THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Ministry of Foreign Affairs  

Monrovia, Liberia

NEWS SUMMARY FOR FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2016 

The disclosure of news of the holding of the 3^rd US-Liberia Partnership Dialogue in November 2016 by two political officers of the United States Embassy near Monrovia, President Johnson Sirleaf and some Government officials Working Lunch with a visiting delegation of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa and the conclusion of a two-week strategic assessment mission from UN Headquarters work in Liberia are stories highlighted in today’s newspapers.

The summary also includes news of Acting Foreign Minister, Mr. B. Elias Shoniyin commendation to the excellent relationships subsisting between Liberia and the Federative Republic of Brazil.

DOMINANT STORIES  

3^rd U.S.-Liberia Partnership Dialogue Scheduled For November 2016 

Two political officers of the United States Embassy near Monrovia have disclosed that the 3^rd US-Liberia Partnership Dialogue that discusses critical bilateral issues of mutual interest between both countries will be held in the United States in November 2016. According to a Foreign Ministry release, the disclosure was made Wednesday, September 7, when the two political officers paid a courtesy call on the Acting Foreign Minister, Mr. B. Elias Shoniyin. The two political officers, Ms. Rachel Meyers and Ms. Sarah Greengrass, informed the Acting Minister that they are in Liberia to ascertain both the political and security situation in the country. During their meeting with Acting Minister Shoniyin, Ms. Rachel Meyers said while here, she will be looking at US-Liberia relations focusing on policy differences and at the same time looking at the progress being made in the areas of domestic politics, as well as judicial, legislative, political and military issues. She also intends to listen to ordinary Liberians and get their views on various aspects of development taking place in Liberia. For her part, Ms. Sarah D. Greengrass, who accompanied Ms. Meyers, informed the Acting Foreign Minister that her mission to Liberia focuses primarily on issues concerning human rights, gender, disability and marginalized groupings, especially those who are under- privileged to have access to education. Receiving the team, Acting Minister Shoniyin welcomed the two US officials and assured them that his Ministry would work collaboratively with them to make their tour of duty in Liberia very productive. He, at the same time, looks forward to a cordial working relationship with the US Government through its embassy here and urged the two political officers to call on relevant departments in the ministry whenever they need assistance.   In response to the statement by the two political officers concerning human rights and democracy including political freedom, the Acting Foreign Minister assured the US team that as a democratic society on the African continent, Liberia will observe all the tenets of democracy, reports the FOCUS newspaper.

Related Captions: Acting Foreign Minister Shoniyin Meets With Two U.S. Political Officers(New DEMOCRAT), Acting Foreign Minister Meets With Two U.S. Political Officers(Heritage), Shoniyin Meets U.S. Political Officers - Liberia Partnership Dialogue Scheduled for November 2016(Frontpage Africa)

President Sirleaf Holds Working Lunch With Arab Bank Delegation In Liberia

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has held talks with the Director-General of the Board of Governors of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, Dr. Sidi Ould Tah on Thursday. The President and a select number of Government officials also participated in a Working Lunch with the Bank’s delegation. Quoting an Executive Mansion release, the New DEMOCRAT says the lunch meeting reviewed the Bank’s support to projects and sectors in Liberia and new options for developmental engagement with the government of Liberia and private sector. Emphasis was placed on engagement and support for small and medium-size enterprise (SMEs) through the commercial banking sector. The exchanges also focused on agricultural, health, education, and infrastructural sectors including ports, roads, and energy among others. On the agricultural front, key interest was given to the oil palm, rubber, tree corps and fisheries sectors.

