Quarterly Newsletter
Issue 14 October-December 2017
In This Issue
1. Germany Boosts Elections Security with US$200,000
2. National security officers receive communication gadgets
3. Liberia goes hi-tech to combat corruption
4. BOSS Center Launched at Commerce Ministry
5. UNDP Starts Consultations On Design of New Programme Document
6. President Sirleaf Launches Women Situation Room
7. CIPS Levels 3-4 Training For 59 Procurement
8. The Emma Smith Foundation Catalogues Ebola Survivors’ Stories
9. Last County Service Center Opens
10. INCREASING YOUTH PARTICIPATION IN THE 2017 LEGISLATIVE AND PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTORAL PROCESS
UNDP Liberia News Board
Germany Boosts Elections
Security with US$200,000
The Government of Germany
contributed US$200,000 to security
deployment, in continuation of
enhancing and strengthening
support to elections security in the
Country.
The Government of Germany on the
eve of the October 10 elections
signed an agreement with the
United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP).
With a reduction of the international
presence in Liberia and a planned
full withdrawal of the United Nations
Peacekeeping Mission in 2018 the
country needs to continue to
strengthen its national institutions
and processes to conduct elections
in a credible and sustainable
manner.
These elections mark a key milestone
in Liberia’s consolidation of its
nascent democracy and are a
crucial test for state and
independent institutions in Liberia.
Security provision for electoral
material and for voting on polling
day is key to maintaining public
confidence in the elections.
The Ambassador to Germany H.E
Hubert J. Jäger signed on behalf of
his Government while UNDP Deputy
Country Director for Programmes
signed on behalf of the Country
Director Pa Lamin Beyai.
According to Ambassador Jäger the
objective is to support the
deployment of over 5,000 security
officers by contributing to their daily
living allowances on Election Day, a
run-off if held and provide secure
transfer of election materials.
“Effective deployment of security
personnel prior to, during and after
these elections remain critical to the
sustenance of Liberia’s peace
process” Ambassaddor Jager
noted.
The Support from the Germans also
takes in consideration the
establishment of a hotline at the
Governance Commission (GC) to
deal with grievances that may
require mediation by the Mediation
Committee established under the
auspices of the Inter-Religious
Council.
-30-
UNDP Deputy Country Director for Programme Cleophas Torori and
Ambassador Jäger signed the document
PG-1
National security officers
receive communication
gadgets
UNDP turned over communication
gadgets to the Liberia National Police
(LNP) and Liberia Immigration Service
(LIS).
Seventy six Kenwood UHF digital
portable transceivers with accessories,
were handed over to authorities of the
LNP and LIS by UNDP Country Director,
Dr. Pa Lamin Beyai at the LNP
Headquarters on the eve of the
October 10 elections.
Dr. Beyai said the donation was an
addition to previous support from UNDP
which seeks to enhance and strengthen
security during and after the elections.
It is part of support to the Government
of Liberia for the conduct peaceful
general and presidential elections in
Liberia,
“This additional support will help you in
the elections security as well as after the
elections, because you have very good
use for these 76 radios. We hope you will
have time to configure and use them
not only for these elections, but to
enhance your daily work…”Dr. Beyai
said.
Simeon F. Frank, Deputy Inspector
General of Police/Crime Services
Department- LNP and LIS Director of
Procurement, Lassana B. Dambeley
signed on behalf of their respective
Institutions.
In separate remarks, they
thanked UNDP for the
continued support to the
Country particularly the
security sector and promised to
use the donation to enhance
their work in the country.
-30-
Liberia goes hi-
tech to combat
corruption
On 18 December, UNDP joined
the Liberia Anti-Corruption
Commission to dedicate the
new forensic digital lab
(funded by UNDP), and operation and
reports rooms (funded by USAID).
The cyber-lab is set to aid anti-
corruption agents tackle the crime in
Liberia.
The gadgets will be used to enhance communication links during and after the
elections
PG-2
Prior to the new tech and training,
Liberian investigators collected data,
tagged it and shipped it off to South
Africa, Kenya, or even the USA, for
testing and analysis.
“With the right skills and tools, you can
tackle corruption, but you have to
understand that corruption fights back
from all angles, so this is a tough job,”
said Pa Lamin Beyai, UNDP Liberia’s
Country Director. “Tackling corruption
needs resources.”
After intense training on not only the
equipment, but forensic analysis, it’s
expected that Liberia’s anti-corruption
agency can layout solid evidence-
based cases that have a better chance
of successful convictions, and rightful
exonerations, in the prosecution phases.
