ABSTRACT
This chapter describes Liberia's bold experiment in sharing benefits from natural resource extraction with affected communities, with a particular focus on the first two elements in the benefit-sharing package: revenue sharing and social agreements. It describes a background information on the role of timber in Liberia, during the pre-conflict, conflict, and post-conflict periods. The chapter explains a brief discussion of benefit sharing and social agreements; and an analysis of Liberia's experiences with benefit sharing. It also explains a description of barriers to the implementation of benefit-sharing arrangements. In post-conflict Liberia, social agreements first emerged in the mining sector. In Liberia, sector- and contract-specific benefit-sharing arrangements have proliferated, and both require the oversight and participation of government and civil society. Liberia's model provides an opportunity to study benefit-sharing approaches, and is thus an important contribution to the evolution of natural resource management, including management in post-conflict situations.
