Swedish Embassy, UNFPA sign cooperation agreement today

The Embassy of Sweden and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) will today, 20 June sign a cooperation agreement in Monrovia to implement a four-year project titled ‘Empowered and Fulfilled.’

According to a press release, the project aims to increase knowledge and skills of young people between ages 10 and 19 in the areas of sexual and reproductive health and their rights to help reduce the high rate of teenage pregnancies in Liberia.

Sweden will contribute a total of forty million Swedish Krona (SEK 40 million) or approximately US$4,670,000 over the four years of the project implementation, while UNFPA will contribute US$675,600 for the same period.

The Ambassador of Sweden to Liberia, Lena Nordström, will sign on behalf of the Embassy of Sweden, while UNFPA Resident Representative in Liberia, Dr. Oluremi Sogunro, will sign for his institution. UNFPA will work with key strategic partners in government and selected civil society organizations at both national and county level in the implementation process.

The project will seek to achieve three objectives namely; social, education, health systems delivery Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) and Family Planning (FP) information and services to young people between 10 and 19 years, increased knowledge and skills on Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) and Family Planning information and services, targeting the same age group as well as targeted institutions and structures contributing to an enabling environment that promotes sexual and reproductive health and rights, including access to family planning services at national and sub-national levels.

Beneficiaries are mainly women and young people between 10 and 19. UNFPA will seek to prioritize the most vulnerable and marginalized groups, and the project will, at the national level, seek to improve the enabling environment for the respect and fulfillment of the reproductive and sexual health and rights of young people.

At the county level, implementation will focus in four counties in the southeast Liberia, specifically Maryland, Grand Kru, River Gee and Grand Gedeh. The signing ceremony will take place at the premises of UNFPA in Mamba Point, Monrovia.