As part of efforts to enhance good governance policies and initiatives in Liberia, the National Secretariat of the African Peer Review Mechanism of Liberia (APRM) is expected to conduct citizen’s engagement dialogues forum on natural resources governance and domestic resources mobilization in four of Liberia’s fifteen counties: Grand Bassa, Margibi, Bong and Nimba.
The dialogues are expected to bring together a range of participants, which include stakeholders, chiefs, community leaders, government officials as well as traditional leaders, to reflect on concerns and to offer achievable solutions on good governance with respect to domestic resources mobilization in rural Liberia.
The impending stakeholders dialogues will also serve as a platform for stakeholders to express their experiences and to discuss significant efforts for Liberia to improve good governance through a process of peer engagement.
The National Secretariat of the African Peer Review Mechanism of Liberia (APRM) also underscored the importance of the dialogue forum, which aims at focusing on good governance, economic development as well as to improve accountability, strengthen citizen’s voice, enhance participation in decision making and improve access to information.
According to the APRM statement released, the theme for the follow-up dialogue is “Democracy and Political Governance”, and it is scheduled to be held in Grand Bassa, Bong and Nimba counties.
The APRM National Secretariat of Liberia also indicated that participants from those parts of the country will understand the importance of good governance and economic growth, which the APRM fosters.
Additionally, the various town hall meetings are also expected to bring good working relationships between stakeholders and the government, especially in this critical time of the forthcoming electoral activities for sustaining the peace and stability in the country.
It will also yield best practices on how government can provide better, equitable and affordable social services for its population, government’s contribution to domestic resources mobilization as well as creating an environment where stakeholders can come together and collaborate as one body to improve the governance sector of Liberia.
Meanwhile, the Executive Director of the National Secretariat of the African Peer Review Mechanism of Liberia (APRM), Wilfred K. Selmah, has lauded its partners, the African Development Bank (AFDB), under the integrated Public Financial Management Reform Project (IPMRP-II), the Project Management Unit (PFMU) in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) for recognizing the critical roles stakeholders and APRM play in enhancing the impact of good governance and building a robust domestic resources mobilization process in Liberia.
He also described the impending dialogue forum as an important ingredient in strengthening good governance and services as envisioned in the sector plan.
“APRM will always enhance good governance relations, promote and protect the natural resources in Liberia,” Selmah noted.
Speaking further, Director Selmah said it is also important to build and encourage citizen’s relationship between stakeholders and the government, adding that this can only be attained if the two parties have a deeper understanding of how they collaborate to support the good governance process of the country.
He emphasized that the National Secretariat of the African Peer Review Mechanism of Liberia (APRM) is an institution that is credible and, as such, the establishment doors are open for any suggestion that will further strengthen the relationship with the stakeholders. “The APRM and the stakeholders are all working in the interest of the country,” he noted.
At the same time, Selmah further revealed that the APRM is moved by the impending dialogue, describing it as a new day for stakeholders and the government in sustaining the country’s good governance initiatives, especially as the general and presidential elections draw nearer in Liberia.
He then disclosed that the upcoming dialogue forum is expected to be a space for varied actors to share their experiences and voice their concerns, followed by open discussions in which participants will highlight their expectations and offer suggestions on the way to strengthening relations between the government and the stakeholders.
The APRM National Secretariat is responsible for programs and the day-to-day operation of Liberia’s APRM country programs, and has done major works in these regards.
The Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Samuel D. Tweah Jr. is the focal point of the Liberia program.
The APRM is a mutually agreed upon instrument member states of the African Union (AU) have voluntarily acceded to as part of an African self-monitoring mechanism for measuring performance in governance.