Typically, women in Liberia have difficulty retaining land in the event of divorce or after the death of their husbands. Competition over land-related issues is one of the root causes of conflict that often leads to tension and violence among communities in Liberia. Violent conflict around land ownership is often stoked by grievances related to land scarcity and historical injustices. To prevent and peacefully manage land-related conflicts, the Government of Liberia together with UN Women, the World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are working to strengthen coordination on land governance initiatives, implement the land decentralization policy and support alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, which provide quicker and more flexible responses to community conflicts. Funded by the UN Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) this is a part of a $4 million project implemented over three years in 42 communities across four counties of Nimba, Cape Mount, Sinoe and Maryland. To promote a more inclusive approach to land ownership, the project focused on increasing women's understanding and knowledge of the 2018 Land Rights Act among the targeted communities. UN Women helped raised awareness of the laws related to land ownership while also specifically focusing on women’s land rights. As a result, more than 7,000 community members now have a better understanding of land rights and the process of resolving land conflict. Media campaigns on Land Rights Act also reached almost 100,000 people. “In the past, the old law did not include us women, but the new land rights law that was passed in September 2018 allows women and youth to be a part of land discussions,” said Patricia Dennis, a resident of Kaken-Gbolobo in Maryland County. After more than two years of continued engagement, the project contributed to a positive change in the mindsets of the communities about women’s rights to land and property ownership. Women also received training in resolving concession-related conflicts and increasingly assumed leadership roles in the community land development and management committees. The project ensured increased participation by women in all the dialogue and conflict resolution mechanisms. In one particular case, women leaders, empowered by the training conducted through the project effectively advocated on behalf of Madam Tumu, a widow in Flumpa, Nimba county, for property ownership after her husband’s demise. As a result, Madam Tumu successfully regained her right to land ownership from her relatives.   John Wah, chairman of the agricultural cooperative in Korsein Community, Nimba County said: “Thanks to the learning and support from this project, our community is more peaceful as we have a better understanding of our land rights and how to resolve disputes. We also understand that women too have land rights and should not be excluded.” Vivianne Suah, a resident of Yarsonoh Community in Nimba County said, “Through this project we started to understand women’s rights to land. It taught us that men and women and young people need to sit together and discuss land matters together. This is bringing more harmony to the community.” he project also supports the establishment of land development and management committees, which bring together local authorities, affected communities, civil society and, where relevant, concession companies, to discuss and resolve land-related issues. So far, ten such committees have been set up, enabling people to voice their needs and demand their land usage and ownership rights.     The WFP team has been accompanying the concession-affected communities to enhance their livelihood by working with agricultural cooperatives and providing farming tools to support those most vulnerable to land loss. To date, around 450 community members, with priority given to women, have been trained on land use, and agricultural cooperatives, and provided with seeds and farming equipment. In addition, the UNDP team has helped to strengthen the capacity of land governance institutions at national and local levels including the Liberia Land Authority, to implement tasks effectively. UNDP has also been supporting the Land Authority, hand in hand with the local civil society, in their efforts to formalize customary land rights. Joshua Daindah, a resident of the Korsein community in Nimba County said, “With the knowledge [gained] from this project, we have established a community land committee through which we aim to resolve land conflicts in the community, especially family disputes, which we try to prevent from escalating to the formal courts.” Richard Voker, a land committee member of Yarsonoh Community in Nimba County said: “Some time ago I was seriously attacked by nearby community members due to a land dispute and still have scars. But awareness of land rights and dispute resolution from this project has helped me to move forward and find a way to resolve that conflict peacefully, rather than leading to more violence. We need more communities to benefit from this education and support.” People now feel more empowered to voice their grievances and negotiate with private concession companies operating on or near their lands. In Nimba country, Nimba Rubber Incorporated compensated communities affected by the rubber industry through educational and livelihood support.   The Peacebuilding Fund has been supporting peacebuilding priorities in Liberia since 2007. The Fund helped to avoid a significant gap in the financial cliff following the withdrawal of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) in 2018 by approving nearly $33 million between 2017-2021 to support women and youth empowerment, rule of law, transitional justice and human rights as well as land-related conflicts. Land governance continues to be a key priority of the Fund’s support in Liberia and has been included as one of three major priorities in the Fund’s Strategic Results Framework for Liberia 2022-2027. Written by the UN Peacebuilding Fund, edited by the United Nations Development Coordination Office (DCO).

