Joint Sector Portfolio Review Closing remarks by UN Resident Coordinator

UN Country Team and distinguished invitees present in the room, and all the protocol observed.

We congratulate and thank the government for organizing these 8 days of successful reflections and debate under the very first Joint sector Portfolio review in Liberia.

It is our believe that the debates and recommendations reached during these 8 days will constitute an inflection point marking the change to a much improved Development cooperation framework in the country.

The presence of all sectors and development partners resembles the spirit of the Paris declarations for aid effectiveness principles, the Accra Agenda for Action recommendations, and the Busan Partnership for effective Development cooperation agreements.

The portfolio review complements the work already ongoing within the government at various levels including at the AID coordination office of the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) who has been pulling the work behind the scenes for to make this date a reality to whom we congratulate for grate work done.

We have been debating for main principles Coordination, alignment, results, mutual and accountability; we also covered many more issues that affects our development results in this country

Recognizing that the PAPD aligns to SDGs and all partners work align to PAPD and that All partners contribute to results with the government as the t main contributor and leader, a critical question to ask is are we failing to deliver the development promised in our planning documents so far ? If yes, how have we failed ? what are the opportunities and challenges moving forward ?

Do we have the Coordination structures functioning as they should? One steering committee since PAPD, one leadership / pillars meeting / and now one sector’s portfolio review meetings.

I think It’s now time to prepare the final steering committee to see where we are and next steps

It is refreshing to have an overwhelming majority of actors working for the development of Liberia coming together on the same room to push for common results, mutual accountability, alignment, and coordination; We applaud it and hope it becomes an habit in this country

Let’s let the Cooperation development recommendations coming for this past 8 days be a turning point of the way development is addressed in Liberia. Let’s let it be an ingredient that came to stay and mark towards better development outcomes in the country

We hope that the present Portfolio review had been an opportunity for the government sectors, development partners, civil society, private sectors and all other development actors working for development in Liberia to press the rest button on the mechanisms of their respective engagement and, had given the pathway for an improved partnership for development cooperation in the country.

This portfolio review also launched the “ Drivers of Sustainable and Inclusive Development study”.

This a study that aims at identifying the factors driving the development imperatives in Liberia. It is a study that will ensure that Liberia will understand what will make it achieve an accelerated, sustainable, and inclusive social and economic development. It is a comprehensive study to inform and guide future development planning efforts. The study will present a clear and objective understanding of the national context, along with a rigorous sector-by-sector analysis of the constraints, opportunities and potential for growth and development to guide future budgeting and investment decisions.

We expect that the outcome of the “Drivers of Sustainable and Inclusive Development study” will complements very well the recommendations from the current Portfolio as both aim at improving the development results in Liberia. Especially when one considers the context of donors fatigue, limited fiscal space; increasing national and international shocks (climate change, diseases, wars, etc.);

Liberia must not waste development efforts, resources, and funding moving forward. An improved Development cooperation is a must.

We are aware that recommendations from the current portfolio review on their own will not be the magic bullet for solving the development constraints in Liberia. They are indeed the starting point for the creation of the right environment for development in Liberia.

A lot more work will need to be done following this Joint Portfolio review. Efforts will be required for Building the Capacity of Liberian to promote their own development and drive the destiny of their own country.

An improved Coordination, an improved alignment, the joint planning, the mutual accountability, and better results that were recommended during these past 8 days will entail a different set of a challenges.

We stand ready to support the Government of Liberia for the achievements of those outputs.

I Thank you !