Related Captions: Pres.Sirleaf Holds Working Lunch With The Arab Bank Delegation In Monrovia(FOCUS),President Sirleaf Holds Working Lunch With Arab Bank Team in Monrovia(FrontPage Africa), President Sirleaf Holds Working Lunch With Arab Bank Delegation In Liberia(WOMEN VOICES), Ellen Holds Working Lunch With Arab Bank Delegation In Monrovia…Chairs Special LDA Meeting On 2017 Elections Support(Heritage)

UN To Decide UNMIL’s Future By Dec. 15-UN Team Concludes Assessment Mission, Says More Must Be Done To Consolidate Gains In Security Sector

The Daily Observer says a two-week strategic assessment mission from UN Headquarters has concluded its work in Liberia. Led by the UN Assistant Secretary-General (ASG) for Peacekeeping Operations, El Ghassim Wane, the team will formulate recommendations for the UN Security Council to consider when it takes a decision on UNMIL’s future by 15 December 2016.  “We have met with many stakeholders and we will continue consultations in the coming weeks to firm up the recommendations,” ASG Wane said. “The recommendations will be included in the report that the Secretary-General is expected to prepare for the Security Council by 15 November to inform its decision on the future of UNMIL.” Liberia successfully assumed full responsibility for its own security on 30 June 2016, the deadline set by the Security Council in its resolution 2239 of September 2015. The same resolution set the 15 December 2016 deadline for a decision on UNMIL’s future. According to the daily, over the past two weeks, the multi-dimensional team met with a broad range of stakeholders, including Government, security institutions, the political parties, religious institutions, civil society and integrity institutions, the diplomatic corps, regional organizations, the media, and UN Country Team members.

Related Captions: UN Urges Liberia To Consolidate Gains In Security Sector-As UN Assessment Mission Concludes Visit(WOMEN VOICES), UN Strategic Assessment Mission To Liberia Concluded(FrontPage Africa)

OTHER STORIES  

Acting Foreign Minister Pledges To Accelerate Cooperation With Brazil 

The WOMEN VOICES reports that Acting Foreign Minister, Mr. B. Elias Shoniyin, has praised the excellent relationships that subsist between Liberia and the Federative Republic of Brazil. According to a Foreign Ministry release, speaking at Brazil’s 194^th Independence Anniversary celebration, Mr. Shoniyin, who is also Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, told Brazilians living in Liberia, including their Ambassador, H. E. Mr. André Santos that relations between both nations took a momentous turn on May 29, 2009, when the Basic Framework Agreement on Technical Cooperation was signed and subsequently ratified by the Liberian Legislature in 2012.He used the occasion to remind Ambassador Santos that at the invitation of former President Luiz Inacio da Silva, President Sirleaf led a high-level delegation on a historic visit to Brazil in April 2010, which culminated in the conclusion of several agreements, including Mechanisms for Political Consultations between the two Foreign Ministries; Cooperation in the fields of education, energy and mining, sports, as well as the establishment of Liberia-Brazil Joint Commission. Speaking earlier, Ambassador Santos said despite his country being 194 years old, theirs as a nation, “is still a work in progress activity.” The Brazilian envoy said it actually took Brazilians a long time to understand that "independence" is a process, a long and difficult political and social process, in which factors such as national identity, social development, economic resources and democratic institutions play crucial roles throughout decades and even centuries. 

Related Caption: Brazilian Ambassador Gives Reasons For Celebrating 194th Independence Anniversary(Daily Observer)

Ellen Submits Bill to Establish ‘National Public Institution of Liberia’

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has submitted to the National Legislature bill title “An Act to Establish the National Public Institute of Liberia”. According to the President’s communication, the objective of the bill is to create the legal framework to establish the national public institute to enable the country contribute to the development and sustainability of the public health workforce, develop, enhance, and expand the surveillance response platform, developing and strengthen the laboratory system and health diagnostic and to also extend, conduct and coordinate public health and medical research to inform Liberian public health, the WOMEN VOICES newspaper reads.

