The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

 Monrovia, Liberia

DAILY NEWS SUMMARY FOR MONDAY, MARCH 27, 2017

Today’s edition of our summary of the local dailies highlights the Government of Liberia’s presentation of a 2.9 million British Pounds check to the International Maritime Organization as its periodic assessed contribution.

DOMINANT STORY  

Government of Liberia Pays Annual Assessment Contribution To IMO 

According to FrontPage Africa newspaper, the Government of Liberia has presented a check of 2.9 million British Pounds to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) as its periodic assessed contribution. The amount, roughly equivalent to US$3.6M or LD$348M, was presented to IMO Secretary General Kitack Lim by Liberia' Permanent Representative to the IMO, Ambassador Isaac W. Jackson, Jr. on Friday morning. The payment is based upon Liberia’s confirmed position as the second largest ship registry in the world. The Liberian-flag fleet currently stands at 4,167 vessels, exceeding the historic milestone of 150 million gross tons. Ambassador Jackson said the contribution symbolizes Liberia's commitment to the objectives of the IMO and its expectations of mutuality as we continue to strengthen and expand Liberia’s 58-year relationship with the International Maritime Organization.

Related Caption: GOL Settles IMO USD3.6m Dues (New Dawn),Liberia Pays Annual Assessment Contribution To IMO(In Profile Daily)

OTHER STORIES  

LNP, Political Parties Promise Peaceful Elections 

Representatives of 22 political parties have pledged their commitment to work with officers of the Liberia National Police (LNP) for the smooth conduct of the October presidential and legislative elections. The Daily Observer reads that the parties made the commitment over the weekend at a stakeholders’ dialogue sponsored by the LNP ahead of the pending elections.

The dialogue, which was characterized by frank exchanges, focused on how the October elections can be conducted void of violence.

Related Caption: Police, Political Parties Strengthen Relations-To Ensure Peaceful Elections(In Profile Daily)

UNMIL Faces ‘Shutdown’…In March Next Year

According to the INSIGHT newspaper, the U.N. peacekeeping Chief said Friday he expects operations in Haiti, Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia to end by March 2018, which will save hundreds of millions of dollars. Herve Ladsous told a farewell news conference Friday that a major U.N. review of the 16 peacekeeping missions – which cost nearly $8 billion a year – is currently underway, ordered by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who took office on Jan. 1. The Trump administration, which is seeking to cut payments to the United Nations including over 28 percent for peacekeeping, is conducting its own review. U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley has said reform of the far-flung operations is a top priority. Ladsous said he thinks the Liberian mission – whose latest annual budget was about $187 million – should be closed down by March 2018, following elections scheduled in October.  

Over 190,000 Polio Vaccinators Aim To Reach 116 Children In Africa: UN 

More than 190,000 polio vaccinators in 13 countries across West and Central Africa will immunize over 116 million children, to tackle the last remaining stronghold of polio on the continent, deputy UN spokesman Farhan Haq said Friday. All children under five years of age in Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, will be simultaneously immunized in a coordinated effort to raise childhood immunity to polio across the continent, Haq said at a daily news briefing, reports the INSIGHT newspaper.

Capacity Building: An Essential Ingredient For Efficient Performance

According to the New Dawn newspaper, several senior-level media practitioners, mainly editors and analysts from the Budget Office of the Liberian Legislature have ended a five-day vigorous workshop on Economic and Financial Analysis organized by the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) and facilitated by the West Africa Institute for Financial and Economic Management (WAIFEM), based in Lagos, Nigeria. The daily reports that the CBL initiated the exercise in response to earlier dialogue held between Executive Governor Milton Weeks and media executives on the need to help build the capacity of journalists to enable them professionally report on financial and economic issues, including the national budget. A total of 25 participants benefited, including 20 media practitioners and five analysts from the Legislative Budget Office.

Related Caption:25 Complete Economic, Financial Analyses, Reporting Workshop(Daily Observer)

National Catholic Health Council Launched

The National Catholic Health Council (NCHC) was launched in Monrovia on Saturday with a commitment to strengthen Roman Catholic health institutions in the country. The launch on Saturday followed a three-day workshop that drew a strategic plan to ensure the sustainability of Catholic related health institutions in the country. NCHC’s executive director Mary Bropleh said the primary goal of the newly established organization is to provide service to the needy and said with an effective strategic plan now available, the NCHC is ready to move ahead with committed staff members, writes the Daily Observer.

Quincy 'B' Finally Laid To Rest - Escorted By Thousands of Fans

There has never been a death so touching and pricking to the hearts of Liberians from all walks of life – both young and old – compared to sudden death of young musical start Quincy L. Burrowes, known on the stage as Quincy B. The Antoinette Tubman Stadium in Central Monrovia could not contain fans and sympathizers who turned out en mass to witness his homing going. Filled beyond capacity, thousands of young people stood outside the stadium with the hopes of catching a last glimpse at the remains of the 23-year-old that lay in the bronze casket caged with glass. Quincy B died during the early morning hours of March 3 in a fatal road accident, reports FrontPage Africa newspaper.