“To really combat corruption, we need
strong partnerships. We can’t do this
alone,” said Clr. James N. Verdier Jr.,
LACC Executive Chairperson. He
added: “We have staff who studied
[with international professionals] and
now we want to see those skills.”
UNDP’s US$500,000
contribution under the
Strengthen Transparency,
Accountability, Oversight and
Participation (STAOP) project,
allowed the LACC to send
three of its core investigators
to South Africa for
international training on
forensics, specific technical
assistance for navigating the
legal links of the evidence,
and to set up the digital
forensics lab. This enables the
LACC to accelerate pending
fraud cases.
-30-
BOSS Center
Launched at
Commerce Ministry
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry
(MoCI) through the division of Small
Business Administration (SBA) with
support from UNDP launched the
Business Opportunities Support Services
(BOSS) Center in Monrovia.
The BOSS Center was officially launched
by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, and is
aimed at improving livelihoods of many
Liberians and increase the viability of
their businesses.
It will work to strengthen many
beneficiary groups including small
A Staff at LACC demonstrating the use of the tools before UNDP Country Director
and LACC Executive Chairperson
PG-3
agricultural producers and support
MSME development through the
provision of financial and non-financial
services.
UNDP Country Director Dr. Pa Lamin
Beyai commended the MoCI staff for
their efforts in leading the sustainable
growth of MSMEs, and for the
partnerships with the MIA to enhance
decentralized services through County
Service Centers.
Commerce and Industry Minister Alex
Addy lauded the UNDP for the gesture
and promised that the center will be
used to support the government’s MSME
sector in the country.
According to him, the vision of the
center is to help SMEs to be well
informed and learn the opportunities of
the government procurement to help
them go after contracts that will
develop their businesses.
BOSS’ is a UNDP supported project in
partnership with the Ministries of Internal
Affairs and Commerce. It was
established to enhance decentralization
and support the implementation of
micro and small and medium
enterprises policy in Liberia through the
establishment of Business Support
Service Centres at the County level,
which will strengthen capacities of
youth, women and agri- producing
enterprises.
-30-
In a related development, The
UNDP Business Opportunities
Through Support Services (BOSS)
Project conducted a 4-week
Business Development Service
and Entrepreneur training in Four
Counties.
The Training of Trainers (TOT) is a
pilot program that commenced
in Gbarnga Bong County and
extended to Nimba, Margibi
and Grand Bassa Counties.
About 25 local business
development service providers selected
from the four Counties went through
these exercises to improve the quality of
entrepreneur services at the County
level.
In Bong County, the first 5-day training
managed by an expert facilitator, saw
the trainees being introduced to the
module of facilitation.
Marcus Zarway, the Project Manager of
the BOSS Project says at the end of the
exercise, those service providers that will
be vetted and certificated will be used
to support other small and medium
business entrepreneurs in their
respective localities, through training
opportunities to improve service
delivery.
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf performing the official dedication of the BOSS
Center
PG-4
He urged participants to take
advantage of the opportunity to
contribute positively to enhancing
the decentralization program in
Liberia.
‘BOSS’ is a UNDP supported project
in partnership with the Ministries of
Internal Affairs and Commerce. It
was established to enhance
decentralization by supporting micro
and small and medium enterprises
policy implementation in Liberia
through the establishment of Business
Support Service Centres at the
County level, which will strengthen
capacities of youth, women and
agri- producing enterprises.
-30-
UNDP Starts Consultations
On Design of New
Programme Document
UNDP conducted a two-day
consultation with national partners on
the preparation and design of a New
Country Programme Document (CPD)
2019-2023 for Liberia.
The exercise held in Monrovia 30,
November-01 December, brought
together over 25 Representatives from
line Ministries, Agencies and
Commissions (MACs) facilitated by
UNDP Experts from its Regional Bureau in
Addis Ababa.
The five- year Country Programme
Document is linked to a UNDP Strategic
Plan and outlines major development
areas where UNDP has comparative
advantage (example. governance,
peace, justice, security, sustainable
development etc).
Speaking during the consultation, UNDP
Country Director Pa Lamin Beyai
stressed that Liberia has a lot of
development challenges which need
“all hands-on deck” to resolve.
Dr. Beyai said UNDP usually operates by
soliciting the views of in- country experts
for national ownership.
“As you know our support is usually
catalytic and is based on government’s
priority and the best people who can
articulate the priorities of government of
Liberia will be these capacities we have
around this table,” the UNDP Boss
stated.
