Accra, Ghana – July 5, 2025 – Hon. Joseph Boye Cooper, Deputy Executive Director for Operations at the Liberia Refugee Repatriation and Resettlement Commission (LRRRC), has made significant strides in advocating for the free movement of people across Africa.
He represented Liberia at the recent African Union (AU) Commission on Health, Humanitarian Affairs, and Social Development Peer-To-Peer Experience Sharing and Learning Mission held in Ghana from July 1-4, 2025.
The four-day conference brought together representatives from over 16 African nations and various Regional Economic Communities (RECs), including the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the East African Community (EAC), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS). The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), a flagship project of the AU’s Agenda 2063, was also part of the experience-sharing discussions. The forum focused on advancing dialogue regarding the AU Protocol on the Free Movement of Persons (FMP) in Africa, a crucial step toward enhancing regional integration, fostering economic cooperation, and upholding human rights across the continent.
Hosted in Accra by the AU Commission for Health, Humanitarian Affairs, and Social Development in collaboration with GIZ, the conference convened policymakers, experts, technicians, and humanitarian stakeholders to discuss strategies that ensure safe and dignified mobility for all Africans. A particular emphasis was placed on mechanisms to facilitate the movement of vulnerable populations, including refugees, in accordance with the 1951 Geneva Convention and the 1967 OAU Protocol on the Rights of Refugees.
Hon. Cooper’s participation underscored Liberia’s unwavering commitment to regional cooperation and its dedication to protecting the rights and dignity of displaced and vulnerable individuals. He emphasized the vital role of the LRRRC in aligning Liberia’s efforts to provide international protection to refugees and in implementing Executive Order #144. During plenary sessions, he highlighted Liberia’s initiative to issue National Identification Cards to all citizens, ensuring that citizens, refugees, and migrants are treated fairly under national law, with their rights to legal stay, work, and trade upheld.
“The AU Free Movement Protocol, once implemented, has the potential to dismantle existing barriers to intra-African migration, ease visa restrictions among member states, and enhance the exchange of goods and services. This will promote inclusive and sustainable economic and social development across the continent,” Hon. Cooper stated.
The LRRRC remains steadfast in its mission to collaborate with regional partners and stakeholders to strengthen humanitarian frameworks that prioritize protection, resilience, and opportunities for those affected by conflict, environmental challenges, and socio-economic instability.
As the African Union continues its journey toward a more integrated and unified Africa under Agenda 2063, Liberia’s proactive involvement reinforces the shared vision of unity, infrastructure development, and social and economic empowerment for all Africans.
With such advocacy, Liberia is poised to make a meaningful impact in the quest for a prosperous and interconnected Africa—a vision encapsulated in “The Africa We Want.”
