THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

NEWS SUMMARY FOR FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2016

Today’s edition of our summary highlights news of President Sirleaf’s reaffirmation of Liberia’s commitment to increase the share of renewable energy through hydro-electricity and solar power at the Africa Action Summit on the margins of COP22; the turning over of communication equipment to the Liberia National Police and the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization by the United Nations Development Programme  and the release by the Constitution Review Committee of records on citizens’ engagement in the ongoing  constitution reform process in Liberia .

The summary also includes President Sirleaf’s congratulatory message to the Government and people of the Kingdom of Morocco on the observance of that country’s 60^th Independence Anniversary on Friday, November 18. 

DOMINANT STORIES  

Ellen Participates In Africa Action Summit On The Margins Of COP22 

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf on Wednesday, November 16, 2016 participated in the “Africa Action Summit”, held on the margins of COP22 reaffirming Liberia’s commitment through its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to increase the share of renewable energy through hydro-electricity and solar power. She disclosed that the Mount Coffee Hydro Power Plant will be commissioned on December 2016 - follow by electricity supply. According to a dispatch, the Liberian leader was speaking at the Africa Action Summit”, held on the side lines of COP22hosted in the Royal Palace in Marrakech with over 40 African heads of state and Governments including Ministers in attendance at the invitation of King Mohammed VI of Morocco.She told the Summit that Liberia, like most of West Africa is not only threatened by climate change but now feel the effects of climate change because according to her excessive rainfall, draught, erosion from raising seas, flood and danger to animals, changing farming systems, displacement of population, particularly women farmers are disadvantaged. President Sirleaf told the gathering that Liberia is one of the major forest countries in Africa and as such Liberia’s contributions to addressing climate change is critical. She said threat to Liberia’s coastline, with serious risks to coastal cities, displacement of populations and loss of major economic benefits must be addressed, reports the FrontPage Africanewspaper.

Related Captions: Ellen Participates In Africa Action Summit On The Margins Of COP22(Heritage), Ellen Participates In Africa Action Summit(In Profile Daily)

UNDP Gives LNP, BIN Communication Equipment

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with support from the Government and people of Japan through the ‘Enhanced Ebola Border Surveillance Project’ (EESP) has turned over communication equipment to the Liberia National Police and the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization (BIN).  Speaking at the turnover ceremony in Monrovia the UNDP Deputy Country Director for Programme and Acting Country Director CleophasTorori  said the equipment, which include 200 pieces of Kenwood handheld and 80 pieces of Based Station Digital radios is valued at over three hundred thousand United States dollars ($300,000) and will be equally distributed to the LNP and BIN. Mr. Torori said the donation was in continuation of the Japanese Government support to enhancing border surveillance in Liberia through UNDP, reports the Inquirer newspaper.

Related Captions: LNP, BIN Get Communication Equipment From UNDP(Heritage), LNP, BIN Get Communication Equipment(In Profile Daily)

CRC Deepens Citizens' Engagement On Constitution Reform Process

The Constitution Review Committee (CRC) has begun the spreading of citizens’ engagement in the ongoing Liberia constitution reform process. The process commenced recently in Kakata, Margibi County with training of Civic Education Volunteers (CEVs) and others to increase awareness on the constitutional reform process and to ensure its success in the pending referendum. The exercise is part of a Small Grants Program that has been awarded to several civil society organization (CSOs) and grassroots organization in different parts of Liberia to reach as many Liberians as possible with these messages. The objective of the small grant program is to among other things undertake advocacy and engagement with relevant policy-makers constitutional review process and proposed amendments as well as to undertake context specific research and analysis and develop policy papers and positions on issues of relevance to the proposed amendment, reports the FOCUS newspaper

Related Captions: CRC Deepens Citizens’ Engagement On Constitution Reform Process(Heritage), Citizens’ Engagement Deepened …On Constitution Reform Process(In Profile Daily)

OTHER STORIES

Ellen Hails The Kingdom Of Morocco On 60^th Independence Anniversary

The Heritage newspaper reads: President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has congratulated the Government and people of the Kingdom of Morocco on the occasion commemorating their 60^th Independence Anniversary on Friday, November 18. According to a Foreign Ministry release, in the message to His Majesty King Mohamed VI, President Sirleaf said she looks forward to further strengthening the already excellent bilateral ties subsisting between the two countries for the mutual benefit of their respective peoples.  Moreover, she acknowledged with appreciation the strong partnership between the two countries, particularly, in international affairs, which she hopes will cultivate extensive bilateral engagements, as they collaborate in furtherance of peace, security and global economic development within the context of the United Nations.

Presidential Tenure Cut To 4 Years

According to the New Dawn newspaper, the House of Representatives has voted overwhelmingly for reduction in Liberia’s presidential tenure from six to four years, senatorial tenure from nine to six years, and representative tenure from six to four years, respectively pending concurrence by the Liberian Senate. The Lower House has also voted for dual citizenship in Liberia, arguing that restriction of citizenship has yielded the country nothing, but backwardness and selfish style. The move for the reduction in presidential and legislative tenures is in line with propositions validated by citizens from across the country during a validation conference held in 2015 in Gbarnga, Bong County. The daily says the lawmakers on Thursday, 17 November argued that elected officials enjoy long tenure in office; many of them feel relaxed on the job, while the needs of the citizenry remain unsolved.

