Thursday, June 20, 2013 11:39

Gov't Delegation At Aid Confab

Story by Staff Writer
Photo Credit:

A high-powered Liberian delegation including the Minister of Planning and Economic Affairs, the Minister of Finance and other Liberian technocrats leave the country today to attend the 4th High Level Forum (HLF4) on Aid Effectiveness in Busan, South Korea.
The global Forum will be held from November 29 to December 1, 2011. The Liberian delegation will be headed by Planning and Economic Affairs Minister.
The global Forum in Busan will be a major milestone and a turning point for the universal aid effectiveness agenda.  Liberia, along with other members of the g7+ Group of fragile states, plans to create a paradigm shift in the way aid is delivered in countries whose peace is fragile.  Liberia, the g7+ Group and other partners within the International Dialogue on Peacebuilding and Statebuilding, will to promote a “New Deal” for aid delivery in fragile states.  This “New Deal” lays out 5 peacebuilding and statebuilding goals that shall serve as the basis for aid delivery and ensuring that fragile states graduate from a state of fragility. 
Liberia will also promote the idea of country ownership of development agendas with donor partner aligning their support to national priorities.  Public sector capacity building will also be a key message from the Liberian delegation. 
In order to achieve these goals, on day one of the Forum, Liberia will be represented on three key panels, including a session on aid organized by the USAID and African Governance Initiatives, an organization founded by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, in which Minister Konneh will serve as a Panelist. Finance Minister Augustine K. Ngafuan will serve as a panelist on a panel organized by the United Nations and Dr. James F. Kollie, Acting Deputy Minister of Regional and Sectoral at the Ministry of Planning will co-moderate one of the keystone panel events at the HLF4. Liberia will also be represented on various panels throughout the Forum.
The Busan outcome documents, which will include adoption of the “New Deal” is expected to create consensus encompassing shared principles for more effective partnerships and, in turn, development results. By uniting behind this consensus, countries, including Liberia and partners hope to push forward global efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.