In a Time of Ebola, Lobbying Action on Poverty Thursday October 16th, 2014
GCAP Liberia and a coalition of civil society leaders – representing women, youth, elderly, the disabled and democracy advocates – met with Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in September to emphasise the urgency of achieving the Millennium Development Goals in 2015 and adopting a transformative Post-2015 sustainable development agenda.
The meeting took place against the backdrop of the Ebola virus, which was first reported in Liberia in March 2014 and has since claimed some 2500 lives.
“We are aware of the many challenges our President is facing in the fight against the killer Ebola virus and the slow economy growth,” notes James Roberts of GCAP Liberia. “Civil society actors will remain committed and persistent in influencing our President to push harder for a legitimate Post-2015 development agenda that is more inclusive and participatory.”
President Johnson Sirleaf co-chaired the UN Secretary-General’s High Level Panel on Post-2015. She told the Liberian civil society delegation that she shares many CSO views, including the need for a stand-alone goal on climate change and ensuring that the voices of people living in poverty and amidst injustice be heard.
Johnson Sirleaf skipped the latest UN General Assembly, though, to focus on the Ebola epidemic. Liberia projects it will need nearly 1 million protective suits and 80,000 body bags over the next six months.