Historical timeline of the Bi-Annual Meetings of the ARD

The annual meetings of the ARD serve as a platform for community-based organizations, Pro-poor institutions, Slum and squatter Communities, Informal Sector Organizations, including trade unions and leaders of newly emerging trade union organizations, to discuss the challenges of economic, social, and cultural rights (ESCRs) that affect ordinary Liberians. The meetings are held annually for members to review past mandates given to the secretariat for implementation under the supervision of the chair of the Coordinating Steering Committee (CSC).

The meeting also invites policymakers to participate in discussions on laws and policies affecting communities across Liberia, particularly the concession model, Labour Rights, Human Rights, and environmental protection. The meeting also provides space for experience sharing among participants, bringing policymakers face-to-face with community members to answer questions on labour rights violations, Environmental Hazards, and general human rights violations that threaten communities in exercising their economic, social, and cultural rights.

At the annual meeting, after all the engagements, the chair of the CSC, along with the secretariat, meets with the heads of member organizations in plenary to report on the mandates and responsibilities assigned during the last meeting for implementation. At the end of the CSC report, the plenary will deliberate on the report, thank all partner organizations, including the technical partner, for their support during the year under review, and reassign outstanding mandates with renewed calls for greater engagement and support from partners.

Additionally, action points from the members’ experience-sharing session and the policy engagement session, including the outstanding mandate, are approved and assigned to the work plan for next year.

Now, therefore, since the departure of our main donor partner (Funds for Global Human Rights) from Liberia in 2017, the ARD has not been able to attend its annual meetings due to financial constraints. We’re soliciting support from donor organizations that believe in community land rights, policy reform, and environmental protections to enable the ARD to hold its annual meeting this year, as there’s a lot on the CSC plate, ranging from achievements to challenges and proposed action for policy reform across the different focuses of our work.