Monrovia – Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hans Barchue, and now presiding officer of the House of Representatives, says under his gavel, he will ensure the passage of all protocols and bills that he believes are in the interest of the Liberian people.
Report by Henry Karmo – [email protected]
According to Deputy Speaker Barchue it is not the duty of the Legislature to hold a treaty or protocol if they disagree with the content but said it is rather better to meet the Executive branch of Government if they are the proponent to discuss what the disagreements are.
Speaking at a one day technical meeting called at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf on ratification of the UN Paris Agreement on Climate Change he called on all stakeholders to be a part of the solution of solving the global challenge of climate change in their separate functions of government.
Deputy Speaker Barchue said: “You don’t have to be a scientist to know that climate change is real. If you doubt climate change follow me on a trip to West Point, or New Kru Town or better still let’s go to Buchanan and under my gavel as Presiding Officer I will work to ensure the passage of all protocols sand treaties once they are in the interest of the Liberian people.”
He believes it is embarrassing for President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf who is the current chair of the ECOWAS to be pressing over and when names are called for people who have ratified international protocols or agreement Liberia is left out.
The one day event was chaired by the Environmental Protection Agency where the entity provided detailed explanation to lawmakers on the need to ratify the UN Paris Climate Change Protocol.
The agreement contains 29 articles. It further recognizes that climate change represents an urgent and potential irreversible threat to human societies and the planet and thus requires the widest possible cooperation by all countries and their participation in an effective and appropriate international, response, with a view to accelerate the reduction of global greenhouse gas emission.
Prior to the Paris Climate Change Conference, parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) were obliged to make contributions as a basis of negotiating the outcome of the Paris Climate Change Conference.
At the one day meeting Madam Anyaa Vohiri, Executive Director of Liberia Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said, the EPA has led a task on behalf of the Government of Liberia in developing Liberia’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC).
Director Vohiri said: “Liberia INDC was developed with the participation of relevant stakeholders drawn from the Public and Private sectors. It is a comprehensive plan of action taking into consideration the issues of mitigation and adaptation in addressing climate change at the national level.”
She further stressed the need to strengthen existing national institutions, like the EPA-national focal institution with trained human resources and predictable finance.
“To the National Legislature, the Executive has done their part. What is left of you is for you to ratify the UN Paris Climate Change Agreement. We anxiously await your decision before you go for your agriculture break and before the UN General Assembly meeting,” she added.
For her part, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf commended the turnout by the lawmakers which she said demonstrates their commitment to combat the effect of climate change on Liberia to request the legislature to pass on the Protocol.
“Liberia is part of the formulation of the sustainable development goals which climate change was one of the main world orders,” President Sirleaf said.
She also requested the Legislature to see reason to pass the draft National budget to give way for the completion of pending development projects.
“We have name the dry season as the development surge that means that the Executive and the Legislature will really push hard on to carry out development projects that are pending in what I call the last dry season,” the President said.