MONROVIA – The Office of Diaspora Affairs has unveiled a high-powered National Steering Committee to lead planning for the 2026 Diaspora Annual Conference, scheduled for September, signaling a major push to deepen engagement with Liberians abroad.
In a formal announcement issued today, Ambassador Emmett Dunn was named Chairman of the Planning Committee, with Ambassador MacDella Cooper and Rev. Dr. Francis O. S. Tabla serving as Vice Chair and Vice Chair for Operations, respectively.
The conference aligns with the Diaspora Strategic Plan (2024–2027), first presented during the initial cabinet retreat presided over by President Joseph N. Boakai Sr. The strategy is fully integrated with the President’s flagship ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID), which prioritizes agriculture, roads, rule of law, education, sanitation, and tourism.
According to the Office of Diaspora Affairs, the steering committee is mandated to coordinate, implement, and follow up on President Boakai’s commitments to diaspora Liberians. The body will be chaired by the Ministry of State’s Diaspora Office, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Diaspora Desk serving as Co-Chair.
The committee brings together a cross-section of government ministries, civil society organizations, strategic partners, diaspora groups, and private-sector stakeholders. Members include the Ministries of Finance, Commerce, Health, Local Government, and Internal Affairs, as well as the National Investment Commission, Liberia National Police, Liberia Refugees Repatriation and Resettlement Commission (LRRRC), Liberia Immigration Service, and the Chambers of Commerce.
Also represented are the House and Senate Diaspora Committees, the University of Liberia Diaspora Center, and key partners such as the International Organization for Migration (IOM), UNPBO, and UNDP.
Diaspora organizations, including the Union of Liberian Associations in the Americas (ULAA), will also have a seat at the table.
The steering committee will be structured into subcommittees, with Amb. Dunn serving as overall Chair, and Cooper and Rev. Tabla as Vice Chairs. Other appointees include:
· Paul T. Lamin – Chair on Finance
· Koikoi Boiwu – Member, Finance Committee
· Robina Vincent – Chair, Fundraising
· Hon. Emmanuel Wettee – Chair, Diaspora Engagement
· Terry Quio – Logistics
· Mohammed Keita (ULAA President) and Alfred Sieh – Diaspora Representatives
· Alpha Tongor – Conference Secretariat
· Hon. Anthony V. Kesselly – Senior Advisor, Diaspora Office
Additional members include Bior Bropleh, Sebastian Teclar, Rep. Naquetta Ricks, Hon. Natty B. Davies, Cynthia Blandford, and Lisa White. In a notable clarification, the Office emphasized that participation in the planning committee is strictly voluntary. “This is a volunteer initiative, not an employment with the Liberian government,” the release stated, underscoring the public-private partnership nature of the conference.
Erasmus Tiampa Williams, Head of the Office of Diaspora Affairs, signed off on the announcement, which was approved for immediate release.
The 2026 Diaspora Annual Conference is expected to draw hundreds of Liberians from across the United States, Europe, and other parts of the world, aiming to harness diaspora expertise and investment for national development.
