Friends of Liberia 

Mamba Point Declaration

We, the delegates representing more than fifty NGOs in Liberia attending the February 1999 Post Conflict Conference on Liberia with the theme "Peace Building, Reconstruction and Reconciliation" Organized By The New Africa Research and Development Agency (NARDA), a consortium of national NGOs, hereby :

	Renew our commitment to work with the people of Liberia
	Accept with enthusiasm President Taylor’s suggestion that a representative group meet quarterly with him and his cabinet ministers.
	Commit to coordinate Presidential visits with county superintendents to enable the President to observe the work of an NGO during each of his visits outside Monrovia.
	Recognize with gratitude the participation and contributions of the Ministers of Education and Agriculture, the many other technical representatives of the Government Ministries that affect our sectors and representatives from the United Nations and other donor agencies.
	Urge that immediate steps be taken by the government to improve the human rights status of Liberia.
	Encourage the National Reconciliation and Reunification Commission and the Human Rights Commission to exert stronger leadership that will produce marked improvements in the reconciliation process and human rights observance.
	Urge the government to take measures that will restore the confidence of the international community in Liberia.
	Ask the government to activate the plan formulated in 1996 specifically targeted to the rehabilitation of ex-combatants and offer to work closely with the government in implementing its program including sharing program ideas on ex-combatants reintegration that delegates from Mozambique, Ethiopia, and Zimbabwe brought to the conference that we believe are germane to Liberia.
	Appeal to the government to accelerate the pace of decentralization to give the people greater voice in decisions that directly impact them.
	Recommend that the government creates an enabling business climate that will attract new investments and jobs.
	Pledge to establish an ongoing dialogue with elected representatives and senators both in their constituencies and in Monrovia in order to give them an appreciation of our work and enlist them in our efforts to increase government support to our sectors.
	Accept the government’s challenge to consider extending our activities to areas currently underserved and explore new project activities to include food processing and housing initiatives.
	Support NARDA’s efforts to secure funding that will strengthen our institutional capabilities and coordination.