Six-Nation Regional Conference Opens Today – Delegates to Derive New International Framework

A regional public service leadership conference on human health workforce development has commenced today, March 4, 2025 at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex in Monrovia, bringing together experts from six participating countries, including Sierra Leone, Guinea, Ivory Coast, the Central African Republic, Burkina Faso, and Liberia.

Providing an overview of the conference, the Director-General of the Civil Service Agency (CSA), Dr. Josiah F. Joekai, Jr. disclosed that the conference is structured in two phases: improving the performance of health workers, and fostering collaboration to derive and adopt a framework that would mitigate their common challenges.

Dr. Joekai further outlined four key reasons for convening the regional conference. First, he cited the interconnected challenges common to the participating countries, including limited resources and inefficiencies in governance, among others. Second, he emphasized the need for a platform for collaboration in addressing these shared challenges.

The CSA Boss mentioned the third reason as strengthening public sector performance to enhance institutional efficiency, effectiveness, transparency, and accountability, while ensuring ethical standards and e-governance. Lastly, he noted the importance of identifying innovative solutions and best practices for actionable reforms.

Heads of public service institutions in attendance, Dr. Joekai noted, will review and validate the framework to be derived, which he referred to as the “Monrovia Declaration.” The declaration will be finalized at the end of the conference, which will also feature an address on March 6, 2025, by President Joseph N. Boakai, Sr.
Liberia’s Health Minister Dr. Louise M. Kpoto, who served as the keynote speaker, affirmed that the conference recognizes the common challenges and opportunities shared by the participating countries. According to the Liberian Health Minister, the conference is aligned with international frameworks, including the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 8, which focuses on decent work and economic growth, and SDG 3, which aspires to ensure the health and well-being of all, among others.

The historic International Conference, held under the theme “Advancing Human Health Workforce through Public Service Excellence: Building Resilient and Innovative Institutions for Sustainable Development,” the conference, whic is expected to conclude on Friday, March 7, 2025, marks the beginning of what the Reform Director of the CSA and Chairperson of the Steering and Implementing Committee, Mr. Mulbah K. Yorgboh, Jr. referred to as a “continental phenomenon.” This marks a significant milestone in addressing the challenges of the human health workforce common to the participating countries.

The conference will also align with the African Union Agenda 2063 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), both of which emphasize regional integration, inclusive governance, and equitable access to services. The agenda 2063 vision for a united and prosperous Africa underscores the importance of resilient institutions, while the SDGs focus on reducing inequalities and fostering strong, inclusive governance systems.

The Civil Service Agency of Liberia, which is the statutory Body responsible to management and or supervise the Civil Service sector, is spearheading this groundbreaking initiative. With support from Health Development Partnership for Africa and the Carribean (HeDPAC).