PRADD Project Expansion into Liberia

PRRGP chief of party Mark Freudenberger and land tenure specialist Kent Elbow carried out a scoping mission to Liberia from March 27-April 10, 2010 which led to the decision to open up a new PRADD program in Liberia. The new chief of party, Bocar Thiam, and administration and finance director, Robert Merritt, are setting up the new project headquartered in Monrovia. Work plans are being developed in close collaboration with the Ministry of Lands, Mines, and Energy in preparation for the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding. The project is intended to support the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme through the strengthening of the internal chain of custody of the artisanal diamond mining sector with a focus on identifying and formalizing the claims of diamond miners in up to four pilot sites.