The Government of Liberia and its Development Partners have concluded the 5th National Coordination Committee Meeting on the draft ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Growth and Development.
The meeting, held at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning on November 28, 2024, aimed to gather inputs and review resolutions from previous dialogues, comments, recommendations, and outcomes shared by development partners, stakeholders, civil society organizations, persons with disabilities, and officials from ministries and agencies across the government.
During his opening remarks, Liberia’s Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Hon. Augustine K. Ngafuan, praised development partners from various sectors for their commitment, support, and coordination throughout the AAID and CDA planning processes. He also expressed gratitude to government officials, deputies, the Assistant Minister, and technicians from the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning and other line ministries and agencies for their dedication and efforts.
Minister Ngafuan said national and sub-national consultations were conducted in early September across Liberia’s fifteen counties to gather views and inputs for drafting the ARREST Agenda and the County Development Agenda.
"Today, we appreciate your efforts and inputs, which have been incorporated into the draft document for review," Minister Ngafuan stated. He noted that the ARREST Agenda and County Development Agenda would be submitted to the National Steering Committee, chaired by the President of Liberia, during a meeting scheduled for December 2024.
The ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Growth and the County Development Agenda have been shaped by outcomes from national and sub-national consultations. The plans build on lessons and achievements from previous medium-term development strategies, including the Agenda for Transformation and the Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development.
Minister Ngafuan highlighted that these plans are aligned with Liberia's Vision 2030, as well as continental and global development frameworks, such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Africa’s Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want.
The County Development Agenda (CDA) aims to transition Liberia from a low-income to an inclusive middle-income country. Current projections indicate that Liberia's GDP per capita, currently at USD 849, will grow to USD 1,050 by 2029, with 25 percent of this growth expected to come from Official Development Assistance (ODA). Additionally, the ARREST Agenda proposes strengthening domestic resource mobilization through enhanced tax policy measures, including the introduction of value-added tax, and exploring innovative financing mechanisms.
Speaking on behalf of the National Coordination Committee co-chair, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative Mr. Louis Kuukpen commended the Government of Liberia for producing the draft National Development Plan 2025–2029 and the 15th County Development Agenda. He expressed gratitude to the Embassy of Sweden and the UN Joint SDG Fund, along with UNRCO, UNFPA, UN Women, and UNICEF, for funding the technical assistance.
"We applaud the Government for holding extensive consultations with the masses and key informants," Mr. Kuukpen said.
He emphasized the importance of stakeholder participation in enhancing inclusivity and setting effective development interventions.
He also underscored the need to address challenges in implementation and execution, including aligning the national budget with AAID programs, strengthening planning capacities, ensuring periodic reporting, and fostering learning at the national and sub-national levels.
United Nations Resident Coordinator in Liberia, Ms. Christine N. Umutoni, stated that Liberia’s National Development Plan 2025–2029 represents a transformative step towards sustainable and inclusive development. She noted that while challenges such as multidimensional poverty, unemployment, and limited infrastructure persist, Liberia’s youthful population, natural resources, and strategic location offer immense potential.
Ms. Umutoni highlighted that the plan prioritizes inclusiveness, sustainability, accountability, and local ownership. She explained that it applies a cause-consequence approach to development, emphasizing catalytic interventions with domino effects.
The plan introduces program-based budgeting and strengthens the links between resources and outcomes. Achieving the plan’s goals will require USD 7.6 billion in investments, with the government committed to enhancing domestic resource mobilization, pursuing innovative financing mechanisms, and fostering partnerships with private sector stakeholders, development partners, and the diaspora.
The meeting was attended by Liberia’s Finance and Development Planning Minister Hon. Augustine K. Ngafuan, Deputy Minister for Budget and Development Planning Hon. Tanneh G. Brunson, United Nations Resident Coordinator Ms. Christine N. Umutoni, World Bank Country Manager Ms. Georgia Wallen, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative Mr. Louis Kuukpen, Assistant Minister for Development Planning Hon. J. Willington Barchue, and other development partners, as well as representatives from civil society organizations and government ministries and agencies.
Note:
All joint programmes of the Joint SDG Fund are led by UN Resident Coordinators and implemented by the agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations development system. With sincere appreciation for the contributions from the European Union and Governments of Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and our private sector funding partners, for a transformative movement towards achieving the SDGs by 2030.
