President Weah said that the initiative would require a significant financial investment , with the initial set of interventions set at approximately 13 million USD. To kickstart, the President pledged from Government , an initial amount of one million USD this year, with a additional two million USD to be appropriated within the subsequent budget. Stressing the importance of the initiative, the President warned that continued neglect of the plight of these at risk youth can rapidly develop into a significant threat to society. UN Resident Coordinator, Niels Scott, speaking on behalf of the United Nations Team noted his elation to be participating in the first Fund Raising Drive led by  President Weah.  He said, " as the  United Nations  and yourself believe in the potential and the power of the young people ,which if nurtured, harnessed and enabled have a potential to fulfill hopes and dreams ; we hope that this will be the beginning of an integrated programme, to address not only youth at risk issues, but also the broader issues that affect the future of the young people in Liberia ". Mr. Scott highlighted the Socio-economic Empowerment of Disadvantaged Youth Project (SEED) between 2019 and 2021. This programme was led by the Government and supported by the UN and the Liberia Peace Building Fund and it rehabilitated  590 youth and empowered them  with livelihood skills. He noted that currently, most of them have established and are running their own businesses. "From this we have learnt that when the young people are given the opportunities, they do change their narrative from bad habits to become productive citizens", he said. On behalf of the UN, the Resident Coordinator  applauded  His  Excellency, the President of the Republic of Liberia and His Government and all Development Partners, CSOs and the Private sector for their support and looked forward to the realization of the programme for the betterment of Liberia’s future.

This follows the endorsement of the Sinoe Coastal Project by stakeholders.  The Liberian government through the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) and the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) will tackle the effects of sea erosion on the livelihoods, assets and entire ecosystems of over 16,000 people in coastal communities in Sinoe. The project titled “Enhancing the resilience of vulnerable coastal communities in Sinoe County of Liberia”, will be mainly implemented in Greenville, but will extend some soft services like provision of micro-finance, value addition, and sustainable agriculture to other coastal counties. Sinoe County Superintendent Lee Nagbe Chea Sr. stressed that the project would focus on empowering the people who directly feel the impacts of climate change. He encouraged direct involvement of communities in the implementation of the project to help prepare them to take ownership and responsibility for the project, adding that the people of Sinoe were eagerly anticipating positive impacts from the project. UNDP Resident Representative Stephen Rodriques also reiterated building a strong partnership with the communities by seeking to enlist their full cooperation and support during the implementation of the project to achieve success. “The cooperation of communities is key to the successful implementation of the project. We look forward to working with the government and the county authorities to establish county-level coordination groups to enhance implementation,” said Rodriques. “While the project presents viable solutions in addressing the impacts of climate change, it is important to develop long-term integrated and participatory planning that involves the public sector, private sector, and communities at all levels of governance,” he noted. The project will construct an 800-meter-long revetment to protect Mississippi Street in Greenville, Sinoe County and a 700-meter-long revetment to protect the shoreline by reducing coastal erosion around the inlet where the Sinoe/Sehnkwehn river empties into the Atlantic Ocean. Deputy Mines and Energy Minister, George Abou Gontor, thanked development partners including GEF for the support provided to the Sinoe project. “This project will build on experiences gained from the implementation of previous projects in New Kru Town and Buchanan, funded by GEF, the Government of Liberia and other partners”. The Deputy Executive Director of the EPA Randall M. Dobayou said Liberia’s partnership with UNDP was highly beneficial to the country. He said the Government is committed to doing more in protecting its coastlines, coastal ecosystems, and the environment from the impacts of climate change and other environmental issues. “There is a strong need for continuous participation from different stakeholder groups - youth, women, fishermen, elders, etc., in Sinoe County,” said Dobayou. The livelihood benefits of the project will expand beyond the fisheries industry to other sectors such as agriculture and forestry among others etc.

Bo Waterside is one of many Peace Huts supported by UN Women to enhance women’s participation in peacebuilding and to empower them economically. 
“The main activities conducted at the Peace Hut include conflict resolution and provision of counselling services. 
We provide adult literacy classes for members. Most women did not know how to read and write, but they can now write their names. I feel proud because I can also write my name, something I could not do before.
We did not know about our rights. We now know that women can own land. Through UN Women, the Peace Hut has empowered us to have more information. The life that we used to live has changed.
We were also taught to establish village savings and loan associations (VLSA) that help us to earn income. We are now doing business and most members are now able to pay school fees for their children. We have established two shops as members of the Peace Hut. We use the profits to repay the VLSA loan, maintain and sustain our Peace Hut.
The Peace Hut has made me stronger. I can now talk in front of people. I did not know that women can contest in elections as candidates. The Peace Hut taught us that woman can stand for elections.” 
The Bo Waterside Peace Hut was established in 2019 and has a membership of 178 people (18 men and 160 women). UN Women is supporting women from the Peace Huts with leadership and vocational skills training as well as economic empowerment initiatives to enhance gender equality in line with sustainable development goal 5.

