CSOs in Liberia launch national advocacy strategy

CSOs in Liberia launch national advocacy strategy

Liberia - 18 October, 2018

On Friday, October 19, 2018 a national advocacy strategy in Liberia is being launched under the theme “Setting the stage for campaign against illegal logging as well as the blatant disregard for community’s rights and benefits as it relates to Social Agreement.” The advocacy strategy is organized by Liberian Civil Society Organizations under the banner, NGO Coalition of Liberia.

The strategy was developed by the National NGO Collation of Liberia (NCL) under the EU funded project “Strengthening the capacity of non-state actors to improve FLEGT-VPA and REED+ processes in West Africa” implemented in Liberia by Tropenbos International through Volunteers to Support International Efforts in Developing Africa (VOSIEDA).

The advocacy strategy seeks to publicize and promote changes in laws, regulations, contracts and agreements in the forestry sector. It focuses in two key recommendations from the NCL, making available final copies of the social agreements and contracts signed between communities and logging companies; and making clearer cubic meters fees payment protocol and push for the repeal of the law abolishing the ‘bid premium law’ (Forestry Industrial Development and Employment Regime Act of 2017).