Work permit: NCCRM Leads National Push To Curb Labor Abuse

MONROVIA-The National Center for the Coordination of Response Mechanisms (NCCRM) has launched a major multi-stakeholder engagement aimed at addressing persistent weaknesses in enforcement, monitoring, and institutional coordination that continue to drive labor exploitation and abuse across Liberia.

The three-day engagement, held in the NCCRM Situation Room in Monrovia, brings together a broad spectrum of national and international stakeholders. Participants include government ministries, labor institutions, advocacy organizations, international partners, and the media. The event began Wednesday, July 16, and will conclude on Friday, July 18.

The NCCRM, established by legislation in 2022 and operating under the Office of the Vice President, is Liberia’s national mechanism for coordinating early warning and human security efforts. It also serves as the national Secretariat for the ECOWAS-backed Protection and Human Security Integrated Coordination Mechanism (ECO-PHSICM).

As a coordination agency, NCCRM’s role includes issuing early warnings, reports, policy briefs, and recommendations across key thematic areas such as health, governance, security, and labor, to prevent or mitigate threats to human security.

NCCRM Executive Director Arthur Bestman, giving an overview of the engagement, pointed to ongoing ethical challenges in Liberia’s labor sector. Chief among them is the unauthorized or improper issuance of work permits to foreign nationals for jobs that qualified Liberians could otherwise perform.

“This undermines national employment objectives, exacerbates youth unemployment, and weakens the principles of inclusive economic growth,” Bestman said.

He acknowledged the efforts of the Ministry of Labor and relevant agencies in developing legal frameworks for regulating the labor market and work permit processes. However, he stressed that continued abuse and exploitation persist due to institutional lapses in enforcement, monitoring, and coordination.

Bestman noted that the multi-stakeholder engagement aims to review the current state of Liberia’s labor and work permit enforcement mechanisms, and to strengthen inter-agency collaboration for more effective oversight.

He emphasized that the forum would also provide space for structured dialogue around foreign employment practices and their impact on domestic job markets. Stakeholders are expected to work toward a more transparent, fair, and compliant system for issuing work permits—one that prioritizes Liberians in the national workforce.

At the conclusion of the engagement, the participating institutions are expected to reach a stronger policy alignment on labor regulation, agree on reform priorities, and commit to actionable steps that enhance transparency and institutional accountability.

Bestman stated that an action plan and follow-up coordination mechanism will be drafted to guide implementation and ensure sustained collaboration among stakeholders moving forward.

In closing, Bestman reiterated that the engagement represents a timely and necessary step toward strengthening human security in Liberia. He underscored the NCCRM’s mandate to provide early warning and coordination on national threats, saying:

“This coordination meeting represents a timely intervention by NCCRM as an early warning institution mandated to coordinate and provide early warning information. We believe that our collective efforts to safeguard Liberia’s future generations is paramount.”

Alphonso Toweh

Has been in the profession for over twenty years. He has worked for many international media outlets  including: West Africa Magazine, Africa Week Magazine, African Observer and  did occasional reporting for CNN, BBC World Service, Sunday Times, NPR, Radio Deutchewells, Radio Netherlands. He is the current correspondent for Reuters 
 He holds first  MA with honors in International  Relations and a  candidate for second master in International Peace studies and Conflict  Resolution from the University of Liberia.