The Liberia Maritime Authority (LiMA) and University College London (UCL) concluded a three-day National Stakeholders Consultative Engagement Workshop in Monrovia. The workshop aimed to boost Liberia’s negotiation capacity for the upcoming International Maritime Organization (IMO) meeting. This initiative built on a successful inception meeting from last Friday, followed by the opening session on Monday, the 24th of June.

The workshop brought together technical experts from nineteen government ministries and agencies, including the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC), the National Port Authority (NPA), the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI), the Ministry of Justice (MOJ), and the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) for in-depth focus group discussions, strategic planning, and collaborative dialogue. Discussions were guided by the “Just and Equitable Transition (JET)” framework, focusing on investment opportunities and barriers, stakeholder engagement, capacity building, and the integration of accurate data into decision-making processes.

Dr. Harry T. Conway, Liberia’s Alternative Permanent Representative to the IMO and Chairman of the IMO Committee on Maritime Environment Protection, expressed gratitude to the stakeholders for their remarkable turnout and commitment. He stressed the importance of creating opportunities and ensuring a just and equitable transition across all sectors. Dr. Conway also emphasized the significance of robust data collection and analysis to strengthen Liberia’s negotiation capacity at the upcoming MEPC 82 convention and beyond.In her closing remarks, Dr. Dola Oluteye, Senior Research Fellow in Energy and Transport Policy and Lead of African Climate Action Programs at the Energy Institute, Bartlett School of Environment, Energy, and Resources (BSEER), University College London (UCL), thanked the stakeholders for their participation. She underscored the importance of familiarizing all stakeholders with the “GHG Reduction Strategy” and the need for accurate data collection.

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The efforts of LiMA and UCL are geared towards incorporating all stakeholder perspectives into a unified national strategy through the Leading Effective Afrocentric Participation (LEAP) project. This collaboration signifies a significant step in strengthening Liberia’s capacity to lead in global marine affairs and actively contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions within the maritime industry.