The House of Representatives will this weekend host a high-level sub-regional meeting in Monrovia, from Friday, July 18 to Sunday, July 20, 2025, for the official launch of the Mano River Union (MRU) Parliament.
The gathering, which is expected to take place at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex in Congo Town, will bring together Speakers of Parliament from Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Côte d’Ivoire, along with Liberia’s legislative leadership. The session will culminate in the signing of formal protocols and a declaration establishing the MRU Parliamentary Body.
The Mano River Union, comprising Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, and Côte d’Ivoire, was founded to promote peace, cooperation, and regional integration. The launch of a parliamentary organ marks a pivotal development in the Union’s evolution, institutionalizing the role of lawmakers in advancing the MRU’s goals.
Rooted in the original MRU Declaration of October 3, 1973, signed in Malema, Sierra Leone, and the Revised Convention of October 15, 2004, the creation of the MRU Parliament reflects an increased commitment to regional governance. Both instruments emphasize collaboration in peacebuilding, security, and economic development. The new parliamentary arm is expected to give further effect to these ambitions by embedding legislative oversight and cooperation at the heart of the Union’s agenda.
The establishment of the MRU Parliament also responds to the growing demand for a structured platform for legislative collaboration on pressing sub-regional issues such as climate change, cross-border insecurity, pandemics, illicit trade, and violent extremism. The parliamentary body is intended to serve as a conduit for harmonizing national laws, monitoring regional programs, and advancing the rights and welfare of the Union’s citizens.
According to Mr. Robert Haynes, Director of Press and Public Affairs at the House of Representatives, the MRU Parliament is being formed with several objectives in mind. “The MRU Parliamentary Body is being established with the following key objectives,” he said. “To promote regional integration, align legislative policies and frameworks to support economic, political, social, and environmental cooperation within the MRU; to enhance parliamentary oversight and ensure transparency and accountability in regional initiatives through joint legislative evaluation; to support peace and security by facilitating dialogue and conflict resolution to uphold stability in the MRU region.”
Haynes continued: “It will also advance shared development goals by coordinating legislative backing for regional initiatives in infrastructure, health, education, trade, agriculture, and youth empowerment; and uphold democratic values by championing human rights, the rule of law, gender equality, and democratic governance across all member states.”
The upcoming meeting is expected to draw lawmakers, diplomats, government ministers, and senior officials from across the region and beyond. Organizers say the gathering represents a new era of people-centered regional governance and affirms the MRU’s commitment to the core values of the United Nations (UN), African Union (AU), and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The MRU Parliament is envisioned as a critical mechanism for regional dialogue, cooperation, and legislative accountability—one that strengthens the collective voice of the Union’s people and deepens sub-regional integration.
