UK–Liberia development partnership summary, March 2024
Published 27 March 2024
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Introduction
The international development white paper sets out a re-energised agenda for the UK working with partners to accelerate progress on eliminating extreme poverty, tackling climate change and biodiversity loss, and accelerating progress on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
In a contested world, where ODA alone will not be enough, achieving the vision as set out in the SDGs requires a radical rethink in our approach to international development. The white paper sets out how our partnerships are central to this approach. These are founded on mutual respect, with an emphasis on country ownership, accountability, transparency and common values. This country development partnership summary details how the approach detailed in the white paper will be put into practice with Liberia.
Country context
Liberia has made considerable progress on peace and stability following 14 years of civil war and conflict (1989 to 2003). In 2017, one democratically elected president (Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf) stepped down and another (George Manneh Weah) took office with a smooth transition for the first time in over 70 years. The country has recently had another smooth transition following the presidential elections in 2023. However, there remain significant challenges to securing sustainable development in Liberia, and the progress made in the post-war decade has been slowed by the 2014 to 2015 Ebola epidemic, the COVID pandemic, and endemic corruption.
Liberia is vulnerable to climate change, has a small economy dependent on commodity trade, and a growing and youthful population. Despite a great deal of external support, it remains among the lowest-ranked countries for many development indicators. Life expectancy is amongst the lowest in the world, maternal mortality is high, years of schooling are low, and many Liberians lack access to clean water, hygiene and sanitation. Gender inequality continues, and there is a substantial rural-urban divide. Government institutions, systems and capacities are developing but still weak.
Why and how the UK is working on development with Liberia
Liberia and the UK have a strong relationship, with the UK being the first country to recognise Liberia’s independence in 1848. This relationship is based on mutual respect and solid partnerships, including on international development, shared democratic values and people-to-people links. In line with the UK’s strategy for international development and international development white paper, the UK aims to be a patient, long-term partner.
Although a small country, Liberia plays an important role in international fora, such as the UN, through its consistent support for human rights, freedom and democracy. Liberia’s stability (or lack of) can affect the region, as seen during its civil wars, though also more positively as a troop contributor to the UN Mission to Mali (which closed in December 2023), and serves as an important example of democracy in an unstable region. However, corruption, inequality and poverty all pose risks to Liberia’s peace settlement, and it will be vital to show its youthful population that there is a legitimate path towards a more promising future. Liberia also matters to the UK’s objectives on nature and climate change since it holds 40% of West African moist forest, acting as a net carbon sink, and is a biodiversity hotspot.
The UK’s mission in Liberia is to be a supportive and influential partner in helping Liberia to protect democracy and human rights, both domestically and internationally, and to tackle corruption; to safeguard its natural resources appropriately, ensuring that they benefit both current and future generations; and to improve human development outcomes, especially around girls’ education and women’s health, in line with the UK’s international development strategy.
UK development offer
To achieve the above mission, the UK will draw on the full range of its resources, including UK expertise from across His Majesty’s Government, local and central programming, convening power, strong advisory capacity, and our ability to leverage international finance and influence the wider multilateral system.
Most UK support in Liberia is delivered with multilateral institutions, such as World Bank, African Development Bank and IMF, by UN agencies, such as UNDP and UNFPA, and through FCDO centrally-managed programmes (CMPs) operating in several countries. FCDO also has several small bilateral programmes, which are currently focused on road construction, girls’ education and LGBT+ rights.
In addition, throughout 2023, the UK co-chaired the Coordinating Partners’ Group (which brings together all Liberia’s key development partners on a monthly basis) in order to help Liberia to set up effective delivery mechanisms and to draw up a new evidence-based 6-year plan to drive development in Liberia.
Who we work with
The UK works and engages with a wide range of local, national and international partners, ranging from other governments and development partners to local Civil Society Organisations. The Global Partnership for Education provides significant funding in Liberia, and the UK is active in the Local Education Group. Through the British Peace Support Team Africa, the UK delivers regular training courses to the Armed Forces of Liberia for UN deployments and, through the Conflict Stability and Security Fund, the UK is providing training for the Liberia National Police.
The UK works closely with Liberia’s Forestry Development Agency and the EU on forestry and wildlife issues, and with Liberia’s Environmental Protection Agency on climate change issues. We also work closely with the Ministry of Public Works and the World Bank on the roads programme.
Programmes
Liberia Roads Development programme
The UK provided £4.8 million in 2018 to the World Bank managed Liberia Reconstruction Trust Fund (LRTF) to support the Liberia South-eastern Corridor Road Asset Management Project (SECRAMP). The programme is supporting the Government of Liberia to enhance road access connectivity for residents living along selected sections of the Ganta to Zwedru Road Corridor and to improve institutional capacity to manage the road sector. Its implementation was delayed due to the pandemic and it is now expected to be completed by June 2026.
Forest Governance, Markets and Climate programme
This centrally managed programme has operated in Liberia from 2013 to 2023 to the tune of £23.2 million with the aim of strengthening the governance and development of Liberia’s forest sector, supporting the reform of the timber market to tackle illegal logging and promoting the legal timber trade, and facilitating community engagement in the management of forest resources.
Investments in Forests and Sustainable Land Use (Phase 1)
This centrally managed programme has allocated £1.2 million since 2019 to support 2 ongoing projects in Liberia. The goal is to support smallholder farmers in the Greater Gola Forest Landscape in cultivating cocoa sustainably through forest-friendly agricultural practices and causing zero deforestation. Additionally, the programme is empowering local communities to produce oil palm sustainably. Phase 1 of this programme is scheduled to conclude this year (2024). However, discussions are ongoing for a new programme that could lean towards scaling up forest smart agriculture and sustainable land use.
Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) Challenge Fund
This centrally managed programme has recently funded 4 projects in Liberia with the combined value of over £1 million. Some have concluded this year (2024). These projects are helping to develop sustainable livelihoods to benefit those directly affected by the IWT, to strengthen law enforcement and ensure effective legal frameworks, and to reduce demand for IWT products.