Monrovia, Liberia – A joint communiqué aimed at rectifying the Protocols on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Waters was adopted by Mano River Union (MRU) stakeholders who gathered for a two-day national validation workshop.
Key outcomes from the workshop include the correction of the ESP acronym, the creation of a Technical Unit within the proposed management office, and the establishment of dedicated sections for Gender and Climate Change.
The rectification process also included provisions for conducting 360-degree evaluations of staff. Stakeholders also suggested a 10-year ESP duration with 3- to 5-year intervals between review cycles.
A unanimous decision was made by the Liberian delegation to skip the validation of the Operationalization and Deployment Plan.
Delegates emphasized that the plan serves primarily as an internal working document, and therefore does not require formal rectification or signing by the MRU Ministerial Council.
Held from Thursday to Friday, the workshop sought to further the creation of a Transboundary Water Basins Management Office, a regional organization intended to improve governance and encourage sustainable management of the subregion’s shared water resources.
Participants in the two-day session reviewed and validated early drafts of the administrative and financial processes handbook, organic texts, protocol, and operationalization plan for the proposed office.
The ECOWAS Resident Representative to Liberia, Ambassador Josephine Nkrumah, stated in her speech that illicit mining and artificial fishing pose serious risks to the water resources of the Mano River Basin and the larger West African subregion. In order to carry out the 2008 ECOWAS resolution that encourages the establishment of three new transboundary basin organizations in West Africa, she pointed out that the ongoing discussions are an essential first step.
The meeting was characterized as a turning point in the region’s joint endeavor to create a collaborative and sustainable framework for water administration by Ama Gborie Foday, MRU Deputy Secretary-General for Economic Development and Regional Integration.
Additionally, she stated that the project is in line with the ECOWAS Regional Action Plan for Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), the Ouagadougou Declaration on IWRM, and the MRU’s strategic vision for resilience building, regional integration, and cross-border environmental governance.
Madam Foday stressed the significance of stakeholder involvement, pointing out that participant input is necessary to guarantee that final documents represent both national aims and regional ambitions.
The effort meets the objectives of Liberia’s National Development Plan (2025–2029) and the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development, according to Cllr. Eric Morlu, Chief Legal Counsel of the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, who spoke on behalf of the Liberian government.
He emphasized that the agenda emphasizes environmental stewardship, regional integration, and sustainable resource management as crucial pillars for equitable economic growth and efficient management of Liberia’s shared water resources.