Liberia Sets Up Public Examinations Review Committee

According to the FrontPage Africa newspaper, the Ministry of Education has announced that it is convening a committee to review the outcomes of our national examinations. Instead, the committee has a broader mandate: it is tasked with analyzing why Liberian students perform poorly or otherwise in national examinations. The committee, to be called the Public Examinations Review Committee, or ‘PERC’, shall be autonomous, although the Government will make available all information and assistance necessary.  The Committee shall be co-chaired by Sis. Mary Laurene Browne, OSF, President of Stella Maris Polytechnic and respected educational leader, and Cllr T. Negbalee Warner, Dean of the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, University of Liberia, and highly regarded for work on transparency and public accountability. The daily writes that the Committee is empowered by the Ministry of Education and the Government of Liberia to request information from educational institutions and other relevant bodies. Her Excellency President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has welcomed the review, and expressed her full confidence in the Co-Chairs.

Tubman University Sacks Associate Vice President Over Alleged Bribery

The President of the William V.S. Tubman University in Maryland County, Dr. Edward Larma Wonkeryor has announced the dismissal of one of the University’s Vice Presidents, Mr. Roland T. Barnes, Associate Vice President for Facilities and Campus Operations, for alleged corrupt practices. Speaking at an emergency staff meeting in Harper on Tuesday, Dr. Wonkeryor said Mr. Barnes’ dismissal is as a result of kickbacks he allegedly received in the tune of US$60,000 from GBECCO, a construction company hired to renovate the Engineering Building on the campus of the University.  Reports of the kickbacks led the University’s cabinet and President to constitute an independent committee of inquiry to investigate the allegation of corruption by some senior level staffers of the institution. Meanwhile, Committee of Inquiry also recommended an indefinite suspension for Mr. Johnny C. Woods, Chief of Staff, Office of the President and Interim Vice President, who the committee said had alleged links with the US$60,000.00 Kickbacks from GBECCO, reports the Frontage Africa newspaper.

Red Cross Embarks On Community Initiative To Promote Human Rights And Gender Equality In Rural Liberia

The Daily Observer reports that the Liberian National Red Cross Society (LNRCS) and its partners on Tuesday, September 6, launched a two-day community program in Sanniquellie, Nimba County, to promote human rights and gender equality. With more than 100 participants from Lofa, Bong and Nimba, the initiative is in collaboration with the Ministries of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Education, and Justice, including the Liberia National Police Women and Children Protection Section, and the Independent National Commission on Human Rights. The objective, according to the organizers, is to promote human rights in rural communities, strengthen gender equality and reduce discrimination. The program which was held under the theme, “Stop Violence Against Women and Girls,” was a European Union and the Danish Red Cross funded the program. European Union (EU) Program Manager for Governance in Liberia Erik Kristensen said the EU is committed to helping the LNRCS fight against gender-based violence.

Resilient City Agenda Will Enhance Economic Growth, Others Says Associate Director

The Associate Director for City and Practice Management of the 100 Resilient Cities (100RCs) says the resilient city agenda will enhance economic growth, social and political developments in the city of Paynesville. It could be recalled that the city of Paynesville was in May of this year selected for the 100RC among 325 cities that applied for the worldwide network based on its willingness, ability and need to become resilient in the face of future challenges. Accordingly, member cities were selected upon the recommendation of distinguished judges from around the world, the Heritage newspaper writes.

Aggrieved Women Stage Protest At Capitol Building

Scores of aggrieved women during the morning hours of Thursday, September 8, 2016 staged a peaceful protest on the grounds of the Capitol Building in Monrovia, calling on lawmakers to pass the Land Rights Act presently before the August Body. Located opposite the Executive Mansion in Monrovia, the Capitol Building is the official seat of the National Legislature. The women dressed in white t-shirt with inscription: “Our land, our future” also held placards, “Pass the Land Right Act now, Please do the Right Thing to Pass the Land Right Act, We are Dying because of your Delay to Pass the Act,” amongst others. The Land Rights Act, which was submitted by the Executive, originated from the Land Rights Policy, the Heritage reads.  

