Monrovia — Three Mano River Union (MRU) states including Liberia, Guinea and Ivory Coast have successfully concluded a three-day intensive workshop in Monrovia (June 13-14, 2023) whereby stakeholders at the workshop unanimously validated the proposals for the Strategic Action and investment plan intended to see marked protection and conservation of the Cavalla Transboundary Basin shared by these countries. Prominent among other key issues addressed workshop included mutual cooperation at strengthening cross-border security
Amongst other pertinent issues validated are Biodiversity, Deforestation, Land Degradation, Erosion and Water Pollution, Climate Change and Gender and Governance which are environmentally critical to the survival of mankind in the subregion.
In her closing statement at the workshop, MRU Secretary General Amb. Maria G. Harrison encouraged the delegations from the three sisterly states to remain cohesive and environmentally practical as far as the dream and agenda to promote peace and security in the subregion are concerned. She commended the attendees for their patience and wittiness which added desired value to the meeting thereby making it achieve its intended purpose. She continued, "Dear members, of the Executive Commission of the Transboundary Committee, I strongly urge you to cultivate information sharing and integrity in order to meet the challenges of managing our waters concluding, " I wish to thank you all on behalf of the Mano River Union Secretariat for the quality of the contributors and most especially your commitment which has resulted in the review of the preliminary report of the Strategic Action Program and Investment Plan.
Speaking on behalf of the Forestry Development Authority (FDA), Mr. Sampson S. Nyema, special assistant to the deputy managing director for Operations, expressed the government's heartfelt congratulations to the participants and hopes the workshop will see its intended purpose. Mr. Nyema said Liberia was happy for simultaneously host two distinct conferences including the validation of the Strategic Action Plan for Transboundary Basin on the one hand and the 13th Joint Implementation Committee Meeting of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) between the government of Liberia and the European Union on the other hand which aims at reviewing the legality matrix to integrate commercial use of Community forest management. Mr. Nyema conveyed to the tree west African states, President Weah appreciation to them for the protection and promotion environmental issues geared at preseving and conserving what natured had endowed us.
At the end of the workshop, the heads of all delegations seperately renewed commitment to work together as team to actualize the aims and objectives of the Strategic Action Plan (SAP) under the IUCN and GEF arrangement.
Amongst other things the participants recommended several key points that could lead to the practical results of the Strategic Action and investment Plan for development of the Transboundary basin.
The Mano River Union (MRU) is an intergovernmental organization. comprising four (04) West African countries. Created in 1973 by Liberia and Sierra Leone, the Union was joined in 1980 by Guinea and in 2008 by Côte d'Ivoire. Its main aim is to promote regional cooperation and economic integration through the establishment of a common market and the strengthening of cooperation in all areas of economic activity, notably trade, industry, transport, telecommunications, agriculture, natural resources and monetary and financial affairs.
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The sub-region is the third largest biodiversity reserve in the world, after the Amazon Basin in South America and the Congo Basin in Central Africa in terms of natural resources. It has significant reserves of fresh ground and surface water, and 80% of the water resources that supply West Africa derive from this area, via major rivers and other transboundary watercourses.
