UNION DU FLEUVE MANO
MEMBER STATES FOUNDING MEMBERS
- LIBERIA SIERRA LEONE
OTHER MEMBERS
- GUINEA (1980) CÔTE D’IVOIRE (2008)
HEADQUARTERS
Freetown, Sierra Leone
DATE OF CREATION
3 October 1973
OBJECTIVES
The MRU aims to achieve greater unity and solidarity and to enhance cooperation between member states and peaceful coexistence among its peoples. This is by promoting peace, security, democratic principles, and popular participation of citizens in the pursuit of good governance. The objective is also to reinforce regional integration and development to integrate commerce and industry, to create employment, and to promote social and cultural affairs.
TIMELINE
| 1973 | Creation of the Mano River Union |
| 2000 | Creation of the Mano River Women’s Peace Network (MARWOPNET) |
| 2004 | Revitalisation of MRU after falling moribund due to civil war in Liberia and Sierra Leone |
NORMATIVE FRAMEWORK
| 1973 | Mano River Constitutive Act |
| 2000 | Adoption of 15th Protocol to the MRU Declaration on Cooperation on Defence, Security, Internal Affairs, and Foreign Affairs |
| 2008 | Consolidated Protocols to the Mano River Declaration, including the 15th Protocol |
| 2013 | Adoption of the Strategy for Cross-border Security in the Mano River Union |
ACTIVITIES POLITICAL DIALOGUE
| Date | Institutions | Agreement |
| 2019 | United Nations development programme (UNDP) | Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen regional integration to advance peace and security |
GOVERNANCE AND DEVELOPMENT
| Areas | Date | Activities |
| Border management | 2012 | Activation of joint border security and confidence building units |
| Cross-border security | 2014 | Meeting of experts from Mano River Union countries to draft a five-year document (2014-2018) on the implementation of the strategy, supported by ECOWAS and UNOWAS. |
Mano River Union launches scheme to build inclusive business ecosystems
13
Shares
07-Dec-2022
On 21 October 2022, the African Development Bank and the Mano River Union Secretariat hosted an event to launch the Project to Build Inclusive Business Ecosystems for Stabilization and Transformation in the Mano River Union (BI-BEST) in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Launching the $4.25 million project, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Gender and Children’s Affairs, Manty Tarawalli, commended the African Development Bank for what she said was a “well-thought” initiative to support women’s economic empowerment.
She said the project would empower women cross-border traders and foster economic development and regional integration within the Mano River Union.
Minister Tarawalli noted that the project was timely as it would help Liberia and Sierra Leone in their efforts to mitigate the impact of the current global economic challenges on their people.
Isata Kamara, Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry of Sierra Leone and a representative of the Ministry of Gender and Social Protection of Liberia, attended the event. Other participants included representatives of development partners, joint border security units, the Mano River Women’s Peace Network and women cross-border traders.
BI-BEST is expected to positively impact nearly 1500 women traders at two borders points — Koindu-Foya in Liberia and Jendema-Bo Waterside in Sierra Leone. The project will run through 2025 and provides women cross-border traders with gender-responsive capacity building, finance access, and assistance to connect to more profitable markets. Accordignly, at least 1200 women traders expected to report new or improved opportunities to increase their income and enhance the quality of their jobs.
The project will also strengthen the institutional capacity of the Mano River Union Secretariat and business support organizations to better empower women traders to foster resilient economies and peaceful communities.
Mano River Union Secretary General Ambassador Medina Wesseh and the African Development Bank’s Country Manager for Sierra Leone, Halima Hashi, recognized the Bank’s convening power to build strong partnerships and fund initiatives on the nexus between gender equality, resilience building, and entrepreneurship development.
Hashi emphasized the need to minimize delays during the implementation phase to ensure maximum benefits to women. “Project delays lead to increased costs and delayed benefits to the target group,” she said.
The BI-BEST project is managed by the Gender and Women’s Empowerment Division of the African Development Bank.