Liberia: Liberia Reports SDG Gains At UN, Seeks Stronger Global Partnerships to Sustain Progress

MONROVIA - Liberia has reported significant progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, citing stronger economic growth, declining poverty and expanded access to water, electricity and digital services, while urging the international community to strengthen partnerships amid mounting fiscal and climate challenges.

Presenting Liberia's 2026 Voluntary National Review at the United Nations High-Level Political Forum in New York, Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan said the government's ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development is accelerating implementation of the SDGs despite declining donor support, rising debt obligations and climate-related shocks.

The 2026 forum, held July 7 to 15 under the auspices of the UN Economic and Social Council, was convened under the theme "Transformative, equitable, innovative and coordinated actions for the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs for a sustainable future for all."

"I am deeply honored to present our 2026 Voluntary National Review--our third since 2020," Ngafuan said. "We are not here simply to report on what we have done. We are here to answer a critical question that this Forum demands of us: How is Liberia accelerating implementation of the SDGs by 2030 through transformative, equitable, innovative, and coordinated actions?"

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The minister said Liberia has intensified investments in tax administration, enforcement and digitalization, leading to a significant increase in domestic revenue, while expanding technical and vocational education, strengthening climate resilience through its National Adaptation Plan and ensuring inclusive participation in national development.

"And we are doing all of this inclusively--over 40% of our VNR consultations were driven by civil society, women, youth, and persons with disabilities," he said.

Ngafuan said Liberia's economy continues to recover, with GDP growth projected at 5.5 percent this year and inflation declining to 5.3 percent, down from double digits in 2023. National poverty, he added, has fallen from 34 percent in 2020 to 29.6 percent in 2024.

"These are not abstract numbers. They represent millions of Liberians whose daily lives are improving," he said.

He also highlighted broader human development gains, including declining maternal mortality, stronger disease surveillance capable of detecting outbreaks within 24 to 48 hours, expanded community healthcare, increased school enrollment, broader vocational training opportunities and targeted recruitment of science and mathematics teachers.

According to the minister, mobile money accounts have more than doubled, from 1.5 million in 2020 to over 3.5 million, expanding financial inclusion, while Liberia's Human Development Index has risen to 0.510, the highest in the country's post-war history.

Ngafuan said Liberia has recorded measurable progress across several priority SDGs. Access to improved drinking water has reached 78.8 percent, sanitation coverage has increased to 28 percent, electricity access has risen to 38 percent, and national power generation capacity has expanded to 146 megawatts through investments in renewable energy.

He also noted improvements in infrastructure, with paved roads increasing from 1,300 kilometers in 2023 to about 1,450 kilometers by the end of 2025, while 4G network coverage expanded from 72 percent to 80 percent. Liberia is also constructing its first Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone to boost industrialization and job creation.

The minister further reported that domestic revenue increased from US$606.3 million in 2023 to US$698.6 million in 2024, before surpassing US$840 million in 2025, strengthening the country's fiscal position.

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Despite the progress, Ngafuan acknowledged that Liberia continues to face significant obstacles, including the loss of support from its second-largest donor in 2025, rising global fuel and food prices linked to the Middle East crisis, increasing debt servicing costs and growing vulnerability to climate change.

"Overseas Development Assistance continues to fall, with GAVI and other partners scaling down support," he said.

He stressed that achieving Liberia's 2030 development targets will require stronger international partnerships, greater private sector investment, innovative financing and expanded technology transfer.

"We stand ready to work with all of you to transform our challenges into generational opportunities and to ensure that no Liberian is left behind," Ngafuan said.