[{"bbox": [98, 154, 343, 181], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## Reduction of inequalities"}, {"bbox": [96, 191, 1160, 406], "category": "Text", "text": "The main drivers of inequality in Liberia are related to the country's lack of economic and social development, including weak economic growth, limited job opportunities, weak governance and high levels of poverty. Structural factors, such as gender and ethnic disparities, also contribute to inequality. Women are particularly disadvantaged in Liberia. Inequality is also driven by a lack of access to quality education, healthcare, and other public services. This is compounded by widespread misuse of public resources, which further perpetuates inequality. The Action will contribute to address inequality challenges by supporting, among others, economic inclusion, women's empowerment, the creation of job opportunities for youth and disadvantaged communities, and the promotion of access to basic services and fair distribution of public resources."}, {"bbox": [98, 421, 211, 447], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## Democracy"}, {"bbox": [96, 459, 1159, 700], "category": "Text", "text": "Democracy in Liberia has been a long and challenging process that began after the end of the civil war in 2003. Since then, Liberia has held four presidential and legislative elections, the most recent one in 2023. These elections have been generally peaceful, credible and inclusive. While the democratic framework is largely in place in the country, the popular low trust in public institutions is a main challenge to the Liberian democracy. Liberia's democracy remains fragile and needs to be consolidated through improved governance, oversight and rule of law, enhanced social cohesion, and endorsed civic education. The Action will promote democracy and human rights by involving CSOs in transparency and oversight in Liberia. CSOs are expected to catalyse the role of the citizens, in particular women and youth, demanding more accountable and transparent Government institutions. The Action will also promote women's participation in the political sphere."}, {"bbox": [98, 714, 487, 741], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## Conflict sensitivity, peace and resilience"}, {"bbox": [96, 751, 1159, 1019], "category": "Text", "text": "The Liberian Government, in collaboration with the UN Peacebuilding Commission and other stakeholders, has formulated a national development agenda that aligns peacebuilding priorities with the attainment of the SDGs. The UN Peacebuilding Fund has contributed to this agenda by funding projects focused on bolstering social cohesion, fostering reconciliation, promoting gender equality, reforming the security sector, and strengthening the rule of law in Liberia. These endeavours are geared towards advancing good governance, mitigating violent tendencies, and nurturing active citizenship among Liberians. Despite these efforts, numerous challenges persist in sustaining peace and reconciliation in the country. Foremost among these challenges are underlying tribal and community disputes over land or property that have remained unresolved since the end of the civil war. Addressing these disputes is crucial for promoting stability and resilience in Liberia, particularly as shortages in rice imports have historically contributed to disorder and riots in the country."}, {"bbox": [96, 1029, 1159, 1108], "category": "Text", "text": "Hence, it is imperative to continuously monitor the situation and offer timely and effective support to Liberia's peacebuilding efforts, with a special emphasis on addressing the issues of youth unemployment and promoting their social inclusion."}, {"bbox": [98, 1125, 324, 1150], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## Disaster risk reduction"}, {"bbox": [96, 1163, 1160, 1404], "category": "Text", "text": "Liberia is vulnerable to natural hazards such as floods, landslides, droughts, and epidemics, as well as human-induced disasters such as civil unrest, conflict, and displacement. To reduce the impact of disasters and enhance resilience, Liberia has adopted a national disaster management policy and strategy, which outlines the roles and responsibilities of different actors in disaster prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery. The policy also emphasizes the need for mainstreaming disaster risk reduction into development planning and budgeting, as well as strengthening institutional capacities and community participation. However, there are still many challenges and gaps in implementing the policy and strategy, such as lack of resources, coordination, data, awareness, and enforcement. Therefore, the Action may support the Government of Liberia to implement the national disaster management strategy on a needs-based approach."}, {"bbox": [98, 1419, 412, 1444], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## Other considerations if relevant"}, {"bbox": [98, 1446, 141, 1469], "category": "Text", "text": "N/A"}, {"bbox": [1027, 1681, 1144, 1706], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 10 of 16"}]