Supporting Human Rights and Democracy
Liberia
Liberia is a constitutional republic, and in November 2005 Unity Party candidate Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was declared the winner of multiparty presidential elections, which domestic and international observers considered free and fair. The government generally respected the human rights of its citizens; however, problems persisted in some areas. Deaths from mob violence increased. Police abused, harassed, and intimidated detainees and citizens. Prison conditions remained harsh and incidents of arbitrary arrest and detention occurred. Lengthy pretrial detention, denial of due process, and fair public trial were problems. Liberian National Police officers on several occasions assaulted journalists and a human rights worker. Some incidences of trial by ordeal were reported. Corruption and impunity continued in many levels of the government. There was violence against women, especially reports of rape. The practice of female genital mutilation remained widespread. Child abuse, trafficking in persons, and racial and ethnic discrimination were problems. Instances of child labor were reported, especially in the informal sector. Child neglect and child abuse continued to be problems. There were some instances of ethnic tensions during the year, but none that resulted in violence.
During the year the U.S. strategy to promote human rights in the country focused on supporting programs to consolidate peace, promote economic recovery, and foster respect for human rights while working to combat corruption and strengthen a weak rule of law that undermined peace and security. Through various programs, the United States helped improve police and judicial professionalism, prison conditions, anticorruption and good governance efforts, voter and civic education, child protection, capabilities for combating trafficking in persons, religious freedom and tolerance, and respect for the rule of law. The United States also supported human rights organizations involved in public outreach and promoted human rights education. U.S. officials routinely and publicly highlighted the need for transparency and accountability in all branches of government and worked privately with officials, NGOs, and international organizations to identify areas of concern and encourage systemic reforms.
In support of democracy and the political process, the United States sponsored programs designed to educate citizens, strengthen political parties, advise elected officials and political party leaders as well as the National Elections Commission and supported legislative by-elections throughout the year. U.S. programs strengthened the election process through increased assistance to local political parties, civil society, and the National Elections Commission and supported a consultative workshop that reached 80 percent of the legislature's political parties. Legislators received U.S. Government assistance through training sessions designed to increase knowledge of constituent outreach and long-term strategic planning. The United States supported a strategic planning seminar for the National Elections Commission that included post-election refocusing, commission rightsizing, and planning for local elections that brought together members of the commission, legislators, executive branch members, and political party representatives. The U.S. Government also assisted the Elections Commission audit department in effectively auditing party and candidate campaign finance reports. The United States supported post-election civic education outreach in five counties as well as voter education efforts for the Margibi and River Cess county by-elections, and U.S. officials observed all by-elections during the year. A U.S. Government official spoke at the results of the Margibi county by-election and commended election officials and the political parties on a free and fair election. In January Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and First Lady Laura Bush attended the inauguration of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf in support of democratic presidential elections.
During the year the United States promoted media freedom and freedom of speech in the country. In collaboration with the Press Union of Liberia, the United States funded media training, which included education and training for reporters to deepen their substantive knowledge on human rights-related issues as well as improve accurate reporting. For example the United States provided budgetary support for the UN Mission in Liberia radio program that broadcast news and educational campaigns related to the peace and development process nationwide. U.S. officials also promoted human rights and democracy messages through taped or live UN radio programming and interviews on anticorruption and human rights. In addition the United States assisted the leading independent station, Star Radio, in establishing ties with three community radio stations outside the capital to broadcast in local languages, giving rural communities access to public service messages on human rights and rule of law. To disseminate information about government policies, the United States supported the establishment of an executive mansion press corps chosen from accredited journalists from major media outlets. The United States funded a program through the University of Massachusetts, Boston to strengthen media institution management and business planning. The United States utilized the U.S. International Visitor and Leadership Program, and internet research training to strengthen media capacity.
The United States supported civil society organizations that promoted human rights, peace, and government transparency, and contributed to peace building efforts through community development, literacy, rural radio programs, and peace councils. For example the United States supported the Liberia Community Peace Building and Development Program, which has mobilized 200 war-affected villages for peace-building, infrastructure, agriculture, and income-generating activities. The Locally Initiated Networks for Community Strengthening Program, also supported by the United States, facilitated grassroots reconciliation and peace constituencies in 70 villages in Lofa County. U.S. officials spoke at a number of civil society workshops and discussed the importance of civil society in a flourishing democracy. The United States supported a program to strengthen non-elite Muslim women’s advocacy and civic participation skills to better meet basic needs in their communities. The United States also supported the Liberia Community Infrastructure Program, which seeks to create jobs and provide vocational training and psychosocial counseling for former combatants and other war-affected persons. Through a number of small grants, the U.S. Government supported local NGOs that educated communities on human rights, HIV/AIDS, reconciliation, and peace building.
