The United Nations (UN) Assistant Secretary-General Dr. Aisa Kirabo Kacyira has said a strong partnership is required to develop slums and urban settlement in Liberia. According to her, strong partnership is key founding principles of development in post conflict like Liberia.

She made these statements over the weekend at the close of a one-day Roundtable Discussion on the Urban Development Agenda for Liberia at the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Monrovia. She said to maintain a clean and vibrant city the government must plan ahead to decentralize activities and basic social services.

She said lack of decentralization of basic social services has been a major factor of the proliferation and fast growth of slum community in developing countries like Liberia.

The UN official asserted that the UN is taking proactive steps toward addressing the issues of slums because growth would have a worst consequences on the world. Dr. Kacyira, who is also the Deputy Executive Director of UN-Habitat, said the country has great potential of recovering from slums and urbanization.

"We see lots of potentials for Monrovia slums and the government strong partnership which are key founding principles of development amidst challenges of post conflict situation," she stated.

The formal Kigali City Mayor said the UN-Habitat is considering support to the development of slums, good governance as well as strengthening urban development. She indicated that such approach would increase basic social services to other areas where these basic are lacking to give way for slum development in major cities.

She added that UN-Habitat sees Liberia as a good ground for them to be able to show case what can be done to develop slums and urban cities. For his part, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Blamoh Nelson, buttressed the UN Assistant-Secretary, saying a strong partnership with the UN-Habitat will accelerate the devilment of the country slums and urban cities.

"We have begun decentralization of the government and that has required some serious work to be done with the urban centers," he said. According to him, the challenges the government is facing are enormous but seeking partnership in the process will help.