Prepared for the UN in Liberia by Primson Management Services Cover Photo Credit: Chris Herwig This Document was compiled by: Dr Neddy Matshalaga (International Consultant) Dr Backson Sibanda (Team Leader) Mr Leonard Turugari (Support Consultant) Mr Macreynold Maroveke (Key Research Assistant) i Table of Contents Acronyms .................................................................................................................................................. v Definitions of Key Terms .......................................................................................................................... viii Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................... x 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................... 1 2.0 COUNTRY CONTEXT .................................................................................................................... 1 2.1 Economic Overview .................................................................................................................... 1 2.1.1 Economic Overview ................................................................................................................ 1 2.1.2 Agriculture Etractives and Land ...................................................................................... 5 2.2 Human Development .................................................................................................................. 9 2.2.1 Human Development Indices ................................................................................................... 9 2.2.2 Health ................................................................................................................................... 9 2.2.3 HIV and AIDS ...................................................................................................................... 11 2.2.4 Education ............................................................................................................................ 14 2.3 Population of and Demography ............................................................................................ 17 2.4.2 Transport, Roads and Bridges ....................................................................................... 18 2.4 Infrastructure and Urbanisation ........................................................................................... 19 2.4.1 Energy and Power ......................................................................................................... 19 2.4.3 Post and Telecommunications ...................................................................................... 20 2.4.4 Affordable Public Housing and Buildings ................................................................................ 21 2.5 Governance and Conflict analysis ......................................................................................... 22 2.5.1 Conflict Analysis ............................................................................................................ 22 2.6 Governance ........................................................................................................................... 25 2.6.1 Government Structure .................................................................................................. 25 2.6.2 Efforts for Building Governance Structures .................................................................. 26 2.6.3 Governance Indices ....................................................................................................... 28 2.6.4 Key Governance-related Challenges ............................................................................. 29 2.7 Legal and Policy Framework ................................................................................................. 31 2.8 Position of the Liberia in the regional and global development Context ............................. 32 2.9 Human Rights, Inequalities and Discrimination .................................................................... 33 2.9.1 Gender Inequalities ....................................................................................................... 34 2.9.2 Human Rights in Liberia: The context ........................................................................... 36 2.10 Climate and Environment ..................................................................................................... 39 2.10.1 Natural Resources Management ....................................................................................... 39 2.10.2 Resilience and Climate Change Adaptability ....................................................................... 41 Table of Contents Table ii 2.11 Peace- Humanitarian-Development Nexus ....................................................................... 42 2.11.1 Disaster Risk Reduction ................................................................................................. 43 2.11.2 Conflict and Displacement Risks ................................................................................... 43 2.11.3 Activities for sustainable development ........................................................................ 45 2.11.4 Humanitarian Response ................................................................................................ 46 3.0 LIBERIA, SDGs AND DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES ....................................................................... 48 3.1 Unfolding of the SDG processes in Liberia .................................................................................. 48 3.2 SDG Agenda Implementation Framework ............................................................................ 49 4.0 COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE OF THE UN IN LIBERIA ................................................................ 54 4.1 SWOT Analysis of the UNCT Capacities and Capabilities ...................................................... 54 5.0 PARTNERSHIPS .......................................................................................................................... 62 5.1 Stakeholder Partnerships for the period 2013-2017/18....................................................... 62 5.2 Stakeholder Partnerships Moving Forward .......................................................................... 62 6.0 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................................. 65 6.1 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................. 65 6.2 Recommendations ................................................................................................................ 68 Table of Figures Figure 1: Poverty Trends between 2014 and 2016 in Liberia ................................................................. 2 Figure 2: Absolute Poverty Rate by Country (Source: LISGIS Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2016) ........................................................................................................................................... 3 Figure 3: Annual National Budgetary Allocation to the Agriculture Sector ............................................ 6 Figure 4: Annual Percent Growth by Sector 2015-2017 ......................................................................... 8 Figure 5: Export Volume and Value of Rubber, Cocoa and Coffee Beans 2014-2016 ............................ 8 Figure 6: Trends in Liberia’s HDI component indices 2000-2015 ........................................................... 9 Figure 7: Causes of Under Five Deaths in Liberia as of 2015 ................................................................ 10 Figure 8: Causes of Maternal Mortality: Source Government of Liberia .............................................. 11 Figure 9: Causes of Maternal Mortality: Source Government of Liberia .............................................. 11 Figure 10: The distribution of number of adult and children living with HIV on ART in Liberia by 2015 .............. 12 Figure 11: Literacy by age group and Sex ............................................................................................. 15 Figure 12: Liberia Population Distribution by region: HIES 2016 .......................................................... 18 Figure 13: Liberia's energy capacity as of May 2016 ............................................................................ 19 Figure 14:Liberia aggression in daily life score by county .................................................................... 23 Figure 15: Liberia Readiness for UNMIL toLeave Score by County ....................................................... 23 Figure 16: summarises the potential trigger of conflict and proportion of Liberians holding such view .............................................................................................................................................................. 24 Figure 17: Overall Governance Scores (2007-2016) ............................................................................. 29 Figure 18: Contributions to the Ebola Virus Disease by donors 2011-2015 ......................................... 47 Figure 19: Allocation of Resources by sector 2011-2015...................................................................... 47 Figure 20: Relationship between GoL AFT 1 Pillars and SDGs