By Andy Brooks, UNICEF Representative in Liberia
Liberia-As we celebrate World Children’s Day, November 20th, 35 years on from the adoption of the most universally ratified human rights Convention or Treaty in the world, the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), we reflect not only on the progress made in Liberia but also on the risks and opportunities ahead. Children make up nearly 42% of Liberia’s population so we would be advised to pay close attention to this year’s theme, “Listen to the future”; listen to the voices of its youngest citizens.
As the Government of Liberia closes in on the completion of its next five-year development plan, the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID), we celebrate its alignment with the principles enshrined in the CRC, signed, and ratified by Liberia in 1990 and 1993 respectively and adopted into domestic legislation with the passing of the Child Act in 2011. As we reflect on progress and new frontiers for children in Liberia on World Children’s Day, we call for a set of measures that collectively can be transformative in the lives of Liberian children and can set an agenda for implementation within the AAID in the years to come.
When I assumed my duties as UNICEF’s Representative in Liberia in February 2024, shortly after the elections, I expressed my honor to serve and my commitment to the promotion and protection of children’s rights in the country. I understood something of the unique challenges and opportunities facing children in Liberia from my previous experiences in the country towards the end of the civil war and during the Ebola pandemic and pledged to work closely with the government and partners to support them. Now, after almost nine months in the job, I can see some tangible signs of progress in key areas for children’s development – the launch of the “Back to my Classroom Campaign’ from the Ministry of Education, the launch of the Child Survival Strategy and Action Plan from the Ministry of Health and the initiative from the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection to reunify children living and working on the streets with their families.
A core principle of the CRC is non-discrimination, ensuring every child, regardless of background, has access to opportunities. The AAID Agenda’s focus on inclusive economic growth and poverty reduction, particularly targeting children, youth, and marginalized groups, supports this commitment. Reducing child poverty through targeted interventions and social protection measures is crucial to achieving these goals. Programs aimed at increasing employment and educational access are at the core of creating the socio-economic conditions where all children can thrive.
Health, nutrition, education, and a protective environment with access to clean water and improved hygiene and sanitation are critical to children’s survival and positive development. By prioritizing these areas, the AAID aligns with the CRC’s mandate to ensure that children’s best interests are a primary consideration in national development. Infrastructure improvements in healthcare and education and an investment in human capital in these sectors are critical steps towards improving both access to essential services and the quality of these services.
The right to quality education is fundamental under the CRC. The AAID’s education reforms, including skills development and vocational training, are vital for equipping children with the tools they need to succeed. Through the “Back to My Classroom” campaign—a joint initiative between the Ministry of Education and UNICEF—progress is underway to massively increase school enrollment and attendance rates over the next three years. Efforts to increase educational access, especially in underserved regions, demonstrate a commitment to providing every child with a fair start in life. We call for strengthening of decentralized structures for efficient service delivery, linked to equitable evidence-informed policies to strengthen the capacity of school principals and teachers to provide quality education as children’s access progressively increases.
The AAID’s healthcare initiatives aim to tackle high child mortality rates and malnutrition, addressing critical challenges that have long affected children’s survival and development. Expanding healthcare facilities and targeted efforts to combat malnutrition are necessary to ensure children can lead healthy lives. We call for a dedicated budget allocation for nutrition and food security in the national budget to support the implementation of programs targeting children, including adolescents. Additionally, we advocate for the integration of comprehensive nutrition education into school curricula to promote healthy eating habits among children and adolescents from an early age.
This year, for World Children’s Day, we strongly call for “Health Equity for Every Child in Liberia”. We emphasize that no child in Liberia be left behind in accessing essential health services, especially those in hard-to-reach areas and underserved communities. We call for Government’s investment from domestic funds for Community – based Primary Health Care (CBPHC), targeting a motivated community health workforce that is skilled, kitted, salaried and deployed, bringing health services closer to every child. Immunization, including new vaccines like Measles-Rubella and malaria, saves lives from vaccine-preventable diseases and strengthens the quality of care to reduce outbreaks such as measles and polio. We call for collective action among government, donors, and civil society to guarantee children’s health rights through strengthened partnerships and commitments.
Every child, regardless of their background, deserves a life free from violence, exploitation, and abuse. As the just ended First Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children in Colombia underscored, attended by senior representatives from the Liberian Ministry of Justice and Gender, it is imperative to strengthen child protection systems, with enough trained social workers alongside care and protection services, to address pressing issues like child labor, exploitation, violence and abuse, including online child sexual exploitation.
The government’s investment in birth registration is a critical step towards safeguarding children’s rights, as it provides children with a legal identity and access to vital services, including protection from harm. Liberia has made remarkable progress in providing birth registration for children under 5, moving from 4% in 2007 to the current level of 66%. But the job is not done yet and every child needs a birth certificate to have a legal identity, to prove they exist and that they will be counted when plans are made for children’s services.
The CRC calls for a child-friendly justice system. Yet, in Liberia, children continue to face harsh realities within the legal system. They are often detained for months without trial in overcrowded prisons, at times mixed with adult prisoners, enduring poor health conditions, inadequate sanitation, malnutrition, and a lack of rehabilitation programs. By investing in training for law enforcement and judiciary personnel, and implementing effective diversion programs, we can create a justice system that truly protects the rights of every child in Liberia.
As we celebrated “World Toilet Day” yesterday, our attention turned to the need to prioritize investments in Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) services. By investing in WASH infrastructure, promoting hygiene education, and supporting community-led initiatives, we can significantly improve the health, well-being, and education of millions of Liberian children. Preventing waterborne diseases, malnutrition, and school absenteeism will ensure that every child can reach their full potential.
There is an urgent need to finalize and endorse the Open Defecation Free (ODF) Roadmap and WASH Compact, as part of the Head of State Initiative and global leadership agenda for WASH. These critical documents will provide a clear roadmap to universal access to safe water and sanitation and guide our collective efforts to eliminate open defecation and we are proud to be part of a collective action with partners to have these signed and adopted by World Water Day in March 2025.
Listening to the future means valuing children’s voices and ensuring their active participation in decisions that affect them. Government ministers and development partners demonstrated this during the 2024 celebrations of the Day of the African Child through the commitments they made to children on that day. One of those commitments was to include two children as part of the Government delegation to the Summit of the Future, as part of the General Assembly in New York. It transpired that Liberia was the only UN Member State to have the foresight to include children as participants in the Summit of the Future – their future.
The ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development reflects an important step towards the rights and well-being of Liberia’s youngest citizens. By aligning with the principles of the CRC —non-discrimination, inclusion, the best interests of the child and child participation – we set a foundation for a brighter future where every child’s voice is heard, and every child’s potential can be realized. It’s time to join hands and work together to ensure that Liberia’s children are treated with dignity, compassion, and fairness. As we celebrate World Children’s Day, let us all commit to “Listen to the Future” to create a Liberia where every child can not only survive but really thrive.
