IPNEWS: Deputy Minister for Economic Management at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP), Dehpue Y. Zuo, has called for stronger coordination, transparency, and accountability between the Government of Liberia and the United Nations Country Team to ensure development resources remain aligned with national priorities and deliver measurable improvements in the lives of Liberians.
Deputy Minister Zuo made the call during a United Nations Country Team partnership dialogue focused on strengthening collaboration, shared accountability, and implementation of Liberia’s national development priorities.
Speaking on behalf of Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, Zuo commended the United Nations for its longstanding partnership with Liberia, including contributions to peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance, post-conflict recovery, and national development.
He said the partnership has evolved significantly and welcomed the UN Country Team’s continued support to the Government’s priorities under the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID) 2025–2029.
“Liberia values its long-standing relationship with the United Nations,” Zuo said, stressing that the partnership must evolve toward stronger development outcomes, greater national ownership, and institutional sustainability.
He noted that changes in the global development financing landscape, including reductions in traditional assistance, require Liberia and its partners to improve coordination and pursue more predictable, diversified, and sustainable financing mechanisms.
“The financing architecture in Liberia must be firmly anchored in national priorities, sector stability, and mechanisms that minimize leakages as we mobilize more diverse resources to finance our development priorities,” he stated.
Zuo emphasized that development financing should prioritize interventions producing tangible benefits, particularly for women, children, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups.
He said the success of development partnerships should not be measured by the number of programs or presentations, but by the quality of decisions, implementation, and measurable results.
The Deputy Minister welcomed the alignment between the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2026–2030 and Liberia’s AAID 2025–2029, describing it as a strong foundation for enhanced cooperation.
He urged UN agencies to strengthen national institutions and sector plans rather than establish parallel structures.
“We expect this conversation to reinforce our national institutions, sector plans, development priorities, and public-sector investment framework—not to establish parallel institutions, but to strengthen complementary ownership and implementation,” he stressed.
Zuo also highlighted the indicative US$874 million financing envelope under the UN development cooperation framework, calling for strategic targeting of resources toward programs capable of producing significant and measurable outcomes.
He said the MFDP’s Aid Management and Coordination Unit has a critical role in tracking external resources and ensuring alignment with national priorities.
Zuo encouraged continued collaboration on domestic resource mobilization and called for improved monitoring, reporting, and information-sharing, citing limited government visibility into some interventions implemented by UN agencies and partners.
He identified procurement bottlenecks, fragmented implementation, weak coordination, slow recruitment, limited reporting platforms, and delays as areas requiring joint attention.
As preparations begin for the 2027 National Budget, Zuo urged the UN Country Team to clearly identify its priority programs and government coordination mechanisms needed to accelerate implementation.
Earlier, Christian Mukosa, Representative of the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and Acting UN Resident Coordinator in Liberia, said the development cooperation framework must serve as a practical instrument for delivering tangible results.
Mukosa cautioned against turning the review into another routine reporting exercise, urging stakeholders to honestly assess what is working, identify gaps, and agree on corrective measures.
He stressed that the framework’s ultimate measure of success is its impact on Liberians through improved public services, expanded opportunities, and sustainable development outcomes.
Deputy Minister for Economic Management at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP), Dehpue Y. Zuo, has called for stronger coordination, transparency, and accountability between the Government of Liberia and the United Nations Country Team to ensure development resources remain aligned with national priorities and deliver measurable improvements in the lives of Liberians.
Deputy Minister Zuo made the call during a United Nations Country Team partnership dialogue focused on strengthening collaboration, shared accountability, and implementation of Liberia’s national development priorities.
Speaking on behalf of Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, Zuo commended the United Nations for its longstanding partnership with Liberia, including contributions to peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance, post-conflict recovery, and national development.
He said the partnership has evolved significantly and welcomed the UN Country Team’s continued support to the Government’s priorities under the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID) 2025–2029.
“Liberia values its long-standing relationship with the United Nations,” Zuo said, stressing that the partnership must evolve toward stronger development outcomes, greater national ownership, and institutional sustainability.
He noted that changes in the global development financing landscape, including reductions in traditional assistance, require Liberia and its partners to improve coordination and pursue more predictable, diversified, and sustainable financing mechanisms.
“The financing architecture in Liberia must be firmly anchored in national priorities, sector stability, and mechanisms that minimize leakages as we mobilize more diverse resources to finance our development priorities,” he stated.
Zuo emphasized that development financing should prioritize interventions producing tangible benefits, particularly for women, children, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups.
He said the success of development partnerships should not be measured by the number of programs or presentations, but by the quality of decisions, implementation, and measurable results.
The Deputy Minister welcomed the alignment between the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2026–2030 and Liberia’s AAID 2025–2029, describing it as a strong foundation for enhanced cooperation.
He urged UN agencies to strengthen national institutions and sector plans rather than establish parallel structures.
“We expect this conversation to reinforce our national institutions, sector plans, development priorities, and public-sector investment framework—not to establish parallel institutions, but to strengthen complementary ownership and implementation,” he stressed.
Zuo also highlighted the indicative US$874 million financing envelope under the UN development cooperation framework, calling for strategic targeting of resources toward programs capable of producing significant and measurable outcomes.
He said the MFDP’s Aid Management and Coordination Unit has a critical role in tracking external resources and ensuring alignment with national priorities.
Zuo encouraged continued collaboration on domestic resource mobilization and called for improved monitoring, reporting, and information-sharing, citing limited government visibility into some interventions implemented by UN agencies and partners.
He identified procurement bottlenecks, fragmented implementation, weak coordination, slow recruitment, limited reporting platforms, and delays as areas requiring joint attention.
As preparations begin for the 2027 National Budget, Zuo urged the UN Country Team to clearly identify its priority programs and government coordination mechanisms needed to accelerate implementation.
Earlier, Christian Mukosa, Representative of the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and Acting UN Resident Coordinator in Liberia, said the development cooperation framework must serve as a practical instrument for delivering tangible results.
Mukosa cautioned against turning the review into another routine reporting exercise, urging stakeholders to honestly assess what is working, identify gaps, and agree on corrective measures.
He stressed that the framework’s ultimate measure of success is its impact on Liberians through improved public services, expanded opportunities, and sustainable development outcomes.
