Integrity Watch Liberia (IWL) has launched a €321,000 European Union–funded project to strengthen human rights protection, corporate accountability, and inclusive participation in Liberia’s forestry and extractive industries. The 24-month initiative, running from January 2026 to December 2027, targets more than 40 civil society groups, 300 community leaders, private sector actors, and journalists across Nimba, Bong, Bomi, and Gbarpolu Counties.
The program supports Liberia’s National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights (NAPBHR) and seeks to improve oversight, civic engagement, and responsible business conduct in concession areas.
At the launch in Gompa City, EU representative Marie Paul Neuville hailed the project as a landmark partnership with Liberian civil society. She underscored the EU’s commitment to inclusive development, governance, and rights protection, while announcing the upcoming EU–Liberia Business Forum in Brussels, which will convene officials and investors from mining, forestry, agriculture, and other sectors.
Government regulators acknowledged both the economic importance of extractives and persistent compliance gaps. Adolphus Gleekia, Deputy Inspector General at the Ministry of Mines and Energy, said the project aligns with the ministry’s five-year strategic plan and could help enforce the Mining and Minerals Law of 2000, which requires environmental safeguards and community consent before operations begin.
From the forestry sector, J. Stanley Nyumah of the Forestry Development Authority stressed that success must be measured not only in revenue but in whether communities feel “heard, protected, and respected.” He urged meaningful participation from women, youth, and vulnerable groups at the earliest stages of concession negotiations.
IWL Executive Director Harold M. Aidoo framed the initiative as part of a broader reform agenda balancing economic growth with rights protection. He noted that while extractives generate jobs and revenue, they also pose environmental risks and community rights violations.
Launching the project, Jeffery Yates, head of the Liberia Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (LEITI), said it aligns with national frameworks such as the ARREST Agenda, which prioritizes transparency and accountability in resource management.
Community representatives used the platform to raise grievances, including child abuse in mining areas and weak enforcement of license categories. They called for stricter environmental standards, labor protections, and concession compliance.
IWL’s Civil Society Capacity Assessment revealed gaps in governance literacy, grievance handling, advocacy, gender integration, financial management, and digital monitoring. Policy Analyst Narvin Ireland emphasized targeted capacity building to enable civil society to monitor concessions, document rights violations, and engage policymakers effectively.
As Liberia positions itself for increased foreign investment, stakeholders stressed that responsible investment must be anchored in accountable corporate conduct, respect for community rights, and tangible improvements in concession areas—safer working conditions, stronger environmental protections, and fairer benefit sharing.
