Monrovia, Liberia – July 21, 2025 — In a landmark move to deepen regional cooperation and foster cross-border legislative harmony, four West African countries — Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Côte d’Ivoire — have signed protocols establishing the Mano River Union Parliamentary Body (MRUPB). The signing ceremony, held at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex in Monrovia, marks a decisive step toward a unified legislative front in the Mano River Union (MRU) region.
Hosted by the Speaker of Liberia’s House of Representatives, Hon. Richard Nagbe Koon, the event brought together the presiding officers of the respective national parliaments: Rt. Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas of Sierra Leone, Dr. Dansa Kourouma of Guinea’s Transitional Parliament, and Hon. Adama Bictogo, President of Côte d’Ivoire’s National Assembly. Also present was Liberian Senate President Pro Tempore, Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, and high-level parliamentary delegations from the member states.
A New Era of Legislative Diplomacy
The MRUPB represents more than a symbolic gesture — it is a critical institutional development that aims to harmonize laws, synchronize legislative priorities, and facilitate joint responses to shared regional challenges. Speaker Koon, in his keynote address, framed the launch as the beginning of a “new era of regional solidarity,” one that prioritizes peace, resilience, and people-centered development.
“Today, we reaffirm our shared destiny and collective responsibility to build a region that is more united, more resilient, and more responsive to the needs of our people,” said Koon.
Speaker Koon also laid out five key legislative pillars that will guide the MRUPB’s early work: regional unity, combating smuggling and illicit trade, environmental protection, boosting intra-regional trade, and gender mainstreaming. These priorities reflect a broad-based approach that seeks to confront both structural and emergent issues confronting the MRU countries.
From Aspiration to Institutionalization
While cooperation within the Mano River Union — founded in 1973 — has historically focused on economic integration and peacebuilding, the MRUPB introduces a legislative component that has long been missing from regional frameworks. The new parliamentary body will serve as a forum for drafting model laws, coordinating regional policies, and amplifying the voices of the MRU’s citizens at a supranational level.
This move aligns the MRU with regional bodies like the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) and the ECOWAS Parliament, signaling a maturing of West Africa’s integration agenda. Unlike existing protocols that often rely on executive-led processes, the MRUPB is poised to bridge national parliaments, empowering lawmakers to develop aligned legal systems that facilitate trade, environmental protection, and human development.
In his remarks, Rt. Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas of Sierra Leone pledged his country’s “unwavering commitment” to the success of the MRUPB. He emphasized the need for collaborative legislative responses to transnational issues, especially in a region where porous borders, climate vulnerabilities, and post-conflict realities require coordinated governance.
Legislative Responses to Regional Challenges
Among the anticipated benefits of the MRUPB is its ability to create coherent legal mechanisms that confront the region’s most pressing issues — including smuggling, environmental degradation, border insecurity, and youth unemployment. Regional bodies have often struggled with implementation gaps due to inconsistent legal regimes. The MRUPB, by promoting legislative synergy, aims to close those gaps.
For instance, the fight against smuggling and illicit trade — particularly of natural resources — requires uniform legal standards and enforcement tools across borders. Similarly, regional efforts to combat climate change and environmental degradation demand synchronized legislation on deforestation, mining regulations, and sustainable land use.
Speaker Koon also made a passionate call for mainstreaming gender equality, describing it as both a moral imperative and a strategic necessity. Reinvoking his “HeForShe” slogan, Koon emphasized that women’s empowerment must be a cross-cutting issue in all MRUPB efforts. His remarks reinforce a growing consensus that inclusive legislation is essential to sustainable peace and development.
Operationalization and Funding
Despite the historic nature of the agreement, questions remain about how quickly the MRUPB can be operationalized. Speaker Koon acknowledged this challenge and urged member states to commit both political will and financial resources toward the body’s full functioning.
“Let us rise, together, as one regional voice for peace, development, and dignity,” Koon declared. “Let this new parliamentary body be a living, breathing institution of action and integrity.”
His comments suggest that the MRUPB’s success will depend on continued diplomatic engagement and structural support from national governments, as well as technical assistance from international partners.
In that vein, Koon extended gratitude to regional and global partners, including ECOWAS, the African Union, the United Nations, and development agencies, for their role in laying the groundwork for the MRUPB. Their support, he said, remains essential in turning the new body from a signed protocol into a functioning legislative institution.
A Forward-Looking Institution
The establishment of the MRUPB signals a maturation in regional governance — from informal cooperation to structured legislative engagement. It offers a platform not just for lawmakers to exchange ideas but to build a unified legal framework for the region’s political, economic, and social transformation.
With the backing of four national legislatures and growing international interest in regional governance models, the MRUPB stands as a timely innovation. Its success, however, will depend on whether member states can maintain momentum, prioritize collective over national interests, and ensure that the body becomes an enduring pillar of the MRU’s institutional architecture.
As the region continues to grapple with insecurity, economic shocks, and environmental fragility, the MRUPB could become a vital tool for shaping a more integrated, just, and resilient West Africa.
