MRU wants Trans boundary Water diplomacy reinforced -Stakeholders pledge vigorous collaborative efforts

The Mano River Union (MRU) including Guinea, Ivory Coast, Liberia and Sierra Leone has successfully concluded a three-day workshop in Monrovia which essentially bordered on the reinforcement of Transboundary water diplomacy. The workshop which began from June 1-3, 2021 was attended by scores of representatives from relevant institutions from the four Mano River Union countries and was dubbed by participants as highly educative and fruitful.

Funded by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the workshop, “Build River Dialogue and Governance (Bridge) project aimed at formulating and establishing the Transboundary MRU water committee as well as respective local Transboundary platforms.

On September 24^th -25^th 2012, the Technical Commission on Natural resources of the MRU met in Guinea where it was agreed that a regional structure be established to address issues of water resources management consistent with the 4^th protocol of the Mano River Union. The 4^th protocol consolidated the declamation of the MRU to extend its goals and objectives in the establishment of national platforms.

Sierra Leone held the first platform meeting in Pujehum from the 16^th -17^th November 2015 followed by Guinea in Macenta on the 1^st of December 2015. Specifically, the workshop will ensure the respect for the commitment of stakeholders at all levels of development decision-making and sustainable management of water resources of the Mao/Mankona and Mano River basin. It also aims at mobilizing all stakeholders in the water resources sector for a concerted management Mao/Mankona and Mano River basin. It will also provide strategic guidance to policy makers who could contribute towards the achievement of the objectives, among many other things.  More importantly, the workshop identified and prioritized communities’ problems as it relates to water resources and the immediate needs while developing a code of conduct for the sustainable and equitable management of the basin water resources.

In her closing remarks through the Resident Coordinator Mr. Christiane Jallah, the Secretary General of the Mano River Union, Secretary-General, Amb. Mardina   Wesseh Esq. thanked the participants for collectively brainstorming on issues that bordered on the effective management and equitable distribution of the water resources within the Mano River Union basin. In a prepared statement read on her behalf Jallah also commended the facilitators for the skills and expertise demonstrated during the plenary sessions, adding “I greatly admired the active participation and contributions of the participants during the sessions. She said the MRU secretariat would continue its collaboration with the IUCN at all times with the view to strengthen the capacities of relevant in the Mano River basin as far as transboundary water resources management is concerned through the provision of technical supports.