MINISTER KRUAH SECURES STRONG INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT FOR YOUTH AND SPORTS REFORM AGENDA
MINISTER KRUAH SECURES STRONG INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT FOR YOUTH AND SPORTS REFORM AGENDA
MONROVIA, LIBERIA – June 12, 2026 – The Minister of Youth and Sports, Atty. Cornelia W. Kruah, today secured strong support from the United Nations system, the diplomatic community, and international development partners following a high-level presentation of her reform agenda for Liberia's youth and sports sector at One UN House, located in the Pan African Plaza Building in Sinkor.
The meeting was convened by the United Nations Resident Coordinator and brought together the heads of United Nations agencies and members of the diplomatic community for a joint engagement with the Minister. The session marked a departure from the usual schedule of separate meetings, reflecting growing interest in the Ministry's reform agenda and its vision for transforming Liberia's youth and sports sector.
During her presentation, Minister Kruah outlined the mandate she inherited upon assuming office, findings from a comprehensive pre-tour diagnostic assessment, and key observations from a nationwide county tour conducted to better understand the realities facing young people and the sports sector across Liberia.
Drawing on those findings, Hon. Atty. Cornelia W Kruah unveiled a new vision and reform agenda for the Ministry anchored on six strategic pillars: Governance and Institutional Reform; Evidence, Design and Foresight; Pathway Framework and Youth Agency; Sports as a National Development System; Creative Economy Development; and Strategic Investment and Resource Mobilization.
The reform agenda seeks to modernize the Ministry's legal and institutional framework, establish a National Youth Intelligence System, produce Liberia's first State of the Youth Report, expand youth development services through Youth Resource Centers in all 15 counties, strengthen sports governance and talent development, support the growth of the creative economy, and improve the Ministry's capacity to attract investment and mobilize resources.
Participants received the presentation positively, commending Minister Kruah's leadership, clarity of vision, and commitment to transforming the youth and sports sector. Representatives of United Nations agencies, ambassadors, and development partners expressed their readiness to support the reform process and work alongside the Ministry in advancing key priorities.
Ahead of the meeting, the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator agreed on a framework for collaboration in support of the Ministry's reform agenda. As part of that commitment, the United Nations family will support preparations for Liberia's Youth, Peace and Security side event during the United Nations General Assembly in September through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The United Nations family also committed to supporting the development of Liberia's first Annual State of the Youth Report through the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), a landmark initiative under the Ministry's Evidence, Design and Foresight pillar that will provide critical data and analysis to guide policy and programming for young people.
Several development partners, including the World Bank, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Labour Organization (ILO), and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the Ministry's reform agenda.
During the engagement, the IOM highlighted the growing challenge of irregular migration among young people, noting that many of those who risk their lives traveling through the Sahel and attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea are youth. The organization also emphasized that a significant number of Liberians assisted through its return and reintegration programs are young people who require psychosocial support and sustainable pathways to reintegrate into society.
To address these challenges, the IOM expressed its interest in working closely with the Ministry of Youth and Sports to develop programs and interventions that support returning migrants, expand opportunities for vulnerable youth, and strengthen pathways for social and economic reintegration.
Other partners indicated their willingness to engage further with the Ministry to identify specific areas of collaboration and translate commitments into concrete programs, technical assistance, strategic investments, and institutional support.
The engagement forms part of Minister Kruah's broader effort to restore trust and confidence in the Ministry of Youth and Sports while expanding strategic partnerships capable of supporting the Ministry's reform mandate. Through these partnerships, the Ministry seeks to accelerate the delivery of opportunities, services, and outcomes that improve the lives of Liberia's young people and contribute to national development.
