26 Nov 2025
On November 26 and 27, 2025, the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation (WCF), with funding from the European Union through the “SUSTAIN- Sustainable Forest conservation in southeastern Liberia” project, convened a two-day multi-stakeholder workshop.
The event brought together representatives from the Office of the National Security Advisor, Ministry of State, Forestry Development Authority (FDA), Ministry of Justice (represented by the Liberia Immigration Service), Armed Forces of Liberia, Ministry of Agriculture, Environmental Protection Agency, Liberia Land Authority, Liberia Agricultural Commodity Regulatory Authority, the Mano River Union, ECOWAS, EU Delegation, national and international NGOs and CSOs.
Under the theme “Building a Roadmap for Inclusive and Deforestation-Free Development in Southeastern Liberia” vivid discussions were held about this complex topic, also in light of the EU Regulation on Deforestation Free Products, which will no longer allow the export of cocoa resulting from deforestation to Europe after 2026. In southeastern Liberia, “the uncontrolled deforestation caused by migrant cocoa farmers” is also representing a national security and an economic risk for Liberia, while causing biodiversity loss and undermining Liberia’s attempts to develop carbon projects and sustainable tourism. At the end of the workshop, participants presented a roadmap with action points for the short, medium, and long-term and pledged to collaborate effectively in order address the cocoa and migration crisis situation in southeastern Lib