Despite the end of the war in Liberia five years ago, its negative impact continues to be felt on the lives and livelihoods of the group that will ultimately determine the country’s future and its ability to emerge from its history of armed conflict: its youth.

Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is not only prevalent in Liberian society; it is unfortunately accepted as an integral part of gender relations. This perception was exacerbated during the war years, as SGBV was used repeatedly as a weapon of war.

Women have played a major role throughout the history of Liberia. They comprise 54 percent of the labour force in both the formal and informal sectors. In agriculture they constitute the majority of smallholder producers and it is estimated that they produce approximately 60 percent of agricultural products, carry out more than 80 percent of trading activities in the rural areas and are heavily engaged in the artisanal fishing industry, in addition to fulfilling daily household chores.

Liberia is characterized by a fragile post-conflict socio-economic environment with a heavy reliance on food imports and high rates of poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition. An analysis of demographic and epidemiological data by UN agencies in 2007, revealed that if efforts to address key nutrition problems such as underweight, stunting, and micronutrient deficiencies are not accelerated, 78,100 Liberian women and children will die, 87,000 babies will be born mentally retarded, and a staggering US$ 431 million will be lost to the economy by the year 2015 due to the impact of poor nutrition on productivity. An estimated 44 percent of childhood deaths are attributed to malnutrition, making it the single most common cause of death of Liberian children.

Joint letter by Kemal Dervis (Chair UNDG) and Peter Piot (Executive Director UNAIDS) to introduce the UN Joint Programme on Aids in China (2007-2010), which they indicate is a good example of the UN delivering as one at country level. The letter highlights that the Joint Programme was developed in close consultation with the Chinese government and is expected to provide benefits for both the government and the UN system in China.

This document is presented as a good example of a Joint Programme in the field of HIV/Aids. It responds to the Secretary General’s call for joint programmes of support on AIDS and is the result of a year long process to bring the UN system fully together on AIDS in China and generate strong ownership within the government. The joint programme is expected to help China achieve the Millennium Development Goal of stopping and reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS by 2015 and the national target of keeping the number of people living with HIV under 1.5 million.