The National Council of Chiefs and Elders of Liberia (NACCEL) has committed to close all bush schools and stop the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) in Montserrado County in January 2023.   The Chairperson of NACCEL, Chief Zanzan Karwor made the commitment during the launch of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence in Sonkay Town, Montserrado County on 25 November, 2022.   Following the pronouncement, Chief Zanzan Karwor called on the Chief Zoe (traditional practitioner) Massa Kandakai and the Paramount Chief, Stephen Goba to ensure that all Zoes within the Montserrado County surrender all documents and practicing implements in preparation for the official traditional ceremony to abolish the practice of FGM in early January, 2023.   Once the order is given in January next year, anyone challenging his authority will face disciplinary action from the NACCEL. The Chief reiterated  NACCEL’s commitment to ending FGM as evidenced by pronouncements of the three-year ban on FGM in the country. He also emphasized the importance of providing alternative economic livelihood programs for traditional practitioners in the 11 FGM practicing counties.   During her keynote address, the Vice President of Liberia, Chief Dr. Jewel Howard Taylor called on NACCEL’s Chief Zanzan Karwor to engage the legislature and the international community to ensure the speedy passage of the FGM bill into law. Liberia is one of only three countries in West Africa that has yet to outlaw the practice of FGM.   The Vice President also presented a token to Chief Zanzan Karwor and requested him to visit all the Counties where FGM is still being practiced and ask traditional practitioners to stop the practice. This year’s 16 days campaign is being held under the global theme - “UNITE! Activism to End Violence Against Women and Girls” and the national theme “With One Voice, Let's End Violence Against Women, Girls and Children." The campaign runs from 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, till December 10, Human Rights Day. The  campaign launch event was attended by several dignitaries including, special  guest, Jaha Dukureh, UN Women Goodwill Ambassador for Africa on ending FGM and child marriage who served as key launcher of 16 days campaign; Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Honourable Williametta E. Saydee-Tarr who welcomed guests, members of the Diplomatic Corp, Government officials, civil society and traditional leaders from various counties; and Ms. Comfort Lamptey, UN Women Representative and Acting UN Resident Coordinator who delivered a special message from UN Secretary General. The UN is supporting efforts of the Government of Liberia to eliminate gender-based violence through the Spotlight Initiative, a global programme that aims to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls including harmful practices such as FGM.   For More information please contact: - Gloriah Ganyani UN Women Liberia Communications Specialist E-mail: gloria.ganyani@unwomen.org Tel: 0776866201 Or John Monibah UN Women Liberia Communications Officer E-mail: john.monibah@unwomen.org Tel: 0776737521   #ENDS#  

1.  On 14 November 2022, the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) convened a meeting on Liberia, chaired by the Permanent Representative of Sweden to the United Nations, with the participation of the Foreign Minister and the Minister of Internal Affairs of Liberia, the co-Chair of the National Elections Commission (NEC), a civil society representative from Liberia, as well as senior UN officials, including the Resident Coordinator in Liberia and the Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support.     2. The meeting focused on preparations for Liberia’s upcoming legislative and presidential elections in October 2023. The Government of Liberia provided an update on the electoral process and the Chair of the NEC briefed the Commission on the organization of the upcoming elections and suggested areas of continued cooperation and support from the PBC, the region and international partners.     3.  The Commission commended Liberia on the remarkable progress the country had made in the last two decades and indicated that 2023 elections represent a crucial milestone in Liberia’s consolidation of democracy, peace, reconciliation, and national development. The Commission underscored the importance of ensuring peaceful, free, fair, transparent, credible, and inclusive elections and noted that inclusive dialogue between and among political parties, and adherence to a joint Code of Conduct and declaration of non-violence, would be key to ensuring peaceful elections. The Commission also underlined the importance of ensuring women's political participation and candidatures in the 2023 elections and encouraged the adoption of the revised New Elections bill including provisions on a 30 per cent gender quota for senior political party leadership and candidate listings in elections, as well as the implementation of the Protocol on Violence Against Women in Elections and Politics (VAWiE).     4. The Commission noted that they would continue to follow the implementation of the Census and developments related to the procurement of a biometric voter registration system, as well as other issues essential to the electoral preparatory process and to the holding of free, peaceful, inclusive, transparent, and credible elections in  October 2023. They highlighted that the successful implementation of the electoral process would be instrumental to consolidating peace gains and the promotion of socio-economic development in Liberia.    5. The Commission undertook to continue supporting the Liberian stakeholders with their electoral preparatory process.      

