MONROVIA, LIBERIA-The Government of Liberia and Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) have concluded a two-day country-level self-assessment on Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH).
The assessment is to achieve SWA results monitoring framework for Liberia and brought together representatives from WASH related government entities, the civil society, research institutions, international partners, WASH Legislative Secretariat and the media.
Participants at the assessment workshop brainstormed Liberia’s WASH standing and the country’s progress in the areas of political will, financing, high-level meetings and other actions to enhance the WASH sector.
At the start of the assessment at the WASH Commission Headquarters in Sinkor Monday, August 30, 2021, the Commission’s Executive Director, Bobby Whitfield, stressed that the WASH sector remains a major priority of government.
Mr. Whitfield also assured of the Commission’s highest level of cooperation and commitment to the SWA country self-assessment to make available the needed information for the results framework.
For his part during the presentation, the SWA-CSO Focal Point, Timothy Kpeh, drilled participants through the SWA monitoring 2020-2030 processes, role of SWA country partners and the process and timeline of the monitoring framework.
He also emphasized that the issue of data is a serious challenge in Liberia’s WASH sector, adding that such country self-assessment process will help close the gap.
“This is about presenting the picture of our country to the international world, so it should be done in a coordinated approach where everyone will agree on exactly what is happening in country, so whenever the reports are release there will not be too much back and forth,” Mr. Kpeh said.
The just ended country-level self-assessment was the maiden for the SWA to collect data on countries that are implementing WASH services.
SWA is the United Nations-hosted global multi-stakeholder partnership of governments and their partners from civil society, the private sector, United Nations agencies, research and learning institutions, development banks and the donor community, for achieving the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 6 – Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
The mission of the SWA partnership is to eliminate inequalities in realizing the human rights to water and sanitation – by raising political will, ensuring good governance, and helping to optimize financing.
