Dr. Abaka' s mandate

Technical cooperation and advisory services in Liberia
Commission on Human Rights Resolution: 2004/83

21 April 2004

The Commission on Human Rights,

Reaffirming that all Member States have an obligation to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms as stated in the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenants on Human Rights and other applicable human rights instruments, and the duty to fulfil the obligations that they have undertaken under the various instruments in this field,

Mindful that Liberia has an obligation to implement all the international and regional instruments to which it is a party,

Recalling its resolution 2003/82 of 25 April 2003,

Taking into account the resolutions of the Security Council on the situation in Liberia, particularly resolution 1497 (2003) of 1 August 2003,

Noting the significant developments that have taken place in the situation in Liberia during 2003, which led to the conclusion of a peace agreement on 18 August 2003,

Taking note of the preliminary report of the independent expert on technical cooperation and advisory services in Liberia (E/CN.4/2004/113),

1. Welcomes:

(a) The peace initiatives led by the Economic Community of West African States with the support of the United Nations, the European Union and the Government of Ghana, which have led to the ceasefire agreement between the Government of Liberia and the two rebel movements, Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy and the Movement for Democracy in Liberia, signed in Accra on 17 June 2003;

(b) The deployment of a multinational force to implement the ceasefire under the leadership of Nigeria and, subsequently, of the United Nations stabilization force;

(c) The signing by the parties to the conflict of a Comprehensive Peace Agreement on 18 August 2003 in Accra;

(d) The commitments undertaken at the International Reconstruction Conference for Liberia, held in New York in February 2004;

2. Regrets that the independent expert did not participate in the various initiatives and activities that led to the ending of the war in Liberia, that there was no official interaction between the independent expert and the Economic Community of West African States and, more generally, that it was impossible for her to travel to Liberia, which made it difficult to ensure that concern for human rights was reflected in the peace process;

3. Expresses its deep concern at:

(a) The continued existence of paramilitary groups;
(b) The serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law that continue to be perpetrated against the civilian population, particularly women and children;

(c)The extent of the sexual violence perpetrated against women and girls;

(d)The persistent insecurity, which is due largely to the delay in the implementation of the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programme begun by the United Nations;

(e)The culture of impunity, which is a consequence of the improper functioning of the justice system;

4. Calls upon all the parties:

(a)To respect the Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed in Accra on 18 August 2003;

(b)To put an end to the acts of violence and the violations of human rights and international humanitarian law;

5. Urgently requests the National Transitional Government:

(a) To establish, with the assistance of the international community, a national capacity for the promotion and protection of human rights;

(b) To take a firm stand against impunity and to bring to justice those responsible for violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in Liberia;

(c) To establish an independent national commission on human rights, in accordance with the Principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (the Paris Principles), a truth and reconciliation commission and an independent electoral commission;

(d) To increase the participation of women and girls in the process of peace and national reconciliation;

6. Calls upon the international community:

(a) To support the Government of Liberia in the process of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of former combatants, bearing in mind the specific needs of women and children;

(b) To mobilize the necessary resources to enable the National Transitional Government to implement relief and recovery programmes, including repatriation and resettlement of internally displaced persons and refugees, and, to this end, to implement the decisions taken by the International Reconstruction Conference for Liberia;

7. Requests the independent expert to submit to the Commission, at its sixty first session, a report on the situation of human rights in Liberia;

8. Requests the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to provide the independent expert with the material and financial resources she needs to accomplish her task in Liberia;

9. Decides to continue consideration of this question at its sixty first session under the same item.
58th meeting

[Adopted without a vote. See chap. XIX.- E/2004/23 – E/CN.4/2004/127]