy Documents for the 2021 National Census as well as Germany’s  Assurance of Continuous Support to Liberia among other stories.                                                                                                    

DOMINAT STORIES  

Weah declares Wednesday World Post Day 

President George Manneh Weah has by proclamation declared Wednesday, October 9, 2019 as World Postal Day and is to be observed throughout the Republic as a working holiday .A press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Tuesday, 8 October says the proclamation calls on Ministries and Agencies of Government as well as National and International Organizations concerned to join and cooperate with the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications in executing appropriate programs to make the observance of the Day meaningful. According to the Foreign Ministry, this year’s celebration will take place under the theme: UPU’s 145 Year Delivering Development”. The release states that as a member of the Universal Postal Union (UPU), Liberia is duty bound to support and uphold all rules and procedures laid down by this World Body, the New Dawn newspaper imply.

Related Caption: Today Is ‘’World Post Day (The New Dawn newspaper)

GOL, Partners Sign Policy Document…For 2021 National Census

According to the news Newspaper, the Government of Liberia and development partners have signed a national population and housing census project document. The Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS) signed the project document on behalf of the government, while several development partners, including the United Nations, the Economic Community of the West African States (ECOWAS), the Swedish Embassy, Irish Aid, the World Bank and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) signed on behalf of their respective institutions. Speaking at the signing ceremony Tuesday, October 8, 2019 in Monrovia, UNFPA Resident Representative Dr. Bannet Ndyanabangi said the census project document was developed with the Government of Liberia and the UNFPA following the completion of consultation on the details of the program content, outcome, output indicators milestone, strategies and activities that will collectively deliver the census. Dr. Ndyanabangi stated that the cooperation is in the spirit of the UR Reform, the Paris Declaration and Accra Principles in support of efforts aimed at improving the quality of lives of Liberians.

Related Caption: Gov’t Partners Sign 2021 Census Document (The New Dawn newspaper) GoL, UNFPA Sign 2021 Census Document (Daily Observer)

VP Taylor wants Sheikh Kafumba Konneh vision kept alive                                                                                 Liberia’s Vice President, Jewel Howard-Taylor, Monday, October 7, 2019, made a brief visit with the Sheikh Kafumba F. Konneh Foundation for Peace, based on Clay Street, Monrovia, where she reflected on the positive advocacy role of the fallen Islamic Leader. According to a Press Release from the Office of the Vice President, the Foundation, which houses a mini library, is being operated by Madam Maseba K. Konneh, daughter of the late Cleric, along with some eminent personalities serving on the Board of Directors. Some members of the Board are Sister Mary Laurine Brown, who is the President of the Stella Maris University, and Dr. Togba Nah-Tipoteh, a towering Liberian economist and political activist, among others, the New Dawn newspaper imply.

Related Caption: Vp-Taylor Wants Vision of Sheikh Kafumba Konneh Kept Alive Visits Foundation of Fallen Islamic Scholar (Heritage newspaper)

Other stories  

Finance Minister Encourages Gov’t Officials…To Collectively Own Census Exercise 

Liberia Finance and Development Planning Minister and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS), Hon. Samule D. Tweah, Jr., has encouraged government officials and institutions to collectively own the upcoming 2021 National Population and Housing Census (NPHC) process. According to a Finance Ministry release, Minister Tweah said it was important that the census is collectively owned because it will provide updated data set critical for national development and help re-premise the Pro-Poor Agenda for the Prosperity and Development on those data. The Minister emphasized that 2021 NPHC is particularly relevant as the government moves to what he terms as “a more data-centric governance in which policies and decisions will be based on more reliable”.  He, however, praised the 2008 NPHC upon which the PAPD is premised as a great census that set the country on the trajectory of development by providing relevant statistics for development planning, the release stated. The reseals indicated that Tuesday’s signing officially commences the 2021 NPHC process, according to Minister Tweah. He acknowledged that the exercise is behind schedule but clarified that it was belated for good reasons, pens the news Newspaper. 

Germany Assures Continuous Support to Liberia  at  its  29^th  Year of German Unity.                                                                                                                                 German Ambassador to Liberia, Hubert J. Jager, has reaffirmed his government’s continued support to the Liberian government, despite tremendous challenges and setbacks — the Ebola epidemic being the most formidable. Said support, he said, has come a long way in the past decade and a half. Ambassador Jager spoke on Thursday, October 3, 2019, at the occasion marking the “Day of German Unity” a German national holiday. Thirty years since the Berlin Wall came down, twenty-nine years of German Unity; it is an important annual event for Germans to converge, celebrate and be thankful as well looks back with gratitude. This year’s event brought together government officials, the Doyen and members of the Diplomatic Corps, the UN family and Civil Society at a local resort in Monrovia, pens the, Daily observer newspaper.      

Gen. George Calls For Mutual Understanding In Security Sector

The Deputy Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), Brigadier General Garaldine J. George has called for deeper coordination among security agencies in the country to promote mutual understand in the performance of their respective roles.  According to Gen. George, there should be a security sector coordination meeting regularly attended by all security institutions in the country, adding that the exercise will help to strengthen the working relationship amongst security bodies in the dissemination of information. She was speaking on the topic: “Strengthening Coordination for Operational Efficiency of Core Security Institutions in Liberia at a forum organized by the Koffi Anan Institute of Conflict Transformation (KAICT) that gathered heads of security institutions, civil society, stakeholders and students held recently at the main campus of the University of Liberia in Monrovia. President George Weah said coordination gives rise to efficiency and there is “a great need: for security institutions to coordinate and share information. She said the ALF has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ivorian Government to jointly secure their common frontier through border patrol and information sharing, adding that similar coordination is ongoing with neighboring Guinea to avoid external security threats, the news Newspaper report.