Freetown, Sierra Leone —
The Parliament of Sierra Leone has held its Annual Donor Meeting, bringing together international development partners to rally support for the implementation of its Five-Year Strategic Plan aimed at deepening democratic governance, accountability, and institutional efficiency.
The high-level meeting drew representatives from several diplomatic missions and multilateral institutions, including the Indian High Commission, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), European Union (EU), World Bank, Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the Irish Embassy, and other partners.
Parliament Highlights Progress, Calls for Sustained Partnership
Welcoming participants, the Clerk of Parliament, Mr. Karmoh K. Conteh, thanked development partners for their continued engagement with the legislature. He outlined key milestones achieved in recent years, particularly in capacity development, digital innovation, and infrastructure improvement, noting that these gains were made possible through consistent partner support.
Mr. Conteh stressed that ongoing collaboration remains vital for the successful rollout of the Strategic Plan, which he described as a roadmap for institutional reform and improved parliamentary performance.
Speaker Sets Out Reform Priorities
In his keynote address, the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas, described the donor engagement as a reflection of Parliament’s commitment to partnership and co-creation.
He outlined three priority areas underpinning the Strategic Plan: strengthening good governance and institutional capacity; enhancing democratic accountability and oversight of the Executive; and improving legislative scrutiny alongside meaningful citizen participation.
The Speaker urged development partners to align their interventions with these priorities to promote inclusive governance, stronger political ownership, and public accountability.
Partners Reaffirm Commitment
Development partners welcomed Parliament’s reform agenda and pledged continued support. The Chinese Embassy, through its Minister Counsellor, Mr. Zhang Dianbin, commended the initiative and reaffirmed support for capacity building and infrastructure development.
India’s High Commissioner, Mr. Baisnab Charan Pradhan, praised the consultative nature of the process and confirmed India’s readiness to support the Strategic Plan, including training and capacity-building programmes.
UNDP Deputy Resident Representative, Mr. Kevin Petrini, highlighted ongoing and planned assistance in areas such as digitalisation, the E-Parliament initiative, service delivery, transparency, and accountability. The European Union, represented by Deputy Head of Mission, Mr. Emilio Rossetti, also reaffirmed its commitment to parliamentary development and future collaboration.
Other partners echoed similar support for governance reforms, legislative strengthening, and citizen engagement initiatives.
Commitment to Democratic Development
The meeting ended with a group photograph, symbolising the shared commitment between Parliament and its development partners.
The engagement reaffirmed Parliament’s determination to strengthen partnerships and advance democratic governance. Through its Five-Year Strategic Plan, Parliament aims to position itself as a driver of accountability, transparency, and effective citizen representation, with development partners playing a key role in supporting this reform journey.