“The Dev’t of Liberia is in your hands” — UNDP Country Director

Monrovia, Liberia; September 29, 2015:  The Country Director of the United Nations Development Program in Liberia has stressed that Liberians are the masters of their own development.  Dr. Kamil Kamaluddeen noted that working together as a nation and people brings about rapid development.

 Speaking during the hosting of the Social Good Summit on Monday September 28 and organized by the United Nations Development Program in partnership with the Press Union of Liberia (PUL), the UNDP Country Director stressed that development can only be achieved through collaboration and partnership.

 “The development of Liberia is in your hands” Dr. Kamaluddeen noted. This year’s social Good summit was also center around the build up to the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the “new development agenda, Transforming Our World”.

 According to the UNDP Country Director, unlike the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the SDGs provide a broader and wider platform to improve and make better, the implementation of programs that will support poverty stricken communities on achieving the 17 SDGs.

 Also making remarks at the program, the President of the Press Union of Liberia Kamara A. Kamara encouraged Liberians to take appropriate actions to end poverty, with the adoption of the new set of development Agenda, the SDGs.

 The Social Good Summit explores how technology is being used for social good around the world. The global theme, #2030NOW, asks the question, “what type of world do I want to live in by the year 2030?”. During the summit, global citizens around the world unite to unlock the potential of technology to make the world a better place.

 In Liberia, the Social Good Summit highlighted ways in which new technology was harnessed to help tackle the Ebola outbreak in some of the country’s most disadvantaged communities.

 On behalf of Dr. Mosoka Fallah, his Deputy, Dr. Netty Joe, of the Community Based Initiative UNDP/Ministry of Health Incident Management System Programme led a panel on technology and public health to discuss how technology was used to tackle the Ebola virus.

 According to Dr. Joe, the community engagement methodology proved successful with the recruitment, training and deployment of 5,000 Active Case Finders supported by UNDP.  Communities like West Point, were divided into zones to help spot and report on cases of Ebola and ensuring supply of food supplies as well as psycho- social support.

She acknowledged numerous challenges but hailed the commitment and dedication of volunteers to defeat the virus. “We are proud to say to you that you have done well” Dr. Joe intimated.

 She praised UNDP for the level of support provided to the programme.  “We want to say thank you to UNDP for the support. At the time you came in, times were hard; no jobs, nothing to do…schools closed, no way to get a job”.

Science, Technology and Innovations (STIs) are at the heart beat of the new development goals. To the extent, a major achievement of the recently adopted Addis Ababa Action Agenda (AAAA), an outcome of the 3rd International Conference on Financing for Development is Technology Facilitation Mechanism (TFM).

 This has been widely recognized as one of the more substantial outcomes. The mechanism, which will encourage the development, dissemination and diffusion and transfer of environmentally sound technologies to developing countries, is designed to support all the SDGs and will include an online global platform to bring together STI best practices.

 In a presentation delivered during the hosting of the Social Good Summit in Liberia, the Director for Economic Policy Unit at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning Bobby Musah said ICTs can facilitate effective governance structures, by helping governments connect with citizens and civil society, as  long as their role is recognized within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

 “Technology is very important in the implementation of the SDGs” Mr Musah noted.-Press Release