As a country previously ravaged by a protracted civil war that killed approximately 150 000 people and left behind 200 000 refugees, Liberia is rising from the ashes of its past. In addition, it has had to deal with the Ebola virus that also wiped out thousands more from its population, yet the country continues to strive to improve its human rights record. This was demonstrated by the commitment that the government of Liberia has made to the drafting of a state party report to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Commission) under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Charter) and the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol).

In this regard, the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria in partnership with the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection of the Republic of Liberia held a validation meeting of the Republic of Liberia’s state party report. The meeting was held from Monday 2 March - 4 March 2020 at the Boulevard Palace Hotel in Monrovia.

This validation meeting follows a series of meetings which were held in Liberia from 2019 with the objective of strengthening the capacity of the state to fulfil and comply with its reporting obligations to the African Commission and to draft the state party report. The main goal of the meeting was to afford participants in Liberia the opportunity to assess the draft report and recommend changes that would reflect the true human rights situation in the country.

The Centre was represented by the Assistant Director Dr Nkatha Murungi, the Women’s Rights Unit Manager Ms Patience Mungwari and project officers Ms Susan Mutambasere and Ms Lydia Chibwe.

The meeting had in attendance broad representations from key government officials, international organisations and local non-governmental organisations. The Minister of Justice of the Republic of Liberia, Cllr. Frank Musah Dean Jr in his opening and welcome remarks noted that Liberia is a party to seven (7) core international human rights treaties; which include the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). He went on to note that meeting these regional and international obligations were critical to safeguarding human rights in Liberia and that regular and timely reporting affords state parties the opportunity to assess and articulate progress made in meeting international human rights obligations as well as to identify ongoing challenges, and to take the necessary remedial steps. He concluded his speech by extending profound gratitude to the Centre on behalf of the president, Dr George M. Weah, for opting to work with them on this meaningful national initiative.

Goodwill remarks and statements were also made by various foreign mission representatives which include the United Nations, Economic Community of West African States, the Independent National Commission on Human Rights and the Swedish Embassy.


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