The Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has launched the Revised Honorary Consul Regulations for members of the diplomatic and consular corps around the world.
Speaking at the launch Monday, February 13, 2023 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Monrovia, Cllr. Deweh E. Gray, Deputy Minister for Legal Affairs said, when Minister Dee Maxwell Saah Kemayah assumed the leadership of the ministry in 2020, he announced several reforms; one of such was to review the administrative regulations governing the honorary consuls that were representing the Republic of Liberia in places around the world.
“This document, which is a revision of the 2012 Regulations, has gone through many months of scrutiny from my office as well as our embassies abroad,” Cllr. Gray noted.
Giving the overview of the launch, she disclosed that the revised honorary consul regulations provides additional clarity and also prescribes compliance systems to enable the country benefit from the services of individuals who apply for the positions.
She narrated that the document will allow for more stringent application and vetting procedures reactivation and strengthening of the Standing Committee to vet applications and bring on board other actors relevant to the approval process.
She added the new regulations will track individuals who are serving Liberia, evaluate their performances through periodic reports to the ministry as well as match their words with actions.
The Deputy Minister for Legal Affairs stressed that with the regulations, the government will also be able to collect revenue from honorary consulates that provide consular services in the jurisdictions where Liberia may not have an active representation.
Cllr. Gray explained that for several years, honorary consuls providing consular services were not remitting to the government what was due and there were difficulties tracking some of their activities, adding that some honorary consuls were using the opportunity to collect revenue and pay themselves, staff and rent for premises.
She pointed out that the revised regulations will set timelines for reporting as well as penalties for non-compliance with reporting requirements.
“It will allow for the creation of an up-to-date database and directory of honorary consuls; ensuring that the country benefits from the services of successful applicants in line with the government development agenda as well as providing tenures for honorary consuls and the number of times an applicant can be allowed to renew their status as honorary consuls,” the Cllr. said.
For his part, Liberia’s Foreign Minister described the launch of the revised documents as a milestone achievement for the uncompromising reform process at the ministry.
Launching the documents, Minister Kemayah explained that “today is very key as we are taking another step in the history of the ministry as it relates to reforming it and the sole purpose is to give added value to Liberians tax payers for their money that is used to pay public servants.”
The Minister said what the ministry has embarked on will continue to yield the necessary imperative and dividend for the Liberian people.
He said the need to revise the honorary consul regulations was necessary because the ministry was not getting the value that it should have.
Also speaking, French Ambassador to Liberia Michael Roux congratulated Liberia’s Foreign Minister for the launch of the revised honorary consul regulations and the reform of the ministry. “We are happy to see you do what can be done to improve services to the Liberian citizens,” the French Ambassador added.
Speaking on behalf of the Diplomatic Community, Ambassador Roux said as ambassadors, they will do their best to have a good working relationship amongst the countries and in the end to keep the peace, because peace is important to the development and the people of a nation.
