S/PV.7029 Security Council

In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representative of Liberia to participate in this meeting. On behalf of the Council, I welcome His Excellency Mr. Brownie J. Samukai, Minister of National Defence of the Republic of Liberia. Under rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite Ms. Karin Landgren, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Mission in Liberia, to participate in this meeting. Under rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I also invite His Excellency Mr. Staffan Tillander, Chair of the Liberian country configuration of the Peacebuilding Commission and representative of Sweden, to participate in this meeting. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. I wish to draw the attention of Council members to document S/2013/479, which contains the twenty-sixth progress report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Mission in Liberia. I now give the floor to Ms. Landgren. Ms. Landgren: Ten years ago, on 18 August 2003, the last in a long series of Liberian peace agreements was signed in Accra. Liberia is celebrating 10 years of uninterrupted peace, and commitment remains steady, as described in the report of the Secretary-General now before the Council (S/2013/479). Liberia deserves praise and, more importantly, continued support. A decade is a long time to keep the peace, but a decade is a short time to reverse the effects of a war that left the country shattered or to overturn over a century of social and political exclusion and poor governance. Many potential drivers of conflict remain to be addressed through long-term reforms coupled with inclusive development. Recent months have seen an increasingly vigorous public discourse among civil society, youth groups and political parties about how far the country has come and how best to meet its current challenges. This was partly driven by contemplation of the tenth anniversary of peace and partly coalesced around current events, such as the recent court-ordered incarceration of a prominent newspaper editor. Liberia’s stability is sufficient to provide an environment conducive to the reforms being undertaken by the Government. The importance of those reforms to consolidating peace has been recognized by the Council, notably in the security and justice sectors and in the areas of decentralization and more transparent and accountable Government. I will say a few words about where these stand. The Constitution Review Committee has been working, with the support of the United Nations, to prepare the ground for the necessary national consultation. In the coming weeks, civic educators will begin working to inform and educate the public. The Committee still faces serious financial and capacity constraints, in addition to the broad buy-in that it needs to forge, which could affect its ability to adhere to the timeline, which is tight, despite the one-year extension of the mandate through 2015. The United Nations will continue to support the Committee and the broader constitutional review process. In July, the Government established a decentralization support programme board for the overall coordination of the financial and human capital being invested to make decentralization a reality in Liberia. The board consists of Government ministries and international partners, including the United Nations family. Decentralization is expected to promote more inclusive and accountable governance. It will also take time for it to begin functioning fully, both legislatively and in the light of the country’s limited human and institutional capacity. Decentralized governance structures also feature in the National Reconciliation Road Map. President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf launched the implementation of that 18-year framework in June, placing it under the leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Continued clear leadership of the Road Map will be important. It is comprised of some 12 different initiatives, including those aimed at shaping a common narrative on national identity. Recent discussions on a national history project have opened the door to preparing a national history curriculum for Liberia’s schools. And a technical team of Government, civil society and United Nations representatives is assessing how best to partner with peace committees, traditional leaders and civil society in order to make the Palava Hut initiative a reality, as also recommended by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. As the Secretary-General’s report notes, land reform has advanced, with a new land rights policy to be followed by draft legislation. Land and the exploitation of Liberia’s abundant natural resources remain cornerstones of the country’s economic development, as well as powerful sources of potential conflict. The Government and many development partners acknowledge the need for transparent, responsible management and regulation of concession agreements and the resources they yield, including those intended for local development. This remains an important area for the country that requires priority attention. In August, the Government issued a directive that 10 counties are to be audited, including those administering social development funds provided by concessions. And in June, the Forestry Development Authority issued letters of intent to terminate almost half of the 62 irregular private-use permits issued in the forestry sector. The lack of adequate consultation with affected communities remains an issue, and a study is under way