GBARNGA, LIBERIA Several international donors’ partners and national implementing Civil Society Organizations including the Liberia Land Authority (LLA), CAFOD, Weit hunger hilife are on a week-long retreat to adopt special message in the implementation of the Land Rights Law.
Landesa’s Country Director, Dr. Emmanuel Urey assured their organization’s commitment to support the implementation of the new Land Rights law.
Dr. Urey called on civil society organizations (CSOs) to rally around their Legislators for their support.
The FAO Representative, Kolly Allison promised said his organization is willing to help identify some bottle-necks that are hindering the Law’s implementation and to devise strategies to resolve such bottle-necks.
For its part, the USAID-Land Governance Support Activity (LGSA) Media Specialist, Richlue Burphy, reaffirmed the entity’s continued support the full implementation of the new Land Right Law and the Land Rights Policy.
Opening the week-long retreat, the Executive Director of Liberia Reform Movement (LRM), Alphonso Henneries, said “the workshop is intended to prepare county representatives and 30 working Civil Society Groups on Land Rights to begin public awareness on the initiative”.
Henneries said the objective of the CSOs retreat is to create apace for learning and dialogue that provides opportunity for the different stakeholders in tenure governance at various levels to discuss and identify relevant messages to pass onto communities in carrying out awareness on the Land Right Act.
“The retreat will also take stock of the progress made, discuss potential solution to identify challenges, as well as highlight priority areas for training for protecting and defending communities’ land rights and improving governance in relation to the land and forest of communities,” said the LRM boss.
The call was made Monday, February 25, 2019 in Gbarnga, Bong County at the retreat of CSOs Groups, the retreat is expected to end March 1, 2019.
Other participants including the National Civic Society Council of Liberia, the Sustainable Development Institute (SDI) and Rights and Rice Foundation (RRF) among others are in attendance.
The Liberia Land Authority (LLA) Acting Chairman, Adams Manuba, for his part, said the entity has challenges in implementing the new law but called on government for financial support for the full implementation of the Land Rights Law.
Attorney Manuba, also lauded donor organizations for supporting government’s efforts to sponsor more than 30 Civil Society Land Rights Working Groups to adopt the messages on the theme, ‘One Message, One Law,’ to ensure the Law’s full implementation. Report by Jos Garneo Cephas Sr.,A Development Journalist