MONROVIA- The Head of the European Union Delegation to Liberia, Ambassador Laurent Delahousse, has stressed the need for more improvements in the capacity building of Civil Society Organizations in Liberia.
By Francis G. Boayue
Amb. Delahousse made the statement on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, at the closeout meeting of Mercy Corps and its partners’ four-year Supporting Effective Advocacy in Liberia (SEAL) program.
The EU Ambassador said, “There is still a lot to do to improve the capacities of Civil Society Organizations across the country.”
According to Ambassador Delahousse, the European Union is in the middle of calling for a proposal to support CSOs across the 15 counties in Liberia through capacity buildings and other initiatives of improving the quality of their administrative sites.
The EU Head of Delegation lauded Mercy Corps through its SEAL program for the initiative and explained that there are still many challenges that Civil Society Organizations across the country are going through to interact with the government and donors to support.
He, however, stressed the need of the European Union to develop another important compartment of the development which is not just about getting money from donors but also about creating added value in the country.
The Supporting Effective Advocacy in Liberia (SEAL) program, which was funded by the European Union under its 11th European Development Fund with co-financing from the Swedish Embassy and Irish Aid, implemented by Mercy Corps in partnership with Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation (KtK), with the aim to directly involve and benefit 11 CSOs, 15 Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) and the NCSCL.
It targeted seven of Liberia’s 15 counties, including Montserrado, Rivercess, Grand Gedeh, Grand Kru, River Gee, Sinoe, and Maryland.
For her part, Mercy Corps Country Director Madam Rabi Sani highlighted the four years program in Liberia and expressed her institution’s pride in partnering with the European Union, Irish Aid, the Swedish Government, and CSOs to carry out the program, recognizing their importance in promoting good governance and holding the government accountable.
Account to her, since the inception of the project in 2019, Mercy Corps and Kvinna Kvinna implemented the SEAL program successfully and built the capacity of 11 civil society organizations and 15 community-based organizations (CBOs) to become credible actors in the governance of the country thought their engagement in the formulation of public policy, and the monitoring of its implementation.
Madam Sani: “Over the project’s life, the SEAL program has improved the internal control system of CSOs, CBOs, and the NCSCL, strengthened their knowledge and skills ” she said.
She used the occasion to urge civil society actors to take what they learned seriously.
In conclusion, she extended appreciation to the European Union, the Swedish government, and Irish Aid for financing the program over the last four years.
Also speaking at the closeout meeting, the Chairperson of the National Civil Society Council of Liberia, Madam Loretta Alethea Pope-Kai stated that the council will work with the SEAL project team to engage with its members-based institutions to provide information necessary for the protection and promotion of rights including the rights to health and other basic services.
“Today, we are here to end the Supporting Effective Advocacy in Liberia (SEAL) project but it will go down a long way in our lives as CSOS, ” Madam Pope-Kai said.
She said the council will use the knowledge acquired to improve itself so as to empower its members
She said, “We will provide education for other groups concerning what we have learned to ensure that accurate information is provided promptly.”
Madam Pope-Kai said the four years of information gathered would be used to develop open programs or call to action for the government to respond to citizens’ rights to basic services.