on citizens’ engagement in natural resource management, at the Government’s request. It will be important to institutionalize mechanisms allowing consistent dialogue between concessions and communities. The report notes the good progress made by the five land coordination centres, whose staff are being trained in alternative dispute resolution and mediation skills. Corruption in general remains a very significant handicap, affecting the functioning of national institutions, public confidence in those institutions and the pace of economic development. The President’s recent dismissals of senior Government officials are described in the report. Since then, 18 officers have been dismissed from the Liberia National Police for extortion and excessive absenteeism; numerous others have been suspended. It is hoped that such resolute steps will send a strong message to those carrying the public’s trust at all levels. One year ago, the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) initiated a calibrated, three-phase military drawdown process endorsed by the Council. The Mission has focused on executing a steady, well-planned and responsible military drawdown. It completed the first phase on 30 June, with all designated personnel and equipment repatriated in good order and on schedule. UNMIL no longer has a fixed military presence in four of Liberia’s counties, and has deployed formed police unit personnel to areas considered potential hotspots for insecurity and to serve as backup to specialized units of the Liberia National Police. The first of the Mission’s three newly appointed formed police units, from Nepal, has been on the ground for six months; the second, from China, is due to deploy in October. That police presence remains essential, both to enable the Mission to serve as a needed backup to national authorities and to maintain public confidence in Liberia’s security during the transition. The Mission has also retained its civilian and United Nations Police advisory presence in all counties in order to continue supporting local Government and police structures, which remain weak. This phased approach to drawdown has permitted the Government and UNMIL to develop close, routine and effective joint transition planning mechanisms. UNMIL has now closed 11 locations and handed over eight to Government entities. However, the Liberian security forces have not been able to scale up their presence and operational effectiveness in order to assume the increased security responsibilities, and they remain severely constrained by weak mobility, resources and administration. Demands on the Government will become more acute as this transition progresses. The UNMIL military contingent expects to vacate a further three counties by April 2014. That will require the Government to sustain an effective security presence in more of the country and across a broader range of vital duties, including static guarding and cash escorts. However, the 2013-2014 national budget reduces allocations for the police, and limited transition-specific funding has been set aside. Even though the National Police Training Academy has been physically expanded to train 600 recruits a year, only 99 officers have graduated in the past 12 months. The graduation of another 148 has been delayed since May, in part due to budget constraints, while the current class of 293, which is in field training, is due to graduate next February. The immediate challenges posed by the UNMIL drawdown and the long-term importance of the rule of law for a stable Liberia make it essential that the Government and its partners redouble their efforts to develop capable and accountable justice and security sectors. A more focused, prioritized approach to institutional development is needed. To that end, a high-level retreat on the security sector will be held next week, co-organized by the Government, the United Nations and the Government of Sweden. The retreat will bring together a wide range of national and international actors involved in security sector development, including Ambassador Tillander of the Peacebuilding Commission. The retreat will consider recommendations of several joint studies, including a baseline capacity assessment of the Liberia National Police, a review of management and accountability mechanisms within the police, judiciary and prosecution, and a United Nations mapping of gaps in Liberia’s security sector. The legislature has begun following up on the very many audit reports it has received from the general auditing commission over the years. That and regular dialogue between the executive and the legislature are particularly important for the role of the legislature in policy development and oversight, as well as in representing the interests of its constituents. In July, UNMIL and the legislature initiated a periodic direct dialogue on a range of issues central to Liberia’s reform agenda. Looking ahead, Liberia’s next presidential elections in 2017 will be a political watershed moment. A foretaste of the tenor of those elections may come in October 2014, when 15 senatorial seats, or one per county, will be contested. As well, Liberia’s security remains intertwined with that of its neighbours. Strengthening regional approaches remains imperative to security as well as to development. The situation along the border with Côte d’Ivoire has remained calm for the past six months and tensions have eased. Eight Ivorians suspected of alleged involvement in cross-border attacks from Liberia into Côte d’Ivoire, including the June 2012 attack that killed seven peacekeepers