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ADNews-Monrovia: Heads of UN organizations, including their Resident Country Coordinator on Monday, paid a courtesy visit to Liberia’s Finance and Development Planning Minister Hon. Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan.
The visit follows a recent meeting between the One UN Country team and Liberia’s Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Hon. Ngafuan, held at One UN House in Monrovia on Friday, September 20.
The One UN Country team visit was geared towards its unwavering support to Liberia’s development, while also discussing ways Liberia’s national development plan could juxtapose with the United Nations SDGs.
Liberia’s Finance and Development Planning Minister Hon. Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, welcoming the One UN Country team, acknowledged the roles played by the United Nations for the restoration of peace and support to Liberia’s development.
Hon. Ngafuan told the UN team that during Liberia’s years of difficulties resulting from years of years of war, the United Nations stood with the country through thick and thin.
“There has been positive engagement since I took over. And what I had on Friday with you was productive. I thank the UN family for all you have done for Liberia during our difficult years and for being with us through thick and thin”, Minister Ngafuan stressed.
The Liberian finance minister recalled that in 2005 during the country elections, the support and partnership from the UN was strong, and such time was a matter of turning the corner and for the recovery process of Liberia.
He commended the UN for bringing excellent professionals who contributed to the consolidation of peace and development in Liberia through UNOMIL/UNMIL.
He disclosed that the government takes “very seriously” its national development plan, and said that it was important for a deep conversation with the UN team on ways he could get familiar with their projects and programs in Liberia.
“We need to have a deep conversation so I can get familiar with what you intend to do and what you’re doing. We want to get closer to your plans and to see how they can accommodate us because we take very seriously the national development plan”, Min. Ngafuan noted.
However, Minister Ngafuan revealed that the government is formulating a new budget and it was important to create a link between the budget and the country’s development plan so that the budget can be “faithful” to the plan.
Hon. Ngafuan also welcomed the proposal to have the UN-Country dialogue and told his deputies and the UN Country team that they should try and operationalize the partnership.
For her part, United Nations Resident Coordinator Christine Umutoni said the UN organizations in Liberia have different mandates but contribute to one coordinating network.
She explained that the evolution of the UN in Liberia was a development curve because the UN changes focus as the country takes shape in its growth and development.
Ms. Umutoni expressed the need for engagement with the government through the UN-Country dialogue platform to talk about different things as well as the financing framework that would link with the global phase of the SDG, because of Liberia’s commitment to the global endeavor.
“I am proposing that we have the UN-Country dialogue at least once a month. And we are relying on the MFDP for an evaluation of our new framework”, she said.
She pointed out that the UN priority focus is geared towards areas including power to the people, transparency and accountability, governance, and the rule of law and economy.
Ms. Christine Umutoni noted that it was important to know about Liberia’s development to have an alignment because the country’s plans could help the UN in designing its plans in Liberia.
“What your plans are will help us design ours, and part of our priorities is to see how the development plan of Liberia is going”, she explained.
Also, she indicated that the UN is trying to decentralize by having a UN hub currently operational in Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County.
A USAID representative expressed optimism about the progress that has been made in areas of health and education but added that a lot was needed. He expressed delight with USAID’s support to Liberia’s development and said that water and sanitation, which have a major impact on health, could be given attention.
The One United Nations Country Team is a conglomeration of various agencies of the United Nations in Liberia.
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