Statement by Resident Coordinator Seraphine Wakana at the UN PBF GOLA-REAP Project launch .

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

Let me start by expressing our gratitude to the government of Liberia for hosting today’s crucial event. I would also like to particularly thank the Superintendent and the team, for the warm welcome accorded to us in the Grand Cape Mount County. This County, with its significant importance to Liberia as well as Sierra Leone, is not just a place of geographical proximity and economic activity, but also a land of shared history and cultural ties that bind you together.

More importantly, given its strategic location, Grand Cape Mount County also plays a crucial role in regional peacebuilding efforts, crucial for the development of both countries. 

The boundary between Sierra Leone and Liberia means you have a shared past, a shared present and a shared future, a future you are dedicating efforts towards making it better. Importantly, the boundary means shared peace!

Today we are here to witness the launch of the GOLA-REAP Project along the Liberia and Sierra Leone border, which focuses on Resilience, Empowerment, Access, and Peacebuilding. 

This project is implemented by International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the World Food Programme (WFP), in Sierra Leone and Liberia, in partnership, and under the leadership and guidance of the line ministries from both countries. 

This project will bring together diverse partners, including various national governments, local authorities, community representatives, civil society organizations, and regional institutions such as the MRU and ECOWAS.  

The project is supported by the UN Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund (PBF), following a recognition for deepened cross-border collaboration as part of a prevention and sustaining peace approach in the region. 

Today and in the coming years, with the GOLA-REAP project, you will continue to explore solutions to any persisting and emerging cross-border conflicts and challenges, promote social cohesion, and enhance community resilience, with your active participation and leadership.

As you know, the Gola Forest landscape, also referred to as the Gola Transboundary Peace Park, covers the Gola Rainforest National Park in Sierra Leone and the Gola Rainforest National Park in Liberia. This landscape extends over 350,000 hectares and represent one of the largest remaining blocks of the Upper Guinea Forest. 

This Forest is an important biodiversity hotspot, it is reported that Sierra Leone is globally recognized as a biodiversity hotspot, being part of the Upper Guinea Rainforest.  This means there are rich indigenous flora and fauna including important endemic species as well as internationally rare and threatened species. 

You stand tall on the global map on this! However, as a biodiversity hotspot, this calls for increased dedicated efforts, going beyond business as usual, to preserve and manage natural resources effectively, enhance co-existence between yourselves and nature, and co-existence amongst yourselves, within and across borders.

This is where projects like GOLA-REAP comes in to support your ongoing initiatives.

As mentioned, this project aims to, among others, strengthen social cohesion, improve border management, enhance local governance, and promote climate-smart agriculture as a means to mitigate conflict risks and foster economic resilience among communities, especially youth, women and marginalized groups within the GOLA Forest Landscape and its environs.

There are ongoing efforts in the GOLA forest landscape, the project further builds on the past and ongoing peacebuilding efforts of the governments, communities and other stakeholders in Sierra Leone and Liberia.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to highlight that this important project is aligned with the new UN Cooperation Framework for Sierra Leone (2025-2030) which we have started implementing this year. 

It also contributes to the achievement of Sierra Leone’s Medium - Term National Development Plan (2024-2030), particularly Enabler 3: on “Advancing Climate Resilience And Environmental Action”, which ultimately contributes to a conducive environment for peacebuilding and development. 

In the same vein, being part of the region, the project integrates the MRU priorities on peace, security, and democratic governance and the ECOWAS Vision 2050 pillars regarding economic integration, transformation, inclusive and sustainable development and social inclusion. At the continental level, the interventions under this project reflects efforts towards the AU 2063 Agenda for a peaceful and secure Africa. 

We are really glad that MRU and ECOWAS Leadership has joined us today to witness the launch of this project that aligns with the mandate of your institutions. As the UN, the partnership and collaboration we continue to enjoy with your institutions is a testament of your commitment to support the countries to sustain peace, address and prevent tensions and conflicts across the border and along border land areas. Alone, we cannot go far, but together, we can effectively support the governments and the people of Sierra Leone and Liberia to realise their development plans and aspirations.

At the Global level, the Pact for the Future calls for action on strengthening trust and social cohesion; addressing the root causes of conflicts by building peaceful, just, and inclusive societies; sustaining peace and security with women and youth as the drivers, and; addressing climate change and social inclusion. 

Further, Sierra Leone secured a seat in the non-permanent category of the UN Security Council for the 2024-2025 cycle, this presents an opportunity to push the peacebuilding and development agenda for the country and the region. This project speaks directly to this agenda.

With the national, regional and global commitment on peacebuilding remaining high on the agenda, the commencement of this project is pivotal and timely, a beacon of hope in addressing the root causes of conflict, tensions and violence, promoting social cohesion, and building sustainable peace.

I would like to reiterate that, when Sierra Leone and Liberia signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Gola Forest Management, you committed to a shared trajectory towards strengthening and sustaining peace in your shared borders, and the region. This commitment is even more relevant today, as climate change continues to affect communities, often leading to displacements, tensions and in some cases, conflict.

Further, Liberia is ranked 35th, and Sierra Leone is ranked 45th out of 179 countries on the Fragile States Index for 2024. While we have seen some improvements in these positions over the years, there is still work to do. This work requires all of us! 

The people of Sierra Leone and the people of Liberia are looking towards you, all of you, and us, to deliver on the promises we jointly made in this peacebuilding project.

The launch of this project is timely, with the world anticipating the celebration of the International Day of Forests under the theme "Forests and Food" in March 2025. 

Finally, I want to extend my appreciation to the governments of Sierra Leone and Liberia, our partners, and the communities for their support and collaboration. Your dedication and hard work have made this project possible. 

I would also like to thank the Peacebuilding Fund for the continued partnership in the two countries.

As we embark on this new chapter, let us remain steadfast in our commitment to peace.

Together, through initiatives like the GOLA-REAP, we can create a brighter, more peaceful future for the future generations in Sierra Leone and Liberia. 

We look forward to hearing the impact of the project in the coming months.

Thank you.