The Executive Chairperson of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC), Cllr. Alexandra Kormah Zoe, and her team held a significant engagement with Ms. Barrie Freeman, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General (DSRSG) for West Africa and the Sahel, at the One UN House in Monrovia on Thursday, August 28, 2025. Ms. Freeman is visiting Liberia from August 28 to 30, 2025, as part of her official mission to participate in the launch of Liberia’s National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security. As part of her engagements, she specifically requested a dedicated meeting with the LACC to discuss the state of anti-corruption efforts in Liberia and explore opportunities for deeper collaboration between the United Nations and the Commission.
The meeting was facilitated by the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Liberia, Ms. Christine N. Umutoni, and also attended by Ms. Ecoma Alaga, Senior Political Affairs Officer with the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA). During the discussions, Executive Chairperson Cllr. Zoe provided a comprehensive overview of the Commission’s ongoing work in the fight against corruption. She highlighted LACC’s four pillars of intervention: prevention, investigation, enforcement, and public awareness.
The Chairperson emphasized that beyond prosecutorial functions, the Commission continues to invest heavily in prevention and education, seeking to build a culture of integrity and accountability across the Liberian public sector. Cllr. Zoe stressed that corruption remains one of Liberia’s foremost development challenges and underscored the Commission’s commitment to strengthening institutions, enhancing transparency, and empowering ordinary citizens to resist and report corrupt practices. She noted that changing entrenched behaviors requires not just laws and enforcement, but a collective societal shift toward rejecting corruption in all its forms.
The Executive Chairperson expressed sincere appreciation to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for its continued partnership and support to the Commission. She acknowledged UNDP as LACC’s primary sponsor at present, particularly in sustaining the Commission’s nationwide education and awareness programs. According to her, these outreach programs are critical in empowering citizens especially youth, women, and rural communities to become active participants in the anti-corruption fight. A key highlight of the engagement was the discussion surrounding the proposed establishment of a National Anti-Corruption Court in Liberia.
While the court has not yet been established, Cllr. Zoe informed Ms. Freeman that consultations and engagements with relevant stakeholders, including the judiciary and the legislature, are ongoing with the aim of having the court operational by 2026. She underscored the necessity of a specialized Anti-Corruption Court to effectively and efficiently prosecute corruption-related offenses. Such a court, she explained, would help to ensure quicker resolution of cases, strengthen public confidence in the justice system, and allow corruption cases to be handled by judges with the necessary expertise in financial crimes and governance-related offenses.
The Executive Chairperson further observed that the proposed court would complement the broader justice reform agenda and demonstrate Liberia’s seriousness in addressing corruption at the highest levels. For her part, DSRSG Barrie Freeman welcomed the insights shared by the LACC leadership and reaffirmed the United Nations’ commitment to supporting national institutions that are at the forefront of promoting accountability, transparency, and good governance. She commended the Commission’s proactive work and stressed that the fight against corruption remains central to Liberia’s long-term stability and development. Ms. Freeman emphasized that combating corruption is not only a governance imperative but also a peacebuilding priority, as corruption undermines trust in state institutions, fuels grievances, and weakens social cohesion.
She encouraged continued collaboration between the LACC and the broader UN system, including technical assistance, capacity-building initiatives, and resource mobilization. The United Nations Resident Coordinator, Ms. Christine N. Umutoni, lauded the dialogue and described it as timely, given Liberia’s ongoing efforts to strengthen institutional resilience and rebuild public trust. She reiterated the UN’s willingness to remain a reliable partner to the LACC and other integrity institutions in advancing reforms that enhance accountability and democratic governance.
The Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission reaffirmed its dedication to deepening partnerships with both national and international stakeholders. Cllr. Zoe emphasized that the Commission will continue to advocate for reforms and institutional mechanisms that strengthen Liberia’s governance systems and ensure that anti-corruption efforts are comprehensive, sustainable, and inclusive. As the meeting concluded, both sides expressed optimism about the future of anti-corruption work in Liberia and committed to working closely together to ensure that progress in this critical area translates into tangible benefits for the Liberian people.
