By Augustine Octavius
The Civil Society Platform for Peace and State Building has observed that the culture of violence and lawlessness that characterized years of civil war in Liberia have created several sub-sectors, perpetuating criminality and impunity in Liberia even up till today .
Lance-dell Mathews, the Coordinator of the platform said based on this backdrop, there is a need for consultation between civil society organizations and key government ministries and agencies because it holds the key for Liberia’s future.
Mathews was speaking over the weekend when he delivered the keynote speech at the opening of a one-day national consultation on promoting sustainable peace and an inclusive society in Monrovia.
It was the first National Consultation of the Civil Peace Service for the implementation of the New Deal framework on the sustainable development goals (SDGs).
He pointed out that there is a need to face the past and draw up those good practices and confront the bad ones that hinder the development in Liberia.
Mathews called on stakeholders to maximize the possibility for greater coherence and accountability among country- led planning, stakeholders’ consultation processes and partners’ support.
He explained that stakeholders and the government should work together that the results are sustainable and not to be jumping from one development agenda to another
The consultation was held under the theme: “Promoting Sustainable Peace and An Inclusive Society: Lessons From the Implementation of the New Deal in Liberia.”
It brought together representatives from the United Nations system, civil society organizations, government ministries and agencies among others
Organizers of the consultation say it was held in collaboration with the society platform on peace building (CSPPS), which is part of the Country Team for the implementation of the .
The SDGs is a collection of 17 global goals set by the United Nations which focus on quality reduction, decent work and economic growth, peace justice and strong institutions among others
They were scheduled to review the current state of Civil society organizations on the different frameworks and goals on peace building,, as a way forward to strategically determine its next course of action and develop a joint CSO plan of action for the next 12 months.