PHOTO: US Amb. Michael McCarthy
SOURCE: New Dawn newspaper
By Bridgett Milton
The United States Embassy near Monrovia has urged the Liberian Government to redouble its efforts in the fight against corruption here.
It said the fight would enable the government to strengthen areas of governance identified in the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) scorecard.
Addressing a press conference Wednesday, 10 November 2021, U.S. Ambassador to Liberia Michel A. McCarthy said not only would concrete gains in combating corruption greatly improve Liberia’s chance of being awarded a second MCC compact, but it would also be low hanging fruit for demonstrated progress toward pledged goals in this year’s summit for democracy.
“Yesterday the MCC published on its website the scorecard of 66 candidate countries including Liberia. I regret to inform you that for the fourth year in a row Liberia did not pass its scorecard, meeting only nine of the 20 indicators,’’ Abm. McCarthy said.
He added that the scorecard is not an indicator of failure, but it helps countries understand which government areas need attention in order to qualify for a compact.
He said Liberia scored quite well in some very important indicators that other countries struggle to pass, including political rights, civil liberties, and freedom of information.
Meanwhile, Liberia has been selected to participate in the upcoming summit for democracy which will run from 9 to 10 December 2021.
According to Amb. McCarthy, this first summit will bring together leaders virtually from government, civil society, and the private sector to set forth an affirmative agenda for democratic renewal and to tackle through collective action the greatest threats faced by democracies today.
He said it is important to note that the Summit for Democracy is not a celebration for world leaders to congratulate themselves on a job well done.
Instead, the U.S. Envoy said it is a call to renewed action because democracies by their nature are constant works in progress, very much including the U.S. own.
He explained that the summit will be an opportunity for participants to commit to a meaningful new action that combats authoritarianism, defends against corruption, and promotes respect for human rights at home and abroad.
He indicated that they are looking forward to hearing what ambitious commitments will be made by the government of Liberia, expressing hope that the media take note of the commitments made by the government and follow their progress.https://thenewdawnliberia.com/mcc-compact-ends/–Edited by Winston W. Parley