Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's inauguration as the President of Liberia in January 2006 marked a watershed in that country's tumultuous history. Twenty-five years of corruption, misrule and civil war under Samuel Doe, Charles Taylor and successive interim governments had left the country in complete ruins. President Sirleaf, the first African woman to be elected head of state, has energetically set the country on a new course, putting accountability, transparency, good governance, and economic opportunities for all Liberians at the center of her agenda.
Former CGD senior fellow Steve Radelet and others from the Center began advising President Sirleaf and senior members of her government in December 2005, the month before she took office. The substance of the work was wide-ranging, and included aid coordination, aid quality, debt relief, poverty reduction and growth strategies, capacity building, and civil service reform, among other issues. Debt relief and aid coordination were particular areas of focus.
CGD support to the Liberian government also included helping to arrange the Scott Family Liberia Fellowships. From its launch in 2007 to its end in 2010, the Scott Family Liberia Fellows Program provided an opportunity for five or six young professionals to work for one year as special assistants to top officials in Liberia. The program was funded by a generous $1 million contribution from the family of CGD chairman and co-founder Edward W. Scott, Jr.
Such a level of engagement in a developing country is unusual for CGD, because our primary focus is on improving the policies and practices of the rich world towards development. In addition to being helpful to Liberia, the relationship provided CGD with a unique opportunity to observe the complex interactions between donors and a developing country in the early stages of recovery from conflict.
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President Sirleaf, the first woman to be elected head of state in Africa, provides her perspective on the role the private sector can play in Liberia and in emerging Africa more broadly. Todd Moss moderates a question and answer session after the president’s speech.
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The Center for Global Development presents a discussion on
Liberia: Life After Debt
Featuring
Augustine Ngafuan
Minister of Finance, Liberia
Amara Konneh
Minister of Planning and Economic Affairs, Liberia
John Lipsky
First Deputy Managing Director, International Monetary...
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Abstract: Can brief, foreign-funded efforts to build local institutions have positive effects on local patterns of governance, cooperation, and wellbeing? Prior research suggests that such small-scale, externally-driven interventions are unlikely to substantially alter patterns of social...
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Please join us on Tuesday, August 26th as we welcome Liberian novelist Elma Shaw to discuss her new book, Redemption Road.
About Redemption Road: Set in Monrovia during the administration of Liberia's former president, Charles Taylor, Elma Shaw's riveting debut is a story of recovery,...
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The inauguration of the administration of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in January 2006 marked an end to twenty-five years of misrule and civil conflict which had left the country in ruins. The Sirleaf administration has set the country on a new course, placing transparency, accountability, good...
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Senior fellow Steve Radelet introduces CGD's event on Friday April 11, 2008: "Liberia on the Move: Economic Growth, Debt Relief, and Poverty Reduction."
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Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who will host President Bush on Thursday in the final stop of his five-country Africa tour, has news that may surprise some people: despite the problems in some African countries, things are clearly improving in much of the continent. In a new CGD essay...
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In this new CGD working paper, CGD senior fellow Steve Radelet explores the challenges Liberia faces in revitalizing economic growth after 25 years of gross economic mismanagement and 14 years of brutal civil war. He examines the new government's progress, including the major steps it has taken in...
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In this essay, CGD senior fellow Steve Radelet describes Liberia's debt situation and the key issues in moving forward on debt relief with the IMF, World Bank, African Development Bank and bilateral creditors. He explains why it is important for Liberia's recovery that the international community...
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Does aid to Africa undermine the emergence of a robust African middle class? If so, what can be done about it? In this new working paper, CGD president Nancy Birdsall argues that high and unpredictable aid flows could be making life harder for Africa's small and medium-sized businesses by, for...
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This new collection of essays sets an agenda for increased American effectiveness in dealing with failed states to promote economic development and international security. It includes an overview of the poorly understood challenge of weak and failed states and case studies by regional policy...
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Does aid to Africa undermine the emergence of a robust African middle class? If so, what can be done about it? In this new working paper, CGD president Nancy Birdsall argues that high and unpredictable aid flows could be making life harder for Africa's small and medium-sized businesses by, for...
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A Report of the Commission for Weak States and US National Security
Terrorists training at bases in Afghanistan and Somalia. Transnational crime networks putting down roots in Myanmar/Burma and Central Asia. Poverty, disease, and humanitarian emergencies overwhelming governments in Haiti and...
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State building is creating and strengthening the institutions necessary to support long-term economic, social, and political development. In the U.S. we often take these institutions for granted, but in many countries they are weak or absent.
Learn more about Rich World, Poor World: A Guide to...
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Bill Easterly calls Moss' new introduction to Africa "compulsively readable and accessible" and "a masterpiece of clear thinking." Each chapter is organized around three fundamental questions: Where are we now? How did we get to this point? What are the current debates? CGD's package of materials...