On 14 November 2022, H.E. Ms. Anna Karin Eneström, Permanent Representative of Sweden to the United Nations and Chair of the Liberia Configuration of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC), convened an ambassadorial-level meeting for the Government of Liberia and international partners on preparations for the 2023 legislative and presidential elections in Liberia. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the status of electoral planning and preparations and identify key priority areas and challenges, requiring continued support and coordination, to further consolidate and sustain peace in Liberia through the holding of peaceful, transparent, and inclusive democratic elections. Highlighted on the agenda was the issue of women political participation and representation. Women in Liberia continue to be severely underrepresented in politics. Currently, there are nine (9) women out of 73 members forming the House of Representatives, and only two (2) women out of 30 Liberian Senators. A revised New Elections bill included provisions on a 30 per cent gender quota for senior political party leadership and candidate listings in elections and was passed by the House and Senate on 13 and 15 September respectively.  The bill remains to be signed by the President. Targeted forms of violence and threats against women in elections and politics (VAWIE/P) is a serious issue and further limits women’s opportunities for political participation, including as relates to the upcoming 2023 general elections. The Peacebuilding Commission supports efforts to ensure the full, equal and meaningful participation of women in peacebuilding and political processes, including calling for support for the institutional development of the NEC, in conjunction with promoting women’s participation in the electoral process, in cooperation with the UNDP electoral assistance project. The PBF is supporting several initiatives with a view to contributing to a more peaceful electoral environment before, during, and after the 2023 elections. These projects focus on both early warning and prevention of potential triggers of conflict to mitigate possible electoral violence and on fostering greater participation by women and young people in the electoral process. Through a USD 2 million UN Women and UNDP initiative, the PBF support aims to promote greater participation of women in various electoral and governance processes and to seek better prevention and response to electoral related violence against women. The PBF has also recently approved a USD 3 million project, through UNDP, OHCHR and IOM, which further aims to strengthen electoral violence prevention initiatives and focuses on strengthening the policy and institutional environment for a more inclusive and effective Early Warning and Response (EWER) mechanism, including by mainstreaming of human rights, gender, and youth-based approaches. This project will pay particular attention to the perceived issue of ‘electoral trucking’ and will work with border communities and institutions to better understand and address this issue to help ensure it does not trigger electoral violence. Finally, the project will aim to address the increasing risk of misinformation and hate speech around the elections through community dialogue and digital tools.  

 “Mr. President, in this very place on the same day last year you challenged the UN in Liberia. You asked the UN to deliver more, and more widely, to support the people of Liberia. We listened to you very carefully and we responded. I am very pleased to note that, as part of our response, we will be inaugurating a little later today a Presidential Program supported by the United Nations which will accelerate community development in some of the less developed areas of Liberia,” Niels Scott, UN Resident Coordinator, stated. The UN Resident Coordinator was speaking about the Accelerated Community Development Programme (ACDP), which is designed to meet the felt needs of people living in poverty by improving access to water and sanitation; clean affordable energy; building and repairing rural feeder roads, health clinics, schools and vocational training centers, market facilities, irrigation systems, as well as provide agricultural tools and equipment to farmers to help increase food production. The programme is intended to generate short- and long-term jobs for local workers, who will then be contracted in construction and rehabilitation projects. Communities are expected to make in-kind contributions to the projects to demonstrate ownership. The statement formed a part of remarks commemorating the 77th UN Day celebrations in Monrovia on October 24th, 2022.  Mr. Scott further noted that the United Nations in Liberia will work hand in hand with many valued partners including the County Superintendents and support local impact by establishing regional programming hubs to reinforce its already considerable implementation across Liberia.  