Following the peace agreement in 2003, the United States, in coordination with UN mission and other implementing partners and donors, allocated significant resources to fund relief and reconstruction and to support police and judicial reform as well as rule of law programs. During the year these programs included a prison infrastructure project, a 10-person U.S. contingent to the UN police, and support for judicial sector reform. The United States supported five justice sector advisors who worked closely with the minister of justice, the chief justice, and the courts within the Ministry of Justice. Through these efforts the newly formed Public Defenders Office was instrumental in obtaining the dismissal of approximately 50 cases from 2004 and 2005 of prisoners held in pretrial detention beyond the legal limit. The United States also encouraged due process by sponsoring and participating in the launch of a youth-oriented campaign to assist the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which is responsible for determining the root causes of the civil war.
Corruption remained endemic at middle and lower levels of government due to low civil servant salaries, a culture of impunity, and long delays in payment of wages. The governance and economic management assistance program placed internationally recruited financial controllers and management experts in the Ministry of Finance, the Central Bank, other ministries, and state-owned enterprises to encourage transparency and accountability. This contributed to a 50 percent increase in government revenue during the year, allowing the government to improve on timely payment of salaries, pensions, and back wages. The United States worked with the Forestry Development Authority to ensure basic minimum labor standards for the industry, financial transparency, and conditions necessary for lifting UN sanctions on timber exports. The U.S. Government encouraged passage of the national forestry law, a precondition for full lifting of timber sanctions. The United States also assisted the Ministry of Lands, Mines, and Energy by funding a technical advisor to help the country comply with the Kimberly Process, an international certification program designed to prevent trade of "conflict diamonds." Compliance with the Kimberley Process is an important benchmark for lifting UN sanctions on export of Liberian diamonds. The U.S. sponsored programs to establish a legal aid clinic which included development of a training curriculum. In addition the U.S. Government provided subgrants to local NGOs to carry out legal assistance and advocacy for indigent persons and victims of human rights violations, including civic education and public awareness campaigns on national accountability, stability, and human rights. U.S. sponsored programs also supported the distribution of the Liberia Law Reports and Revised Liberia Codes to various organizations, and enlisted a pro bono mediation specialist who developed training materials, a manual, and conducted mediation training and law workshops. U.S. Government assistance helped rehabilitate several overcrowded and dilapidated prisons.
The United States created a vetting database to register prospective recruits for the country's newly formed armed forces. The vetting process was used to thoroughly screen applicants and ensure that they were not involved in human rights abuses while serving in the previous armed forces. Even after passing extensive checks, recruits were on probation for one year. Each recruit received rigorous training, including 120 hours of classroom instruction on human rights, civilian governance of the military, and the country's history. This training is intended to help ensure that past human rights abuses by the military will not be repeated. In November the U.S. ambassador spoke at the first graduation about respecting civilian control of the military and respecting individual civil rights.
The U.S. ambassador spoke publicly and privately to encourage the legislature and other government agencies to address issues that primarily affect women, such as rape and female genital mutilation, as a national priority. Gender-based violence persisted in the country, and an increasing number of rapes were reported. The United States supported a conference and training on gender-based violence that brought together key representatives from local and international NGOs, the government, UN agencies, and donors. The conference provided the opportunity to develop, adopt, and secure a commitment to implement a comprehensive and multisector strategy and national action plan to combat gender-based violence in the country by relying on the coordination of legal assistance programs. To protect the large number of young, unemployed, and vulnerable women in the country, the United States supported an awareness campaign to help prevent sexual exploitation and abuse. The campaign included providing support to local and international NGOs in the creation of a referral mechanism for sexual exploitation and abuse cases.
During the year the United States promoted religious freedom through speeches and discussions. For example, U.S. officials organized an Iftar dinner to promote a dialogue with the country's Muslim leaders. U.S. officials also reminded the government of the importance of including nondenominational prayers in official ceremonies. In September the United States supported a panel discussion among religious leaders from the Islamic, Christian, and Baha’i faiths.
To combat trafficking and the worst forms of child labor, the United States supported a four-year program to eliminate exploitive child labor in Lofa, Nimba, and Montserrado counties. Through an international NGO, the United States funded a cross-border antitrafficking awareness program that reached out to communities in the country and Sierra Leone. U.S. officials encouraged the government to form a national antitrafficking task force, which the president appointed in October.