Government of Liberia and Development Partners Hold One- Day Pro Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD) National Steering Committee Meeting

The meeting was held at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex in Congo town, Tubman Boulevard,  was attended by development partners, pillar leads & sector heads of Government ministries and agencies and civil society organizations.

Speaking at the occasion, His Excellency , President George Manneh Weah noted that the PAPD remains the "best expression of our collective ambition to achieve peace, prosperity, and national development and address the critical constraints to growth, such as regional disparity, low human capacity, and the poor distribution of our national wealth."

He further stated that,  "over the last three years, tremendous efforts have been made to meet the expectations of the Liberian people through massive investment in road infrastructure, the expansion of the electricity network in both rural and urban areas, investment in health and education. In health we have moved to provide new health facilities and to address challenges to the quality of care."

On the part of the Un in Liberia, the Resident Coordinator, a.i. , Dr. Peter Clement,  on behalf of Niels Scott, Resident Coordinator, began by commending H.E, George Manneh Weah, President of the Republic of Liberia for his leadership on the Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD). 

The RC a.i. also extend appreciation to the Minister of Finance and Development Planning, and his team, for their tireless efforts to stand up the Steering Committee.

Dr. Clement stated that the, "United Nations, in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, has been working assiduously to establish strong development coordination mechanisms for effective development implementation." He additionally stated that,  " we therefore welcome the reinvigorated PAPD coordination structure we are assembled here to launch today. It will not only provide for effective development cooperation and collaboration under the leadership of the Government, but also enhance mutual accountability between the Government and the United Nations, Development Partners and other actors to ensure our collective interventions impact the lives of Liberians, especially the most vulnerable and rural communities, and eliminate inappropriate use of funds."

The National Steering Committee is the highest decision-making body for the National Development Plan (PAPD) Governance Structure. The Government and her Development Partners will take a stock of summary progress of the four Pillar of the PAPD across various sectors. This will be followed by discussions to explore opportunities for enhanced achievements and critical decision-making on solutions to key national issues in terms of a way forward.