Related Caption: Tenure Reduced-Lawmakers Support Reduction of President And Legislator Ahead Of Referendum(FrontPage Africa)

House Approves Paris Agreement-Boosts President Sirleaf’s Presence In Climate Change Conference -As 7 Bills Were Ushered In Committees’ Rooms

The Daily Observer reports that members of the House of Representatives have unanimously ratified the “Paris Agreement” to curb climate-warming emissions and address climate change related challenges. The Agreement has been sent to the Senate for concurrence. According to the “Paris Agreement” was approved by the House Plenary on Tuesday, November 15, owing to a Joint Committee Report from Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; Judiciary and Good Governance. According to the Daily Observer, the Paris Agreement is an international framework that recognizes the ultimate objective of the United Nations Framework on Climate Change (UNFCC).

CBL To Launch Financial Sector Development Implementation Plan

The Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) will on today, November 18, 2016 formally launch the Financial Sector Development Implementation Plan (FSDIP) at the Monrovia City Hall. The plan is being launched in collaboration with the World Bank and Financial Institutions Reform and Strengthening Trust (FIRST) Initiative. According to the FrontPage Africa newspaper, the Financial Sector Development Implementation Plan (FSDIP) provides a national prioritized, sequenced and time-bound roadmap for implementing reforms in the financial sector including the banking, insurance, credit information and payment systems, digital finance and pension funds.

Related Caption: CBL Launches Financial Sector Dev. Plan Today(In Profile Daily)

AfDB To Invest US$12 Billion To Accelerate Electricity In Africa

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has committed itself to invest US$12 billion to speed up electricity supply in Africa, leveraging between US$45 to 50 billion from the private sector, the Bank’s Executive Director Dr. Akinwumi Adesina has said. Speaking at an event organized by the African Union at the COP22 Village in Marrakech, Morocco, Dr. Adesina said the Bank will work with the A U and other partners to fast track the “Africa We want.” He said one aspect of the “Africa We Want” is an Africa with universal access to electricity in the next ten years. He noted that the continent was at the forefront of the success of COP 21 in Paris last year in spite of the many challenges that it faces.

Gender Ministry, Partners Pay out 159M to Vulnerable Households in Bomi

The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection through its Social Cash Transfer Program has paid out over one hundred and fifty nine million Liberian Dollars (LD 159,520.00) to more than seven thousand five hundred vulnerable households in four counties. The counties are: Bomi, Grand Cape Mount, Maryland, and Grand Kru. Funding and technical support for the Social Cash Program is being provided by the European Union, UNICEF and the World Bank. The payment was the final round of social cash payment provided to the four counties for the year. Grand Kru County had a total of 2,233 households that were paid for a period of seven months with the total payment amounting to sixty five million, seven hundred and eighty-six thousand, eight hundred and forty dollars, amongst others, the Heritage newspaper reads.

In Furtherance Of SSR Operationalization: Deputy UNMIL Chief Wants Legislative Oversight

The Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General (DSRSG) of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) for Political and Rule of Law, Waldemar Very, has stressed the urgent need for legislative oversight in a bid to ensuring key policies in the Security Reform or SSR. Mr. Very said effective legislative oversight does not only improve governance of the security sector, but also has the potential of improving the relationships between the sector and civilians. The UNMIL DSRSG was speaking Thursday, November 17, 2016 at program marking the formal launch of the Center for Security Studies and Development, and a dialogue on security sector governance in Liberia, the Heritage newspaper reads.

Ellen, ECOWAS Commission President Holds Talks On Crisis In Guinea-Bissau

Liberia’s President and Chairperson of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, Mrs. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has held talks with ECOWAS Commission President H.E. Marcel A. De Souza on the margins of COP22 to receive update and follow-up on the ongoing mediation process involving the political crises in Guinea Bissau. According to a dispatch, the Liberian Leader and ECOWAS Commission President met on Thursday, November 17, 2016 in an effort to receive update, follow-up and review progress made as well as assess challenges encountered by the parties involved in order to unlock any prevailing bottlenecks to pave the way for the swift implementation of the 10-point Count Conakry Agreement, which will lead to the alleviation of the suffering of the people of Guinea Bissau, the Heritage news daily reads.

Comm. Involvement Key to Clinical Research

The Co-lead on Social Mobilization and Communications at PREVAIL, has stressed that community involvement remains cardinal in the planning and conduct of any clinical research. Address a global conference on the Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research held in Anaheim, California, the United States on Wednesday, November 16, 2016 Mr. Bartholomew Wilson said Social Mobilization, Community engagement and Communication served as essential components in the success of the PREVAIL I Ebola vaccine study conducted in Liberia 2015, the In Profile Daily reads.

 New Diamond Discovered In Liberia

An 18.2 ct D – flawless diamond was recently discovered in the Cape Mount County in northwest Liberia as part of Youssef Diamond Mining Company’s (YDMC’s) diamond exploration programmed. This follows an earlier discovery of a kimberlite pipe in the same region. According to the Mining weekly online, the diamond is a Type II, the first to be reported from Liberia, and the first from a 10-m-wide kimberlite dyke, reports the FOCUS newspaper.

All Set For PUL Congress, Elections…Elections SetFor Tomorrow

According to the INQUIRER newspaper, all is now set for the much – anticipated Congress of the Press Union of Liberia and the conduct of its elections to elect new corps of officials to steer the affairs of the Union for the next three years. Over 400 Liberian journalists with media practitioners are by now converging in the commercial hub of Ganta City, Nimba County to participate in the Congress of Press Union of Liberia (PUL) that is expected to take place today followed by the elections tomorrow. Recently, following a thorough vetting process, the Elections Commission of the Press Union of Liberia declared several individual qualified to contest the pending PUL Elections expected to take place tomorrow, November 19, 2016 in Ganta City.