Liberia and UNICEF Launch Preparatory Phase for Five-Year Child Development and Human Capital Programme - FrontPageAfrica

MONROVIA – The Ministry of Internal Affairs, in close collaboration with UNICEF Liberia, on Wednesday held a strategic joint preparatory meeting to lay the groundwork for the upcoming UNICEF Country Programme Document (CPD) covering 2026 to 2030.

By Francis G. Boayue

The session brought together senior government officials, county authorities, and international development partners to align strategies and ensure a coordinated, impactful five-year programme aimed at advancing child welfare, human capital development, and social service delivery across Liberia.

The meeting focused on operationalizing the innovative “Convergence Approach,” a model designed to deliver health, education, protection, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services simultaneously in selected counties.

The approach aims to maximize results by concentrating interventions in five priority counties — Montserrado, Grand Bassa, River Cess, Gbarpolu, and Grand Gedeh — allowing for a more integrated, holistic, and measurable impact on children and communities.

UNICEF Liberia Country Director Andrew Brooks emphasized the importance of aligning the CPD with Liberia’s Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID), highlighting the programme’s focus on building human capital and reinforcing the rule of law.

“This preparatory phase is crucial for ensuring that our interventions are not just widespread, but deeply integrated into the local governance structures of our convergence counties,” Mr. Brooks stated. He added that the five-year plan would provide structured support in education, health, WASH, and child protection services, ensuring that development efforts reach children in a coordinated and sustainable manner.

Brooks explained that starting January 1, 2026, UNICEF will work closely with county leadership to roll out initiatives, emphasizing that focusing on fewer counties will allow for more intensive engagement and greater measurable outcomes. “The UNICEF team will work strongly with the five county superintendents to go deeper into fewer places, ensuring Liberian children across the five selected counties are safe,” he said, highlighting the programme’s commitment to the welfare and protection of children in underserved areas.

Deputy Gender Minister Garmai Tokpah praised UNICEF and its partners for their continuous dedication to the well-being of Liberian children and underscored the need for sustained collaboration.

She encouraged the eventual expansion of the programme to additional counties to ensure a more inclusive national coverage, stressing that the success of the initiative depends on long-term commitment and partnership between government and development actors.

The Superintendent of Gbarpolu County also spoke at the meeting, expressing full support for the initiative and emphasizing the benefits of the decentralized, targeted approach.

He noted that rural communities, often constrained by limited access to basic services, would benefit directly from the Convergence Approach, which enables government and partners to deliver coordinated programs where they are most needed. “This approach ensures that children and families who face structural barriers will benefit directly from coordinated programs,” he said.