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 the meeting to discuss continued support to building and sustaining peace in Liberia, with a focus on gender equality and women’s empowerment, including eliminating gender-based violence and promoting women’s political participation in the context of the upcoming presidential and legislative elections of 2023. Participants in the PBC Liberia configuration meeting heard from the Government of Liberia, represented by H.E. Mr. Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah, Sr., Minister of Foreign Affairs and H.E. Mrs. Williametta E. Saydee-Tarr, Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection. Niels Scott, UN Resident Coordinator in Liberia and Cllr. Dr. Yvette Chesson-WurehCo-Chair of FemWise, Initiator of the award winning Women’s Situation Room and Establishment Coordinator of the Angie Brooks International Centre, also briefed the meeting. Members of the Configuration were also invited to provide inputs for the Chair’s visit to Liberia (4-9 June 2022). See remarks from the UN Resident Coordinator, Niels Scott, at the occasion below:   H.E. Ms. Anna Karin Eneström Chair, and Distinguished members of the Peacebuilding Commission Configuration for Liberia   Hon. Dee Maxwell Sahr Kemayah Snr.   Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Liberia     Hon. Williametta Piso Saydee-Tarr Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection   Excellencies, Members of the Diplomatic and Counselor Corps in New York and Liberia   Cllr. Dr. Yvette Chesson-Wureh Co-Chair of FemWise and Establishment Coordinator of the Angie Brooks International Centre   UN colleagues in New York and here in Liberia     To ensure gender equality becomes a reality for all women and girls in Liberia, profound changes are needed in all sectors. This requires persistence, bold and practical ways to break down the barriers that continue to hold women and girls back, and a long-term vision and commitment. Allow me therefore to warmly commend Her Excellency, Ms. Anna Karin Eneström, Chair, and members of the Peacebuilding Commission Configuration for Liberia, for bringing additional focus to an issue that remains elusive. Despite some progress, much more needs to be done to tackle gender inequality comprehensively, and increase women’s rights, opportunities and political participation. Permit me to focus on two areas: women in leadership and sexual and gender-based violence.   Women in leadership Madam Chair, there is widespread agreement that women continue to be severely underrepresented in politics, a prominent weakness in Liberia’s political landscape. With women occupying merely 8 of the House of Representatives’ 73 seats and 2 of 30 Senators’ seats, it is clear that female candidates entering the Liberian political arena tend to face more obstacles than their male counterparts. Arguably, the introduction of a 30 per cent gender quota on candidate listings can encourage more women to run for office and improve female representation in the Liberian legislature. Doing so is one way to ensure inclusivity, equality, and genuine democracy.   After years of persistent advocacy and engagement, the House of Representatives passed the Electoral Reform Bill and it is our understanding that the Senate Committees on Autonomous Agencies, Elections and Judiciary are expected to submit the Bill to Senate plenary for deliberations, today, 19 May and, hopefully, receive concurrence. The House voted to amend Section 4.5 of the 1986 election law which sets aside an exclusive 30 per cent for women representation in every political party during the submission of candidates to the National Elections Commission (NEC). Section 4.5 (1d) of the Elections Law Amendment Act also calls for a Political Party or Coalition to have at least one female contestant for every primary at a convention for each constituency. The punishment for defaulting political parties is that their candidate listing will be rejected by the Elections Commission and the affected party may be entitled to re-submit within the required period. This is a huge step on the way to achieving gender parity. However, the quota will not insulate women active in political life against prejudice, discrimination and acts of psychological and physical violence when they join a field from which they have been traditionally excluded. This phenomenon is not unique to Liberia, nor is it new. Women running for political office in Liberia defy social norms and are often considered as intruders – scrutinised, stigmatised, and targeted – not only by their political rivals but by almost everyone, including the media, communities, or even families. This in turn directly hinders progress on the Sustainable Development Goals and 2030 Agenda. The United Nations in Liberia will continue to pay particular attention to advancing women’s political participation, to ensure that decision-making processes are participatory, responsive, equitable and inclusive.   Violence against women and girls The prevalence of sexual and gender-based violence remains high in Liberia, and the rise in rape cases is alarming, especially of minors. It is estimated that at least 38.2 per cent of girls and women aged 15-49 have undergone female genital mutilation (FGM), which is considered a serious human rights violation, and an extreme form of violence. With support from the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative, alternative economic livelihood activities are being provided for traditional practitioners who operate Sande schools in order to provide alternative sources of income replacing FGM, among others.   In February 2022, Chief Zanzan Kawa, head of the National Traditional Council of Chiefs and Elders of Liberia announced a three-year ban on FGM. This bold step is a positive stride towards the protection of women’s and girls’ rights in the country, and the United Nations commends the Government of Liberia for this.  However, effective monitoring and holding violators accountable remains a challenge.   Madam Chair, Excellencies, in our regular Ambassadorial-level meeting on 6 May, on progress on FGM, the Minister of Internal Affairs and Chief Zanzan Kawa made it clear that criminalising the practice of FGM in Liberia will not eliminate the practice. It is increasingly clear that ending FGM in Liberia must be led by women at the local level; it is after all their body, their rights. Such credible people within communities are best placed to change from the bottom up. I would like to conclude by underscoring that, collectively, we need to do more, design and implement better policies, demand accountability and focus on local communities. Achieving gender equality in Liberia is no small task. If we continue at the current snail rate, Liberia may not achieve gender parity in the next 50 years.   I also call on the Configuration to continue to bring a strategic approach and coherence to gender equality and women’s empowerment in Liberia and to remain seized of the electoral process, and its potential to trigger and escalate conflict if not managed properly. Finally, Madam Chair, we look forward to welcoming you in Liberia in about two weeks.   Thank you for your attention.