Also making remarks, Acting Internal
Affairs Minister Varney Sirleaf thanked
UNDP for the collaboration thus far in
the implementation of the current CPD
which the Ministry of Internal Affairs is
playing a key role.
BOSS Trainers are to help mentor Proprietors and Operators of Small and
Medium Businesses across the country.
PG-5
Minister Sirleaf said under the current
CPD, the Ministry is implementing the
de-concentration phase of the
Decentralization Programme, with the
establishment of Country Service
Centers in eleven of Liberia’s fifteen
counties.
For his part, Acting Assistant Minister for
Sectoral Planning at the Ministry of
Finance and Development Planning
Sidiki Quisia said the implementation of
the current CPD is moving smoothly.
Mr. Quisia stated that as the Agenda for
Transformation (AfT) comes to an end in
December this year, the Ministry of
Finance and Development Planning has
begun the design of a successor
framework as a baseline for the
Country’s national development
agenda.
UNDP’s current Program Document
2013-2017 was expected to come to an
end in 2017. But implementation of the
Plan was interrupted as a result of the
Ebola crisis. Thus, it has been extended
to 2018.
-30-
President Sirleaf
Launches Women
Situation Room
President Ellen Johnson
Sirleaf launched the
Women’s Situation Room
(WSR) in Liberia for the 2017
elections.
Making remarks at a formal
program, the Liberian
Leader, mentioned that
elections have
demonstrated the maturity,
anxiety and enthusiasm
of Liberians for moving
the country to the next
stage in a democratic transition
adding that “It could only happen if
all Liberians were peaceful”.
She expressed appreciation for the
peace that Liberia now enjoys,
applauding Liberians for contributing
to it.
President Sirleaf applauded the WSR
initiative by the Angie Brooks
International Center (ABIC).
“We want to congratulate you
because they’ve done a great work,
all over, working with young people
and let me say to you, the Situation
Room is your Initiative…you make it
work, you make it happen, you
make it succeed by your
The two-day event highlighted key messages of a new Strategic Plan (2018-2021)
endorsed by the Executive Board of UNDP on Tuesday 28, November.
PG-6
participation” President Sirleaf
intimated.
The Government of Norway is a
strong supporter of Security Council
Resolution 1325 that reaffirms the
important role of women in the
prevention and resolution of
conflicts, and post conflict
reconstruction.
The Second Secretary of the
Embassy of Norway in Liberia Ingrid
Buli speaking at the launch, stressed
that the eyes of the world are on
Liberia’s elections, hoping to see the
country conduct peaceful and fair
elections.
“Knowing that violence can be a
challenge during elections,
supporting efforts like The Women’s
situation room, that seeks to prevent
electoral violence, is important to
us”. Ms. Buli noted.
Representing the United Nations in
Liberia, DSRSG of UNMIL and UNDP
Resident Representative Yacoub
Hillo applauded the efforts of ABIC in
advancing the WSR now a global
brand, and its deployment for an
historic election in Liberia with all the
World watching.
Mr. Hillo stressed the importance of
advocating for peace and
providing an environment for all
Liberians to exercise their
democratic right especially
women.
The UNDP Resident Representative
underscored the historic nature of
Liberia’s elections terming it as the
“defining moment for Liberia in
sustaining and consolidating the
peace, especially with the on-
going transition with UNMIL’s final
draw down and withdrawal”.
For her part, Counselor Yvette
Chesson Wureh of ABIC said peace
remains critical before, during and
after the Country’s elections.
The Women’s Situation Room (WSR) is
a women’s peacebuilding
mechanism to mitigate conflict
before, during and after elections.
-30-
WSR mobilizes women in collaboration with youth to lobby and advocate
stakeholders to support the call for peaceful elections in accordance with
UNSCR 1325 which affirms the role of women in peace processes and
peacebuilding.
PG-7
UNDP, LRA Turn over
Large Baggage Scanners at
Airport
UNDP and the Liberia Revenue Authority
(LRA) have formally turned over two
large baggage scanners at the Roberts
International Airport (RIA) in Margibi
County.
UNDP Country Director Dr. Pa Lamin
Beyai said the donation of the two
scanners is in support to the LRA’s
Customs Office at the Airport for proper
screening of goods and materials
entering the country in line with the
Customs Tariff Code of Liberia.
Speaking at a commissioning
ceremony at the RIA in
Margibi County, Dr. Beyai
said the scanners will also
serve in domestic revenue
mobilization and help in
curbing some security threats
that may be posed by goods
and luggages entering the
country.