He also highlighted the topics of peace and stability, which he said was quite "dear to our hearts", further noting that the United Nations was founded 77 years ago today to promote peace, enable development and encourage respect of each and every human right. Mr. Scott lauded the much-appreciated role Liberia continues to play in exporting peace by contributing to United Nations, particularly the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali.  The President of Liberia, His Excellency, George Manneh Weah, also speaking at the 77th UN Day celebrations, stated that the ACDP, a Special Flagship Program under the Office of the President, would be implemented for the benefit of all Liberians. He explained that the Accelerated Community Development Program will be operated under the direction of a National Steering Committee, chaired by him, with membership comprised of various Ministries and Agencies, Civil Society Organizations, and International Partners, adding, “this program will be implemented in a manner that is transparent and that has the full ownership and involvement of the respective communities. At the end of the day, I want the ACDP to produce real concrete and tangible improvements in the lives of our Liberian citizens.”  The Liberian President emphasized the critical role peace plays in galvanizing the people of Liberia to contribute their collective quota towards the realization of national development. “As I have said on many occasions, without peace, there can be no sustainable development.  This is more than a mere observation. It is in fact my firm conviction.  And because of this, I have dedicated every effort since my incumbency to ensure that peace prevails in Liberia, our native land,” President Weah continued. He said that a successful peace agenda must always consist of three distinct phases, namely, achieving the peace, consolidating the peace and sustaining the peace. The UN day commemoration climaxed with a county exhibition from the UN in Liberia which highlighted the work of UN agencies in the 15 counties of Liberia. The President and First Lady, members of the Diplomatic Corps, Government officials and guests were guided through colorful stalls with county superintendents and beneficiaries highlighting the achievements and impact of the United Nations work in their respective counties.  

The UN and the Representatives of the Private Sector in Liberia held a one-day roundtable dialogue on August 23, 2022, at the Monrovia City Hall. The dialogue brought together UN agencies in Liberia, Liberia Chamber of Commerce, Liberia Business Association, Golden Veroleum, ArcelorMittal, MTN/Lonestar, Orange Foundation and Bollore Logistics.  This dialogue, which was the first of its kind since 2003, sought to proactively seek opportunities for cooperation and partnerships with the private sector; create the opportunity for exchanges on UN functions and the Private Sector Contribution to SDG implementation; and discuss innovation in UN and Private Sector partnerships. Mr. Niels Scott, Resident Coordinator of the UN system in Liberia, opened the occasion with his remarks noting,  “the UN and the Private Sector have many points of convergence of what the UN and the Private sector do and common interest to help the people of Liberia”. Mr. Scott continued by stating  that in the past few years, everyone had come to realize that there are "considerable challenges including Covid, economic challenges, livelihood, poverty and inequality as well as climate change which is going to affect all”. He concluded by emphasizing that  we all  need to ensure that all of these goals(our common goals) are achieving universal healthcare, achieving universal internet coverage; etc, - "all of these are something I believe we can work out together”, the Resident Coordinator said. For his part, Mr. Ahmed S. Wazni, the first Vice President of the Liberia Chamber of Commerce, applauded the UN Resident Coordinator and the UN family in Liberia for organizing this dialogue which was the first since the end of the civil conflict in Liberia. Mr. Wazni said that “The Private Sector in Libera knows very little of the work of the United Nations and its Agencies in Liberia, which makes it difficult if not impossible to collaborate and partner for sustainable development. the dialogue today presents a window of opportunity for the UN and private sector to chart a new course for collaboration”. Mr. Wazni furthered that “countries around the world, with Liberia being no exception, are faced with many challenges compounded by the COVID 19 pandemic and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Given Liberia’s small population and abundant of resources, Liberia can develop the momentum for rapid economic growth if private sector, working hands in hands with the UN and development partners, can innovate good applicable strategies and take advantage of the opportunities”. The dialogue ended with an understanding of establishing a platform that will allow sustained dialogue between the UN and the Private Sector.  The UN as global organization will endeavor to organize a forum where the private sector and the government can dialogue in enhancing enabling business environment and attract private sector investment in Liberia.