Liberia Children's Parliament now Children's Forum

Breaking News!

An infant dead body has been discovered this morning opposite City Builder, at supermarket.

📷 Sekou M. Kamara

Day of the African Child Speech Keynote speaker
Hon. Hulaimatu C. Diallo

Honorable Minister, Madam Piso Saydee-Tarr, Minister Carr and Staff of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection; International Partners, Honorable Superintendent, Nimba County, Honorable Representatives of the Nimba County Legislative Cocus; Honorable Members of our Hardworking and very supportive Child Protection Network, Honorable Veteran Parliamentarians of the Liberia National Children Representative Forum here present; Honorable Leaders of the National Children Representative Forum and the Hardworking Members of the Fifteen Counties, Citizens of Nimba County (the Land of Hospitality); the Audience; Ladies and Gentlemen!

I present to you warm greetings from the office of the Liberia National Children’s Representative Forum.

Firstly, I would like to thank the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, UNICEF, Plan International-Liberia, SOS Children Villages, Red Cross, including all CPN Member Institutions, not forgetting our own Lonestar Cell MTN, the most talk about Liberia National Children Representative Forum, the People of Nimba County, and all individuals who have worked and continue to work very tirelessly in making this year's Day of the African Child celebration a more historic one, despite the many challenges and difficulties, especially during this time of the COVID-19 pandemic which is affecting every country's economy.

This year is an unprecedented year for all of us, yet the children and young people remain resilient and resourceful. We saw the children of Liberia joint the young people to demand the President Dr. George M. Opong Weah to declare R**E a National Crisis. The Liberia National Children Representative Forum as the direct representative body of all Liberian children across the counties held their local leaders accountable to the Children’s law and called on government to respect the Rights of Children. That’s why, I am more than honored to be here today, and to represent the powerful voices of all the Children from across the 15 counties.

A year ago, if you were to ask me as to whether I would have ever become Speaker the Liberia National Children Representative Forum, I would surely laugh at you because it appeared very impossible to me. However, as you can all see me here today, I am serving as the Keynote Speaker of the this year's national celebration under the theme "Promoting Positive Arts, Cultural Heritage to Accelerate the Implementation of the Agenda 2040 in Making Liberia A Better Place for Children". Not only do I stand here today but as acting Speaker, and the second Female to serve this honorable position.
As a young girl who have firsthand experienced some of the prevailing harsh issues affecting the lives of Children in Liberia. I believe that we cannot achieve the agenda 2040 without investing in children. The time to promote arts and culture among children is now! We must encourage and support children engage in arts. There is an urgent need for Liberian children to grow up celebrating our cultural heritage and values. We cannot accelerate the future of arts and culture without children. As we celebrate the day of the African child today, let’s continue to prioritize the voices of Liberian children and encourage arts in all primary and secondary schools across the county. The more children we can get to understand the importance of arts, the sooner we will secure a better future for arts and culture in Liberia and beyond 2040.

As we promote positive arts among children, let’s not forget that every day, Liberian children are faced with many forms of worst violence. From physical to sexual and psychosocial abuse, Liberian Children remain one of the most vulnerable populations in our country. Every day, more and more children are becoming street sellers, children are being neglected and abused. Every day, there are reports of children being sexually abused, gang r***d and forced to experiment sexual behavior. Over 80% of all the sexual abuse survivors in Liberia are children under the ages of 17 years – we must work to protect every child from abuse. We must work to ensure that no child experience the trauma of sexual abuse. R**e leaves a lasting scare on its victims and survivors. When children are r***d or abused, it leaves a lifelong mark and trauma on their lives. Far too often, we never discuss the impact of childhood abuse. Many Children are being forced into force labor and in abusive situations, in many schools across the Liberia, Children are still beaten and given hard corporal punishments when indeed the children law prohibits it. Liberia is signatory to Children’s law, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the African chapter on the Rights and welfare of the child and other international instruments that prohibits violence against children. These laws call for the best interest of Liberian children, the survival and protection of children, yet children still suffer from the hash hands of violence.

I want to use this medium to call for the implementation of all laws that prohibit violence against children including the Children’s Law, the UNCRC, the African Chapter and optional protocols that protect children rights in Liberia.

Honestly, we have strong child protection laws in Liberia, but we lack implementation and due diligence. We need practical action against child abuse in Liberia. People must be held accountable for violating and abusing children. Parents who are in the habit of sending their children to sell in the streets must be held accountable for their actions, we cannot afford to keep risking the lives of our future leaders.

Access to education remains a major challenge for thousands of Children specifically for girls. Thousands of children in Liberia are still missing out on primary education, many children have to walk many miles to school. For girls in their puberty, access to menstrual hygiene and facilities remain a major challenge. Period poverty is at an alarming rate in Liberia. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact education in Liberia, I hope that the government especially the Ministry of education will invest more resources in the education of children to avoid leaving more children behind on education. We need more Children in schools.

