The Liberian government is putting together a high-level international event with the help of the World Bank, the Norwegian government, and other partners to emphasize the value of the nation's forestry industry and climate resilience before the year 2023.
The forum, which begins on October 5 and runs through October 6, aims to rekindle commitments and fortify partnerships in sustainable forest management, which are crucial tactics for advancing the government of Liberia's Pro-poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD).
President George Manneh Weah is expected to officially address the opening session of the Forum. Other co-conveners of the event are USAID-Liberia, UNDP, The Swedish Embassy, The European Union, and the Government of the United Kingdom through its Embassy in Liberia.
The event is expected to mobilize over 200 participants and will feature high-level regional and international Ministers and Directors spearheading forest management in their respective countries.
The platform will set the stage for community leaders, global experts on forests, economic development, and climate change, private sector leaders, and development partners to share success stories about the benefits and opportunities the forest sector can offer to the overall economic development of Liberia.
Prominent among high-level presentations and keynote speeches expected to be delivered will come from the Norwegian Minister of Climate and the Environment, senior World Bank officials, representatives of the United Nations agencies in Liberia, the European Union, regional Ministers of Forestry and Environment of Cote d'ivoire, the Republic of Guinea, and the Republic of Ghana. Other high-profile keynote speakers expected to deliver papers at the event include Counselor Negbalee Warner, and Professor Wilson Tarpeh, including recognized local leaders and champions of sustainable forest management across forest-dependent communities.
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Liberia's forest sector has the potential to contribute to the reduction of extreme poverty and support increased prosperity along a low emissions development trajectory. However, the remaining forest blocks are under increasing threat due to their continued degradation and clearance for agricultural expansion, illegal logging, and mining activities, at both industrial and subsistence scales.
At COP 26 in 2021, President George Manneh Weah underscored the importance of the valuable contributions of Liberia's tropical rainforest to mitigating climate change and called on global leaders to make concerted efforts aimed at compensating the national government and underserved local communities whose livelihoods depend on the forests. In Glasgow, President Weah implored world leaders to establish an African Carbon Credit Trading Mechanism.
"With your support," the President said, "Liberia will be willing to host a conference in the near future to explore the details and structure of such an entity".
Ultimately, the October Forest and Climate Resilience Forum is a realization of the President's call a year ago. The forum will serve as the ideal platform to rally support for the President's vision of seeking common action to save the planet.