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In this new working paper, CGD Research Fellow Stewart Patrick urges analysts and policymakers to look more deeply at the links between failed states and global threats such terrorism, weapons proliferation, organized crime, and global pandemics. He then provides the tools: a framework for...
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The Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI), the latest phase of debt reduction for poor countries from the World Bank, the IMF, and the African Development Bank, will come close to full debt reduction for at least 19 and perhaps as many as 40 countries. Debt relief proponents see it as a...
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In this new working paper, CGD visiting fellow Ethan Kapstein and Nathan Converse analyze the economic performance of young democracies around the world and find that stagnating economic performance is a good indicator of imminent democratic reversal. The authors also find evidence suggesting that...
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In this new CGD working paper, CGD senior fellow Steve Radelet explores the challenges Liberia faces in revitalizing economic growth after 25 years of gross economic mismanagement and 14 years of brutal civil war. He examines the new government's progress, including the major steps it has taken in...
-
Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who will host President Bush on Thursday in the final stop of his five-country Africa tour, has news that may surprise some people: despite the problems in some African countries, things are clearly improving in much of the continent. In a new CGD essay...
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Reviving Economic Growth in Liberia - Working Paper 133
- Nov 26, 2007
In this new CGD working paper, CGD senior fellow Steve Radelet explores the challenges Liberia faces in revitalizing economic growth after 25 years of gross economic mismanagement and 14 years of brutal civil war. He examines the new government's progress, including the major steps it has taken in...
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Liberia's External Debt: Moving Towards Comprehensive Debt Relief
- Apr 16, 2007
In this essay, CGD senior fellow Steve Radelet describes Liberia's debt situation and the key issues in moving forward on debt relief with the IMF, World Bank, African Development Bank and bilateral creditors. He explains why it is important for Liberia's recovery that the international community...
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African Development: Making Sense of the Issues and Actors
- Mar 5, 2007
Bill Easterly calls Moss' new introduction to Africa "compulsively readable and accessible" and "a masterpiece of clear thinking." Each chapter is organized around three fundamental questions: Where are we now? How did we get to this point? What are the current debates? CGD's package of materials...
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State Building and Global Development
- Jun 15, 2006
State building is creating and strengthening the institutions necessary to support long-term economic, social, and political development. In the U.S. we often take these institutions for granted, but in many countries they are weak or absent.
Learn more about Rich World, Poor World: A Guide to...
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Short of the Goal: U.S. Policy and Poorly Performing States
- May 23, 2006
This new collection of essays sets an agenda for increased American effectiveness in dealing with failed states to promote economic development and international security. It includes an overview of the poorly understood challenge of weak and failed states and case studies by regional policy...
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The Economics of Young Democracies: Policies and Performance--Working Paper 85
- Mar 8, 2006
In this new working paper, CGD visiting fellow Ethan Kapstein and Nathan Converse analyze the economic performance of young democracies around the world and find that stagnating economic performance is a good indicator of imminent democratic reversal. The authors also find evidence suggesting that...
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On the Brink, Weak States and US National Security
- Jun 8, 2004
A Report of the Commission for Weak States and US National Security
Terrorists training at bases in Afghanistan and Somalia. Transnational crime networks putting down roots in Myanmar/Burma and Central Asia. Poverty, disease, and humanitarian emergencies overwhelming governments in Haiti and...
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Liberia: Life after Debt
- Jun 30, 2010
The Center for Global Development presents a discussion on
Liberia: Life After Debt
Featuring
Augustine Ngafuan
Minister of Finance, Liberia
Amara Konneh
Minister of Planning and Economic Affairs, Liberia
John Lipsky
First Deputy Managing Director, International Monetary...
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Global Development Matters August Meetup
- Aug 26, 2008
Please join us on Tuesday, August 26th as we welcome Liberian novelist Elma Shaw to discuss her new book, Redemption Road.
About Redemption Road: Set in Monrovia during the administration of Liberia's former president, Charles Taylor, Elma Shaw's riveting debut is a story of recovery,...
-
Liberia on the Move: Economic Growth, Debt Relief, and Poverty Reduction
- Apr 11, 2008
The inauguration of the administration of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in January 2006 marked an end to twenty-five years of misrule and civil conflict which had left the country in ruins. The Sirleaf administration has set the country on a new course, placing transparency, accountability, good...
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The Liberia Partners' Forum: Key Outcomes and the Path Forward
- Feb 15, 2007
Liberia has taken the first important steps in the road to recovery after its long civil war and is making tangible progress in enhancing peace and security and creating the foundation for reconstruction, economic growth and poverty reduction. On February 13th and 14th, the Government of Liberia...
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The New Liberia: From Conflict to Recovery
- Feb 12, 2007
Liberia's 14-year civil war left the country in ruins. Following the inauguration of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in January 2006, the country has begun the long journey to recovery. The new government has resettled tens of thousands of refugees, begun training new security forces, increased...
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