As Legislative Diplomacy takes heights on Capitol Hill, the Speaker of the 54th Legislature, Dr. Bhofal Chambers, has presided in a unicameral Legislative Leadership Dialogue with a 14-Member visiting United Nations Peace Building Commission Delegation, at the Capitol Building in Monrovia.
The Head of the UN’s Peace Building Commission, Mr. Oscar Fernandex-Taranco along with Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, Special Representatives of the UN Secretary General for West Africa and the Sahel and Amb. Mohamed Fathi Ahmed Edress told the unicameral Legislative Leadership gathering, that they are in the country to discuss mechanisms to maintain and strengthen peace and consolidation in the Mano River Union (MRU) Basin, which includes Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ivory Cost and Guinea.
According to the Delegation, they believed that the success story of bringing peace to the Mano River Union (MRU) Basin after civil upheavals which affected some of the countries in the MRU, the United Nation wishes to work with all stakeholders in the region to maintain and strengthen, the peace and stability of all MRU countries.
The head of the delegation Mr. Oscar Fernandex-Taranco asserted that the intervention of the United Nations during the conflict era in the region has been recorded as a success story for the UN in its efforts to bring and maintain peace and harmony throughout the world. He says, they are in the country to have a firsthand feelings, information and understanding of the post conflict challenges in the region, so that the United Nations can development long term durable solutions to preventing conflicts, and harness the cooperation from the respective state governments in the region.
Others issues discussed during the gathering aimed at buttressing the peace and stability of the region, in the unique case with Liberia were; the rule of law, gender equality/violence, good governance with specific emphasis on the passages of the domestic violence act, the land right bill, the local government act and security sector challenges.
During the Dialoge, House Speaker, Dr. Bhofal Chambers proffered to the United Nations Peace Building Commission that it is about time that the global body engage fragile states of the world from a new dynamism. In reference to Liberia, Speaker Chambers told the UN delegates, he appreciates their focus on peace building in the region with the specifics of their concern ranging from rule of law, security sector, local government, but says most fragile state of the world problems are closely attached to challenging economies which often affect their ability to maintain genuine peace and the pursuit of happiness for their peoples.
Speaker Chambers furthers, the Liberian case should be tackled from a different perspective, where international partners like the United Nations can work with state actors in reforming laws to enhance the potential of some economic growth sectors of the country. He mentioned the logging industry of Liberia, fisheries and mining as requiring an effective law reform that will bring benefits to the country’s (Liberia) economy which will trigger down to government ability to durably maintain and strengthen the peace and happiness of its citizens.
The UN Peacebuilding officials in attendance included Guillermo Fernandez de Soto, Chair of the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission and Permanent Representative of Colombia to the United Nations; Mohamed Fathi Ahmed Edrees, Vice Chair of the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission and Permanent Representative of Egypt to the United Nations; and Olof Skoog, Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission Liberia Configuration and Permanent Representative of Sweden to the United Nations.
Others were Marc-Andre Blanchard, Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission Sierra Leone Configuration and Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations and Member of the Peacebuilding Commission; Oscar Fernandez-Taranco, Assistant Secretary-General (ASG) of the United Nations Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO), amongst others legislators attending the meeting were; Rep. Samuel Kogar of Nimba County, Sen. Dan Morias of Maryland County, Rep Clarence Nassaquoi of Lofa County, Sen. Commany Wesseh of River County, Rep. Edwin Snowe of Bomi County, Rep. Kanie Wesso of Gbarpolu, along the host of other lawmakers.
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