In a bid to further strengthen the working relationship between the Mano River Union (MRU) and the West Africa Biodiversity and Climate Change (WA BiCC) Program, the two organizations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in Freetown, Sierra Leone on February 20, 2019. The MOU was designed to support activities to combat wildlife trafficking; increase coastal resilience to climate change; and reduce deforestation, forest degradation, and biodiversity loss in key Transboundary Forest and Coastal Landscapes in the MRU Member States (Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Cote d’Ivoire). In the presence of Madam Nabeela Tunis, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Planning and Economic Development, the MOU was signed by Ambassador Medina Wesseh, Secretary General of MRU, and Mr. Stephen Kelleher, Chief of Party of WA BiCC, a program funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by Tetra Tech ARD.
Over the years, the MRU Secretariat and USAID have maintained a cordial working relationship in support of conservation and sustainable management of natural resources in the region. The MOU recognizes the common objective of MRU and WA BiCC to strengthen the resilience and sustainability of West African institutions, ecosystems, and communities.
WA BiCC works in:
- the Transboundary Forest Landscapes of Gola between Sierra Leone and Liberia,
- Ziama-Wonegizi-Wologizi between Liberia and Guinea,
- Tai-Grebo-Krahn-Sapo between Liberia and Cote d’Ivoire,
- the coastal areas of Sierra Leone, and
- Fresco in Cote d’Ivoire
“I am pleased to sign this agreement that symbolizes the close ties between the MRU and WA BiCC and the support they have been providing us for the past years. We are grateful for this relationship and happy to continue for the greater good of the MRU Member States” –Madam Medina Wesseh, Secretary-General of MRU
“It is heartening to put on paper an agreement that will facilitate the attainment of our common objective of safeguarding the remaining Upper Guinea Rain forest through a partnership with a regional organization like the MRU. I am very pleased to sign this MOU on behalf of WA BiCC/ Tetra Tech ARD considering the fact that it took a while to reach this point. I see this MOU as a good sign of a strong partnership established between the two organizations” –Stephen Kelleher, WA BiCC Chief of Party.