Paris, France, September 4th 2025 :
His Excellency Dr. Teeko T. Yorlay, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Liberia to the French Republic, held a high-level strategic meeting with Mr. Gabriel Normand, Advisor to the Minister at the French Ministry for Ecological Transition, Biodiversity, Forestry, the Sea, and Fisheries.
Ambassador Yorlay conveyed the Government of Liberia’s steadfast commitment to strengthening the longstanding and cordial bilateral relations between Liberia and France. He emphasized Liberia’s interest in establishing a structured framework for collaboration in three critical sectors: Fisheries, Forestry, and Environmental Protection.
Fisheries Cooperation
Ambassador Yorlay drew attention to the pressing challenges posed by climate change to Liberia’s coastal communities and marine ecosystems, including sea-level rise, coastal erosion, and extreme weather variability. In this context, he sought the support of the French Government in the following key areas:
Strengthening Liberia’s capacity to monitor and protect its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) from Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, marine pollution, and illicit maritime activities.
Enhancing climate resilience and supporting the development of sustainable marine-based economic opportunities.
Promoting academic and technical cooperation, particularly through the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture at the University of Liberia.
Forestry Sector Engagement
Highlighting Liberia’s commitment to forest conservation, Ambassador Yorlay noted the country’s establishment of five major protected areas: Sapo National Park, East Nimba Nature Reserve, Lake Piso Multiple Use Reserve, Grebo-Krahn National Park, and Gola Forest National Park.
He outlined several areas where a French technical and financial partnership would be invaluable:
Capacity-building support for the Forestry Development Authority (FDA), including the establishment of a fully functional Project Management Unit;
Development of eco-tourism infrastructure, including ecolodges and visitor centers;
Training of forest rangers and provision of scholarship programs in Biodiversity Conservation and Natural Resource Management;
Facilitation of joint scientific research focused on Liberia’s biodiversity;
Support for transboundary landscape management and the development of a national carbon policy framework.
Ambassador Yorlay also sought French technical assistance in the areas of carbon measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV), greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory systems, and the establishment of safeguards information systems.
Environmental Protection and Climate Action
Commending France’s global leadership in environmental governance, Ambassador Yorlay referenced key French-supported initiatives, including the EU Mission to Restore Our Ocean and Waters, the United Nations Ocean Conference, and the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Treaty.
He expressed Liberia’s gratitude for the opportunity to deposit its instrument of ratification of the Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Treaty during the recent UN Ocean Conference held in Nice, France, in June 2025.