Access to participation remains a major challenge for many young people. For many children in Liberia, access to decision making spaces remains a major challenge. We must work to include children in serious national decision-making processes and the implementation of the Pro-poor agenda. The Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD) will not succeed if more children are not given the opportunity to grow, participate and strive to reach their full potential. Children participation should not be a choice, or an event, it must go beyond the DAC or the Children’s forum election. Every government ministry, agency and civil society group must include, involve and engage children. Children voices matter. I want to encourage the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and all supporting partners to continue the strengthening and decentralization of the Liberia National Children Representative Forum to begin with Towns, Cities, Districts and Counties. Frankly, we have only felt the children's best interests, children participation, and celebration of children when the DAC is around. The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, as the responsible arm of the Liberian Government, for the supervision of the Liberia National Children Representative Forum according to the 2011 Liberian Children Law, is to wholly ensure that Children Forum at every levels regularly assembles to decide on issues of national concerns. This is a challenge also all to all supporting partners here and far today, please include children in your children in your programs, especially the children living with disabilities, the orphans, the disadvantaged communities, and those in hard-to-reach places. It is only when we do this that the children of Liberia today can be seen as the prepared future leaders. And to my colleagues, let's all try in every way to respect our parents and supporters. We must stop being rude and arrogant in the name of our rights, because to every right, there is a responsibility.

At the same, I want to recommend to the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the Liberian Legislature, Our International and National Partners, particularly UNICEF, SOS Children Villages, Plan International-Liberia, four significant things that need to be looked up to:

1. There should be a swift amendment of the 2011 Children Law of Liberia, wherein it will have punishments for perpetrators who will violate the Children’s Law;

2. To include Children in the National budget, because children below the age of 15 constitute 42%, and we can’t keep depending on International partners for support every time;

3. To have a special Representative of children to the Office of the President, so that Children can be able to express their challenges. Yes, there is a youth representative but we are yet to see the Children Representative;

4. Liberian Children must be given the opportunity to be represented at the national and international level and in every Ministry of our government.


Let me not forget again to say thanks to all of you who supported our leadership one way or the other. You remain forever remembered even as we officially turn over power today.

And finally, before taking my seat, I want to say to the newly elected leaders of the National Children’s Representative Forum, be bold, be active and continue to engage the issues that affect Children in Liberia. You can’t talk about Children without children, so children, I encourage you to lead the way and fight for the future of this country. We will be watching, my arms will always be open to you.

Long live the children of Liberia!
Long live the Liberian National Children’s Representative Forum!!

Thank you, may God bless you!

Unicef Liberia
SOS Children's Villages Liberia Group
European Union in Liberia
UNFPA Liberia
UN Women
African Union
U.S. Embassy Monrovia, Liberia
Ministry of Gender, Children & Social Protection - Liberia

Today, the Liberia National Children’s Representative Forum celebrated the Day of the African Child under the national theme: “Promoting Positive Arts, Culture Heritage to Accelerate the Implementation of the Agenda 2040 in Making Liberia a Better Place for Children “; at the same time, the newly elected national officials were inducted into office in Sanniquellie, Nimba County.

Congratulations!!!

Happy DAC!!!!

Yesterday, the outgoing Leadership of the Children’s Forum certificated outstanding chair and co-chair who have worked tirelessly in their respective counties in ensuring Children’s Rights are protected.

Congratulations the newly elected officials!!

Liberia National Children’s Representative Forum is pleased to officially announce the newly elected officials of the Montserrado County Children’s Forum.

Congratulations!!!!

Today’s training couldn’t have been successful without the efforts of these veteran parliamentarians and outgoing officials of the Children’s Forum.

Special thanks to the Acting Speaker, Hon. A Hulaimatu Č Diallo for organizing such an educative and interactive program.

Liberia National Children’s Representative Forum organized a Leadership Training Under the Theme: “Building An Informed & Standard Children’s Forum “.

However, the training covered 30 Children within Montserrado, and it was facilitated by veteran parliamentarians who served the Children’s Forum; topics that were discussed include:
2011 Children’s Law
History of the Day of the African Child
Local & Global Advocacy
Effective Leadership.

Children’s Interest First!!!!

Meet our Speakers for the just ended Leadership Training that focused on “Building an Informed & Standard Children’s Forum “.

Veteran Parliamentarians were the facilitators.

Today, the Liberia National Children’s Representative Forum welcomed the first female speaker, Miss Satta Sheriff to the Motherland.

Your legacy speaks volume!!!

Meet our speakers for Children’s Forum Leadership Training on Friday..

See you!!!

Congratulations Hon. Speaker!!!

Girls' power remains Supreme in our generation of leaders.

Today we want to seize this moment to appreciate one of the female child rights activists who believe in battling for a society where all children will be freed from harm.

A Hulaimatu C. Diallo, over the years has remains that voice of equity and justice.

Presently, A Hulaimatu C. Diallo is the second female speaker in the history of Liberian children. Her passion to lead a progressive society remains unbending.

Eventually, her endless battle for the welfare of the Liberian child made it compulsory for us to recognize her in this historic month of the African child.

Maintain the fight, A Hulaimatu C. Diallo!

March For Justice
IOMUN-Liberia

In continuation of the Children’s Rights, Responsibilities, Sexual Gender Based Violence referral pathway and Harmful traditional practices awareness in communities, the LNCRF organized a one-day awareness at the Calvary Mission Orphanage in making sure Children know their rights and Responsibilities.

Children’s Rights are Human Rights!!!!