At the end of the year Liberia accedes to the Convention as of 1 December. This West African state facing the Atlantic Ocean is bordered on the northwest by Sierra Leone, on the north by Guinea, and on the east by Côte d'Ivoire. Lagoons, mangrove swamps, and river-deposited sandbars mark the coastline of almost 600 km while grassy plateau prevail in the inland. The tropical climate is hot, humid; winters are dry; wet summers bring frequent heavy showers

As Liberia borders the Atlantic Ocean it hosts a number of marine mammals that are relevant to CMS. The Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus), the Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) and the Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus) are three large whale species listed on Appendix I. The rarely spotted Atlantic humpback dolphin (Sousa teuszii) is the only small cetacean endemic to (sub)tropical eastern Atlantic inshore waters off West Africa. CMS has supported the WAFCET 1-3 Studies on the coastal range of this species. The West African Manatee (Trichechus senegalensis), which was included in Appendix II during COP7, is covered by the relevant UNEP’s Regional Sea Programme as part of the Marine Mammal Action Plan.

Five species of marine turtles migrate across Liberia’s waters, the Leatherback Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), the Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas), the Olive Ridley Turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea), the Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) and the Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta), which are covered by the MoU conserving conservation measures for Marine Turtles of the Atlantic Coast.

The Great White Shark (Carcharodon carcharias), which has been listed in both Appendices during the last Conference of the Parties in 2002, also occurs in Liberian waters. Another key marine species listed on Appendix II is the Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus). CMS is seeking partners to design a conservation strategy and enhance research activities to the benefit of the world’s largest fish.

Besides various migratory birds such as storks and terns Liberia is a Range State to the biggest terrestrial mammal: the African Elephant (Loxodonta africana).

Liberia has already ratified several environment related Conventions such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) with the Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol and the Convention on International Trade in endangered species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).