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Monrovia, Liberia, July 31, 2025: Key stakeholders from across Liberia’s environmental, governmental, civil society, and development sectors gathered at the Kofi Annan Conference Room in Monrovia for the national validation workshop of the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF-SGP) Phase 8 Country Programme Strategy (CPS).
Implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and executed by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), the GEF-SGP has been active in Liberia since 2009, supporting grassroots environmental initiatives that have directly and indirectly empowered over 1.5 million people and distributed more than USD 3 million in grants.
These efforts have focused on biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation and adaptation, sustainable land and forest management, and community development.
The validation workshop held on July 29, 2025, marked a major milestone in Liberia’s transition into Operational Phase 8 (2024–2028).
The new CPS, developed through a consultative and participatory process led by the local NGO National Action for Economic Empowerment and Development (NAFEED), sets the strategic direction for the next four years of GEF-SGP implementation in the country.
“This strategy is rooted in Liberia’s national priorities, the President’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID), and reflects the voices of communities, women, youth, and marginalized groups. It is a testament to the power of grassroots innovation in achieving global environmental and development goals,” said Mr. Louis Kuukpen, UNDP Liberia Deputy Resident Representative.
Kuukpen also encouraged participants to critically examine the CPS and engage in open, honest, and forward-looking dialogue to guide Liberia’s future environmental programming.
The workshop aimed to secure stakeholders’ validation of the draft CPS, ensuring alignment with national priorities and reflecting the insights of communities, development partners, and sectoral actors.
It also emphasized the importance of inclusive participation, national ownership, and improved coordination mechanisms for effective implementation.
Key outcomes include reaching agreement on the roles and responsibilities of partners and stakeholders, integrating gender equality and environmental safeguards, and identifying co-financing opportunities and synergies with national and donor-supported programmes.
Participants represented a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including civil society and community-based organizations, government ministries and agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Forestry Development Authority (FDA), and the Ministry of Mines & Energy; academic institutions including the University of Liberia, Stella Maris Polytechnic, and AME University; the private sector, notably Ecobank; and international development partners such as the European Union, UN Women, Conservation International, the World Bank, FAO, and the Embassy of Sweden.
The event reaffirmed Liberia’s commitment to environmental sustainability, inclusive development, and locally led climate and biodiversity action.
Once finalized, the CPS will be submitted to the UNOPS Country Team for formal approval, setting the stage for community-level projects aligned with Liberia’s national development priorities and the global Sustainable Development Goals.