“Specifically, the scanners
will help protect people
properties in line with
international best practice for
customs at airports…. They
will also improve customs
effectiveness at the RIA entry
and exit points, increase
operational efficiency, and
minimize smuggling…” the UNDP Boss
said.
He puts the overall cost, including
transportation, installation, accessories
and training of ten (10) LRA staff to
operate and maintain the scanners at
US$140,000.00.
LRA Commissioner General Elfrieda
Stewart Tamba said with the support of
donors and other partners, the LRA is
striving for the transformation of tax
administration in Liberia to the benefit of
the country and its people.
“We want to say to the Country Director
of UNDP, a big thank you. It’s because
of your support that we are here to
dedicate these two scanners… The use
of the scanner is very important today. It
minimizes human interventions and as a
result in many jurisdictions around the
world, you will see that scanners are
deployed to help facilitate trade…”
Madam Tamba said.
The Managing Director of the Liberia
Airport Authority (LAA) Wil Baka
Freeman also praised the UNDP for the
equipment, indicating that it will also
improve the movement of passengers
and give a modern face to the airport.
The instillation of the equipment will play a major role in the transformation process of
the RIA.
PG-8
The commissioning of the scanners was
also accompanied by the certification
of LRA Customs Officers who were
trained by UNDP to operate and
manage the machines.
-30-
CIPS Levels 3-4 Training
for 59 Procurement Officers
The Country Director of the
United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) in Liberia
Dr. Pa Lamin Beyai says the
training of mass procurement
staff in Liberia is critical to the
Country's development.
He said the training of the
procurement practitioners at
various levels of CIPS is one of
the biggest programs that
UNDP has invested in
Worldwide.
Dr. Beyai spoke at the start of
back to back Chartered
Institute of Purchasing &
Supply Procurement Certificate training
(CIPS) trainings levels 3 & 4 supported by
UNDP for Procurement Staff from various
line Ministries, Agencies as well as UNDP.
“The purpose of this is to create that
critical mass of procurement staff for this
country… we are very happy as UNDP
to know that in the next couple of years,
this country will not be short of
procurement experts”.. He noted.
The Public Procurement and Concession
Commission (PPCC) Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) James Dorbor Jallah said
the training of more CIPS certified
procurement professional through this
program will be at the advantage of
not only the trainees, but Liberia as well.
The PPCC Boss said women account for
39% of the CIPS Level 4 trainees while
men constitute the remaining 61%.
He stated that 8% of the trainees were
selected from duty stations out of
Monrovia in support of the
government’s decentralization policy.
Mr. Jallah encouraged the trainees to
focus and ensure that they all pass
successfully and prepare for the
graduation next year.
CIPS is the Chartered Institute of
Purchasing & Supply based in the UK
which aims at qualifying public sector
procurement practitioners for
certificates in public procurement and
subsequent accreditation by the
Chartered Institute of Purchasing &
Supply (CIPS).
-30-
PG-9
Over 300 Procurement staff have so far benefitted from the CIPS trainings being
conducted at different levels (1-4).
The Emma Smith
Foundation Catalogues
Ebola Survivors’ Stories
In what is seen as the first effort to bring
out the untold stories of Ebola survivors
in Liberia, the Emma Smith Reality show
kicked-off an advocacy project at the
Golden Gate Hotel auditorium.
UNDP is funding this project in a series of
radio and Television syndicated shows
that seek to bring out the stories of
Ebola survivors in an effort to mobilize
resources from government and donor
communities in ameliorating the
pathetic conditions Ebola survivors are
contending with.
Banjor Pinyonkosa Community
Orphanage Care Giver, Madaindu
Dakowah, in an interview with Emma
Smith Reality Show crew, disclosed that
she is catering for eleven orphans
whose parents died as a result of the
EVD scourge.
She said they are contending with issues
of feeding, shelter, schooling and
medical needs.
Madaindu expressed concern that
people have been coming and
collecting their stories without doing
anything about their problems.
She mentioned that there is hardly any
support from any sector.
“I see the Emma Smith Reality Show as a
channel of reaching out to the rest of
the world in soliciting assistance on
behalf of Liberia’s forgotten heroes and
heroines of the EVD epidemic”
Madaindu noted.
It was divulged during
the interview that the
philanthropic effort she
has assumed has resulted
in the breakup of her
marriage.
He has abandoned her
because he could not
cope with the burden of
taking care of the foster
children.
