President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr. of Liberia has formally received a historic petition and Executive Brief from Liberian Civil Society Organizations (CSOs). The petition, presented at the Executive Mansion on September 1, requests a statutory 0.1% Legislative Budgetary Appropriation from the National Budget. This allocation aims to address the sustainability crisis facing over 2500 civil society organizations across the country. The presentation was made by Rev. Augustine S. Arkoi on behalf of the CSO Consortium Partners for Democracy & Good Governance (PdG).
The petition was part of a rigorous, transparent, and democratic process that began on December 12, 2025, during the CSO Consultative Forum. The draft CSO Sustainability Bill was formally debated, adopted, and signed by civil society leaders. After nationwide mobilization, the petition was submitted to the 55th National Legislature and adopted by the House Plenary on June 24. The presentation to President Boakai bridges legislative adoption with Executive endorsement. This development positions domestic CSO co-financing for inclusion in the upcoming national budget debates.
The presentation of the CSO Sustainability Framework coincides with Liberia's celebration of 23 years of unbroken peace since the signing of Liberia's Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA) in Accra, Ghana on August 18, 2003. The CPA served as a 7-Point Roadmap to transition Liberia from 14 years of civil devastation to political tranquility and constitutional normalcy. All citizen groupings and signatories have complied with the CPA's terms, establishing over two decades of uninterrupted democratic governance.
Despite the CPA's success in ending armed conflict, the total withdrawal of international peacekeeping missions and major bilateral donor funding has created a severe operational vulnerability for domestic non-governmental organizations. Civil society leaders emphasize that domestic budgetary allocations are essential to guarantee national ownership and prevent civil society extinction. International best practices, such as statutory civil society funds in Ghana, Sierra Leone, South Africa, and European democracies, support this approach.
The proposed 0.1% Legislative Budgetary Appropriation fulfills Section 7.2.1.5 of the GoL/CSO Partnership Policy and the GoL-CSO Accord (2016). This policy obligates the Liberian government to establish legal and financial mechanisms, including a dedicated Civil Society Trust Fund. The framework incorporates accountability mechanisms, requiring audited financial statements, tax compliance, non-partisan affidavits, and competitive proposal evaluations by an Independent Evaluation Panel.
Alongside the CSO Sustainability Bill, the delegation submitted a comprehensive Memorandum/Executive Brief with critical policy recommendations. These include the promulgation of an Executive Order for an Interim National Peacebuilding and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC), institutionalization of Peace and Civics Education, and rapid intervention on environmental security. The Executive Brief outlines the structural limitations of the current peacebuilding architecture and proposes an autonomous NPRC to unify fragmented peacebuilding mandates.
President Boakai expressed gratitude for the presentations and called for a follow-up engagement with VOTE-R.L. leadership to examine the recommendations. Civil society leaders and Elders remain optimistic that Executive backing for the 0.1% Legislative Budgetary Appropriation and the interim NPRC Executive Order will seal President Boakai's legacy as a transformative leader devoted to enduring peace, national unification, and sustainable democratic development.
Key points
- President Boakai receives a historic petition from Liberian CSOs requesting a 0.1% budgetary allocation and establishment of a peace commission.
- The petition aims to address the sustainability crisis facing over 2500 civil society organizations across Liberia.
- The proposed allocation fulfills Section 7.2.1.5 of the GoL/CSO Partnership Policy and the GoL-CSO Accord (2016).