                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Monrovia, 15 November 2022 - UN Women Goodwill Ambassador for Africa on female genital mutilation (FGM) and child marriage, Jaha Dukureh, will visit Liberia from 19 to 27 November 2022 to add support to the country’s efforts to eliminate FGM, a harmful practice against women and girls. Ms. Dukureh hails from the Gambia and is herself a survivor of both FGM and child marriage. In February 2018, she was appointed UN Women Goodwill Ambassador for Africa to support regional and global advocacy efforts to end FGM and child marriage. Alongside women’s organizations and civil society, she contributed to the Gambian Government’s ban on FGM in 2015 after youth mobilization and campaigning in the country. She also contributed to an investigation on FGM in the USA by former President Obama’s administration, and the subsequent Summit to End FGM at the United States Institute of Peace. Ms. Dukureh’s visit will coincide with the start of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence campaign which will be observed from 25 November to 10 December under the global theme, ‘Unite, Activism to end violence against women and girls” and national theme, ‘With one voice, let us unite to end violence against women, girls and children.’ “The visit follows Liberia’s sign up to the Generation Equality Action Coalition on Gender Based Violence in 2021 and is intended to support Liberia’s efforts towards the eradication of FGM through multi-stakeholder engagements and high-level advocacy and social mobilization,” says Comfort Lamptey, UN Women Liberia Country Representative. Major highlights of Ms. Dukureh’s visit include; a public screening of ‘Jaha’s Promise’, a documentary film about the life and advocacy efforts of Jaha Dukureh; engagements with various stakeholders including traditional and religious leaders; a solidarity walk to end gender based violence in Liberia; the launch of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based violence as well as the launch of a Vocational and Heritage centre in Sonkay Town, Liberia.   The Sonkay Town Heritage centre is one of four vocational and heritage centres established by UN Women under the framework of the European Union and United Nations Spotlight Initiative. The four centers are expected to provide alternative economic livelihood programs to former traditional practitioners of FGM in Liberia.   Ms. Dukureh is expected to engage with various change makers including government officials, diplomatic community, traditional leaders, civil society, women’s organisations and the media. She will also reinforce public knowledge and increase education on the depth, scale and devastating consequences of FGM.    In February 2022, the National Council of Chiefs and Elders of Liberia in collaboration with the Government of Liberia proclaimed a three-year ban on the practice of FGM from 2022 to 2025. Nonetheless, Liberia remains one of the three West African countries that do not have a law criminalizing FGM despite having signed and ratified regional and international human rights instruments condemning the practice as a human rights violation, including the Maputo Protocol that seeks to outlaw FGM.   UN Women is supporting efforts of the Government of Liberia to eliminate gender-based violence through the Spotlight Initiative, a global programme that aims to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls including harmful practices such as FGM.     For More information please contact: - Gloriah Ganyani UN Women Liberia Communications Specialist E-mail: gloria.ganyani@unwomen.org Tel: 0776866201 Or John Monibah UN Women Liberia Communications Officer E-mail: john.monibah@unwomen.org Tel: 0776737521   #ENDS#                                                                                                                                                        

MONROVIA/GENEVA (11 November 2022) – The Government of Liberia and businesses operating in the country must urgently implement measures to ensure the quest for economic development does not continue to undermine human rights, says a group of UN experts. “The present climate of irresponsible business practices provides profit for companies but does little for people. A sustainable and stable peace calls for accountability, transparency, equality, social cohesion, the rule of law, and respect of human rights for all,” said the experts from the Working Group on human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises. The experts welcomed the Government’s commitment to implement the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), and praised the development of a national action plan on business and human rights. However, they were alarmed at the absence of State oversight in various parts of the country. “Facilitating foreign investment has superseded the implementation of responsible business practices,” said Working Group Chair Fernanda Hopenhaym, presenting a statement at the end of a 10-day visit. Basic infrastructure and services were lacking, especially outside Monrovia. “The general neglect of local communities in development planning is unacceptable,” she said. The Government needs to ensure domestic and foreign business enterprises demonstrate much greater respect for human rights, Hopenhaym said. “A critical element is transparency and meaningful participation of affected communities in decisions regarding business activity,” she said. The experts met representatives of Government, businesses, workers unions, civil society organisations and local communities to discuss the opportunities and challenges faced in implementing the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Legal reforms, such as the Land Rights Act of 2018 and the Decent Work Act of 2015, were welcomed but implementation was weak. “The experience of Liberia shows the urgent need for a smart mix of policies, incentives and regulations to implement laws and promote a business culture that respects human rights,” said Damilola Olawuyi, the other member of the Working Group on the visit. Human rights defenders, trade union members and community members were vulnerable to attacks and intimidation for speaking out against business-related human rights abuses and the Government needed to act. “People who are seeking to hold businesses accountable need to be respected, taken seriously, and offered effective grievance mechanisms to have their cases heard and remediated,” Hopenhaym said. Among their initial findings, the experts reflected on the very limited employment opportunities, the significant hold that a small number of large multinational corporations have on the economy, the poor labour conditions across different sectors and concessions, and the multiple forms of systematic harassment, abuse and violence that they heard are faced by women and girls. “Liberia should ensure that all government institutions dealing with business, and the Judiciary, together with the Independent National Commission on Human Rights have the necessary resources and training to provide effective oversight of corporate behaviour, and corporate accountability,” said the experts. During their visit, the Working Group experts had meetings in Monrovia, and in Nimba County, Bong County and Bomi County. The experts’ final report, including its findings and key recommendations, will be presented to the UN Human Rights Council in June 2023. ENDS The Working Group on human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises was established by the UN Human Rights Council in June 2011. Its current members are: Ms. Fernanda Hopenhaym (Chairperson), Ms. Pichamon Yeophantong (Vice-Chairperson), Mr. Damilola Olawuyi, Mr. Robert McCorquodale, and Ms. Elżbieta Karska. The Working Group is part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent human rights monitoring mechanisms. The Working Group reports to the Human Rights Council and to the UN General Assembly. Special Procedures mandate-holders are independent human rights experts appointed by the Human Rights Council to address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. The experts are not UN staff and are independent from any government or organization. They serve in their individual capacity and do not receive a salary for their work. The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, unanimously endorsed by the UN Human Rights Council in 2011 (resolution 17/4), provide the authoritative global standard for action to safeguard human rights in a business context, clarifying what is expected by governments and companies to prevent and address impacts on human rights arising from business activity. UN Human Rights, country page – Liberia For additional information and media requests please contact the Working Group Secretariat: In Liberia (during the dates of the visit): tel. +41 76 691 1639; email natasha.andrews@un.org and federica.morvay@un.org CC: hrc-wg-business@un.org In Geneva: +41 22 917 929, email natasha.andrews@un.org and federica.morvay@un.org CC: hrc-wg-business@un.org For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts please contact Renato de Souza (renato.rosariodesouza@un.org) and Dharisha Indraguptha (dharisha.indraguptha@un.org) Follow news related to the UN’s independent human rights experts on Twitter @UN_SPExperts.