Madaindu used the
occasion to raise
concern about one of her missing
wards, who absconded from the
orphanage and has not returned since
the day of elections on October 10.
The missing girl’s case is a reflection of
the lack of adequate support at the
orphanage, forcing them to fend for
themselves in the streets.
-30-
The Emma Smith Reality Show intersperses information and entertainment.
PG-10
Last County Service Center
Opens
The Liberian Leader Ellen Johnson Sirleaf,
on 20 December cut the ribbon to the
Montserrado County Service Centre in
Bentol. It’s the last of the 15 new centres
to be commissioned.
These county-level administrative
centres, build with support from UNDP,
EU, USA, UNMIL and Sweden, provide
essential basic government services to a
large number of citizens. Dignitaries
including Farid Sarif, UN’s Special
Representative of the Secretary-
General, UNDP’s Resident
Representative Yacoub El Hillo, UNDP’s
Country Director, Pa Lamin Beyai, and
Ambassadors from EU, USA and
Sweden, helped officially launch the
centre.
To date, more than 30,000 people have
accessed the services nationwide,
raising over US$500,000 in revenue for
the government coffers, which goes
back into the system to provide more
services. Having basic government
services at the county-level, according
to President Johnson Sirleaf, is only one
part of decentralization. Liberia’s
development depends on having these
one-stop shops at the heart of counties,
rather than clumped together in
Monrovia.
“If you can’t get a drivers’ license, it’s
not working. If you can’t get a wedding
certificate, it’s not working. Let’s go that
extra mile to show that it’s working as it
should,” she said.
Some of the services provided at the
centre include marriage license, birth
certificates, business registration, labor
dispute submissions, and psychosocial
support, among 13 other services.
This is a great step towards
decentralization. Currently, citizens must
travel to Monrovia to access these basic
services regardless of where they are in
the country. Some people travel for one
week, at great cost, to reach the
capital city, then they pay for lodging
and food, on top of the cost of the
services themselves. This results in many
people forgoing the documentation, or
waiting until the last minute.
Now, the centres can provide those
services all in one place closer to home.
Over the period 2015-2017, UNDP in
partnership with the Ministry of Internal
Affairs with funding from donors like EU,
Sweden and USA, constructed or
refurbished 15 centres, and outfitted the
buildings with all the furnishings to make
them functional. As a result of this
investment, government budgets have
allocated significant funding to keep
these centres operational.
-30-
PG-11
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf cutting the ribbon to the County
Service Center in Bentol, Besonville
INCREASING YOUTH
PARTICIPATION IN THE
2017 LEGISLATIVE AND
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORAL
PROCESS
The Youth and Elections project is
partnering with the Government of
Liberia at two levels: the project partners
with the Ministry of Youth and Sports to
support National Youth Institutions
including the Federation of Liberian
Youth (FLY), the Liberian National
Student Union (LINSU), the Coalition of
Youth Institutions on Elections, the Mano
River Youth Parliament among others to
establish Youth Peace Committees
(YPCs) in all 15 counties. Other activities
include strengthening existing youth
networks.
In Bomi, Cape Mount and Gbarpolu
Counties, the UNFPA, through a UN
agency to agency agreement with the
UNDP under the Youth and Elections
Project, is working with NGOs and CSOs
to provide training for members of the
Liberia National Police, Local Authorities
from the Ministry of Internal Affairs,
Market Women and Street Vendors in
youth participation in
peacebuilding/Sexual & Reproductive
Health Rights and Gender Based
Violence.
In Grand Bassa County, the Institute for
Research and Democratic
Development (IREDD) hosted one of
eight trainings designed to teach youth
on detecting and reporting early
warning signs of violence.
In Montserrado and the South East, the
Messengers of Peace have been
conducting street theatres with
students, community and
disadvantaged youths as well as in
market centers.
The Peace Building Office (PBO) and
the Office of the National Peace
Ambassador (ONPA) for their part are
working with the Liberian National
Police, Political Parties, Traditional
Leaders and Youth Groups to promote
confidence and trust building as well as
provide information on early warning
signs of conflicts among others.
-30-
PG-12
Donors
Government Partners Ministry of Commerce & Industry Ministry of Youth and Sports
Implementing Partners
Liberia Anti-corruption Commission
Ministry of Internal Affairs
Liberia National Police, Action Aid,
UNFPA, Naymote, IRRED, LMDI, MoP,
Messengers of Peace
Liberia Revenue Authority, Public
Procurement and Concession
Commission
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