A coalition of Liberian civil society organizations working in transparency, accountability, and human rights has drafted a mining law reform proposal aimed at safeguarding mining activities to protect local communities, conserve the environment, and unlock meaningful revenue for the country.

The consortium includes the Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL), Medica Liberia (a women's rights NGO), Integrated Development and Learning (IDL), the Sustainable Development Institute (SDI), Civil Society Independent Forest Monitoring, and Sustain Earth and Equity Defenders (SEED).

The group believes that Liberia's current Minerals and Mining Law of 2000 is outdated, inadequate for modern resource governance, and leaves host communities paying a heavy price.

"Civil society has made significant progress on other aspects of natural resource governance, so now is the time to turn our attention to the mining sector," said Silas Siakor, speaking at a multi-stakeholder dialogue on Minerals, Mining, and Inclusive Development held in Monrovia on October 21, 2026.

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The consortium asserts that a comprehensive overhaul of the mining sector is needed for Liberia to truly benefit from its endowment of abundant resources. They emphasize that any new legal framework must be gender-responsive, address gender-based violence (GBV), and establish accessible grievance mechanisms for local communities.

The draft proposal was developed by delegates at a one-day roundtable meeting on the mining sector earlier this month. The participants, including civil society representatives, legal experts, and community governance entities, were divided into groups. Following detailed deliberations, delegates concluded that for Liberia's mineral wealth to deliver meaningful development, the legal reform must strengthen accountability, transparency, inter-agency coordination, and the rule of law while building on the core principles of the Liberia Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (LEITI) Act. Respect, protect, and strengthen community land rights, aligning policies with Article 7 of the Liberian Constitution. Advance the interests of women, youth, and persons with disabilities, ensuring gender-responsive protections. Establish a clear benefit-sharing framework that prioritizes local community development and balances economic, social, and environmental considerations. Require local value addition to mineral products and formalize the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector to transition miners toward responsible practices.

Liberia stands on the threshold of a major mineral development boom driven by expanding iron ore production, surging global gold prices, and the discovery of critical mineral reserves.

Civil society leaders warn that while managed well through inclusion and transparency, this mineral wealth could transform lives and put Liberia on track toward middle-income status; poor management risks repeating historical mistakes. Past mineral booms generated rapid top-line growth without inclusive development, sparking widespread grievances that ultimately fueled decades of civil conflict.

"There is no question about whether mining is a major revenue driver for the country--it has vast potential for sustainable development," Silas Siakor, IDL's executive director, emphasized.

"The reason why we are convening today is to ensure it delivers on its full potential for Liberia and Liberians. The overall objective is to find common ground on how the legal framework should be revised, updated, and amended so that the benefits of our mineral wealth go to the country and its people."

The upcoming Liberia International Mining and Energy Conference (LIMEC)--organized under the theme "Transforming Liberia's Economy: Driving Development Through Sustainable Mining & Energy Investments"--will offer another platform to highlight governance gaps and push for legislative action.

Cllr. Bornor M. Varmah, Chairperson and CEO of the Law Reform Commission, acknowledged that the 2000 Mining Law has failed to keep pace with subsequent legislation, including the Land Rights Act of 2018, environmental protection laws, and concession frameworks. He noted that existing laws leave critical areas like mine safety, explosives management, and community grievance mechanisms unresolved.

Varmah disclosed that the Law Reform Commission will serve as the technical legal secretariat leading the comprehensive drafting process, supported by the Legislature, relevant state agencies, and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact. He outlined seven reform priorities: legal harmonization, community rights, gender inclusion, transparency, environmental protection, responsible investment, and ASM formalization.

Dweh S. Boley, Deputy Executive Director for Technical Services at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), welcomed the draft proposal but stressed that stronger legislation must be backed by adequate technical and operational enforcement capacity to safeguard Liberia's vulnerable ecosystems.