Archbishop Kawas To Storm Liberia 

The General Overseer of the Harvest International Church is expected to arrive in Liberia on Monday, September 12, 2016 for a spiritual impartation and prayer conference for Liberia. archbishop Kawas, who is a renowned and respected vessel of God in West Africa and other parts of the world, and an associate of world renowned Evangelist Pastor Benny Hinn, is also the President of the International Communion of Charismatic and Evangelical Bishops/Apostles  Inc. He will be visiting Liberia from September 12-16, 2016, the Heritage newspaper reports.

Chinese To Teach KAVTC Students, Others Biogas Production

An inside story of the Heritage news daily reads that the Chinese Team implementing the China-aided Ministry of Youth and Sports (MYS) Bamboo & Rattan Weaving and Vegetable Production Training Program (BRWVPTP) has commenced the construction of structures for a biogas production plant at the Klay Agriculture Vocational Training Center (KAVTC) in Klay District, Bomi County. The Chinese team will also plant citrus fruits and participant in the teaching of general agriculture which is ongoing at KAVTC, covering vegetables, food, and tree crop production, as well as animal husbandry: piggery, poultry and fishery.

Salvation Army Command Receives Two International Guests; Prepares 15 Officers about Brengle Holiness Institute

The Salvation Army Liberia-Sierra Leone Command on Sunday September 4, 2016 proudly welcomed back to Liberia their International leaders Commissioners Charles and Denise Swansbury as they touched the soil of Liberia at the Roberts International Airports in Margibi County. The Commissioners according to the Head of the Officer Training College and Extension Training Officer of the Salvation Army Liberia Command Major Richmond Obeng Appau, the two Commissioners exceptionally served The Salvation Army Salvation Army Liberia-Sierra Leone Command, the WOMEN VOICES reports.

Citizens Protest For Passage of Land Act

The New DEMOCRAT newspaper reads that more than 150 women, including Civil Society actors Thursday staged a peaceful protest at the Legislature demanding the speedy passage of the 2015 Land Rights Act. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf summited the bill, which seeks land reform with associated Socio-economic benefit to the Legislature in 2014. Assata Passewe, a board member of the Women NGO Secretariat of Liberia told reporters during the protest that it was incomprehensible and frustrating that legislators will delay the enactment of draft legislation that will address land related disputes and reduce rural poverty.

We Need More Support – VP Tells Partners

 Acknowledging that the country still has capacity gaps, Vice President Joseph N. Boakai has call on one of the development partners assisting with the post-war infrastructure to do more in addressing the needs of the country. Speaking Thursday when he met with the delegation from the Arab Bank from Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), the Vice President said, “your partnership has assisted our country in lot of ways but we need you to continue.” The delegation, headed by Dr. Sidi Ould Tah is in Liberia to review the performance of the Arab Bank’s portfolio in Liberia which includes three development projects aligned to Government’s Economic Transformation; Pillar Two of the Agenda for transformation, reports the New DEMOCRAT newspaper.

Sports Ministry Releases 2016/2017 National County Meet Draw

The Ministry of Youth and Sports (MYS) has released the draw for the 2016/2017 National County Sports meet with what it calls a new favor. According to the FrontPage Africa newspaper, group one will feature hosts Grand Cape Mount, Bomi, Gbarpolu and defending champions Grand Bassa Counties, which will be based in Robertsports. Group two, which will be based in Voinjama, consists of hosts Lofa, Margibi and Bong Counties. Group three consists of hosts Nimba, Montserrado, Sinoe and River Cess Counties and will be based in Sanniquellie.  And Group four will feature hosts Maryland, Grand Gedeh, River Gee and Grand Kru Counties and will be based in Harper. According to deputy sports minister Henry B. Yonton, the official ceremony will be held in Robertsports, which is expected to be graced by President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Vice President Joseph Nyumah Boakai and senior government officials.