The Executive Secretary of the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), Richard Weingarten, at the head of a three-man delegation, is in the country to participate in a national workshop for the launching of an inclusive financial sector in Liberia.

	• Richard Weingarten (Arrowed)

The UNCDF delegation will also help to strengthen the national ownership of the microfinance programme in the country.

According to a UNDF press release, members of the team include Makerimi Adechoubou, Regional Technical Manager, West and Central Africa and Abdoul Abziz Said Attoumane, Portfolio Technical Manager.

The release said while in the country, the delegation will hold several meetings with stakeholders in the microfinance industry in Liberia to clarify their role and expectation in order to build a shared vision and enhance the synergies in the sector.

UNCDF in collaboration with UNDP and Cordaid is supporting the implementation of a two and a half-year microfinance programme, which aims at launching an inclusive financial sector in Liberia.

The launch of an inclusive financial sector in Liberia (2005-2007) commenced in 2005. The programme is intended to lay down the conditions for a broader effort aimed at aggressively contributing to a large-scale expansion of the microfinance sector of the country.

The visit will serve as an opportunity to reinforce commitment and participation of the government to the agenda of building an inclusive financial sector in support of its strategy for poverty reduction and peace consolidation.

It is also expected to reinforce policy dialogue to support the implementation and advancement of microfinance in the country. A highlight of the visit will be the participation of the mission in a National Microfinance Stakeholders Workshop.

The workshop will bring together microfinance institutions, commercial banks and representatives from the public and private sectors.

The key outputs of the workshop will build alliances with key stakeholders in the sector, disseminating information on microfinance best practices and informing stakeholders of the launch of inclusive financial project activities.

The microfinance unit of the Central Bank of Liberia is organizing the workshop.