A coalition of civil society organizations has called on the administration of Joseph Nyuma Boakai and the Legislature to impose an immediate moratorium on new mineral development agreements, warning that Liberia risks locking itself into long-term mining deals that fail to protect the country’s economic, environmental and community interests.
The CSO Consortium on Minerals, Mining, and Inclusive Sustainable Development made the call on October 26, arguing that no new mineral development agreements should be allocated or ratified until a comprehensive and modern Mineral and Mining Law is enacted.
Speaking Tuesday, October 27, 2026, Cllr. Yah Parwon, Medicare Liberia Country Manager, said continuing to negotiate and approve mining agreements under the existing legal framework could perpetuate governance weaknesses, undermine accountability and deprive Liberia of fair and sustainable benefits from its mineral wealth.
“Liberia’s mineral resources represent enormous opportunities for inclusive and sustainable national development, lamenting that decades of extraction have failed to deliver commensurate economic opportunities, improved public services and meaningful benefits for many mining-affected communities,” she said.
According to her, the proposed moratorium comes as the government pursues reforms to modernize the country’s mining sector, which civil society groups say remains hampered by weak regulatory enforcement, corruption, limited domestic value addition, environmental degradation and inadequate community participation.
Speaking on behalf of the consortium, Cllr. Parwon stressed that revising the mining law must go beyond updating existing provisions to address longstanding governance, economic, environmental and social challenges that have prevented ordinary Liberians from fully benefiting from the country’s mineral resources.
Beyond the moratorium, she outlined 10 priority reform areas for incorporation into the revised law, including stronger regulatory enforcement, transparent concession allocation, equitable community benefit-sharing, environmental protection and greater participation by Liberian businesses and workers.
Cllr. Parwon also called for enforceable provisions requiring mining companies to progressively process minerals locally, transfer technology, develop local skills, and prioritize qualified Liberians for employment, along with procurement opportunities for Liberian-owned businesses.
On community rights, the Country Manager for Medicare Liberia urged lawmakers to establish transparent benefit-sharing arrangements that reflect mining’s impacts on affected communities and strengthen protections under the Land Rights Law of 2018. She further called for stronger environmental safeguards, enforceable mine-closure and land-rehabilitation obligations, and effective sanctions against companies and public officials who violate mining regulations.
The proposed reforms also emphasize gender-responsive mining governance, including measures to expand opportunities for women, young people and persons with disabilities, while strengthening protections against sexual exploitation, abuse, harassment and other forms of sexual and gender-based violence.
On revenue accountability, the consortium wants stronger implementation of Liberia Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative principles, including disclosure of beneficial ownership, public reporting on mineral production, exports and revenues, and rigorous assessments of tax incentives and exemptions granted to mining companies.
The coalition also urged the government to clarify coordination among key regulatory institutions, including the Ministry of Mines and Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, Liberia Revenue Authority, National Bureau of Concessions and LEITI.
It called for reforms to artisanal and small-scale mining, including sand and quarry operations, to improve regulatory compliance, public health and environmental protection while creating practical pathways for informal operators to enter the formal system.
The consortium’s position followed a civil society gathering on October 1 and a multi-stakeholder roundtable in Monrovia on October 21, where development partners, government institutions, private-sector representatives and mining-affected communities discussed proposals for reforming the sector.
While welcoming the government’s stated commitment to modernizing mining governance, Cllr. Parwon maintained that Liberia’s mineral wealth must serve long-term national development rather than short-term extraction interests.