of the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI), still await a ruling on whether Liberia will accede to an Ivorian extradition request. Since the second quadripartite meeting in April among the Governments of Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire, UNMIL and UNOCI, the parties have worked to deliver on agreed commitments, including successful high- level strategic engagement and increased operational cooperation on the ground. The four parties met in June in western Côte d’Ivoire and again last week in Monrovia to plan joint security operations along the border, which will take place this November and in January 2014. Preparations have also advanced for the first-ever cross-border meeting of chiefs and elders — another quadripartite meeting outcome — and the meeting is on track to be held next month. The April quadripartite meeting also agreed to revive a tripartite commission on humanitarian and refugee issues comprising the two Governments and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. This year, over 11,000 Ivorian refugees have repatriated voluntarily, leaving fewer than 59,000 Ivorian refugees in Liberia, down from over 200,000 at the height of the crisis. Some new arrivals continue to be registered in Liberia, and continued efforts are needed to create conditions favourable for return to Côte d’Ivoire. The anniversary of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement has been an opportunity to celebrate just how far Liberia has come. The country should be proud of its significant achievements. And yet it remains fragile, with a sense of a unified nationhood still a work in progress and small-scale outbreaks of violence still routine. Important underlying cleavages and tensions await resolution. Increased economic activity and growth bring with them new challenges of management, oversight, the judicious use of financial resources and a fair distribution of national wealth. Speaking at the recent launch of a high-level panel on fragile States, President Johnson-Sirleaf underlined the importance of going beyond conventional growth- driven poverty reduction and addressing the linkages between peacebuilding, State-building and governance. It is helpful that Liberia’s development partners increasingly employ a fragility perspective in their work. Liberia will need to stay the course, now and for decades to come. The United Nations stands with the Government, partners, civil society and others in our shared dedication to preventing any return to the ways of the past.

I thank Ms. Landgren for her briefing. I now give the floor to Mr. Tillander. Mr. Tillander: Let me express my appreciation for the invitation to give the perspective of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) on key peacebuilding challenges facing Liberia. The PBC country configuration for Liberia — with its approximately 40 member States — offers support based on the statement of mutual commitments, and in close collaboration with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL). The Liberian Agenda for Transformation, together with the Government’s commitment to the New Deal for Engagement in Fragile States, and the forthcoming compact, provide focus on State- and peacebuilding goals with which the statement of mutual commitments should be aligned. In line with the Council’s request to the PBC in resolution 2066 (2012), I will first discuss how progress can be accelerated on national reconciliation, and then on the security sector and rule of law. After that, I will make some remarks on other peacebuilding challenges. National reconciliation is recognized as a core peacebuilding priority and a critical component of Liberia’s Agenda for Transformation. This includes mending relations between the State and society and among communities and individuals. Ten years after the civil war ended, Liberia needs to deal with those issues and embark on the reconciliation process without further delay. The PBC has interacted frequently and continuously with the responsible Minister and other actors to support implementation. Since March, when I touched upon that issue in my briefing to the Council (see S/PV.6941), only limited progress has been made. As I said then, this is an area where there is a need for leadership and resolve. The time has now come for the Government to translate its political commitment into a priority for implementation and action. The activities contained in the National Reconciliation Road Map are ready, the Road Map has been launched, the roles and responsibilities are clarified, and the activities should be implemented in an inclusive and coordinated manner without further delay. The Government has the primary responsibility for financing the reconciliation process. While funds allocated in last year’s budget were widely recognized as an important commitment, they were for the most part not released and implementation was delayed. Translating the commitment into action, including appropriate levels of funding in the national budget and releasing the necessary funds, would represent an important signal to the Liberian people and the international community. I welcome the preparedness of United Nations agencies to support the reconciliation process and Government efforts. United Nations agencies, such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UNICEF and UN-Women, have allocated funds to important aspects, such as the Palava Hut process, and the Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) is providing flexible financing. Bilateral partners should do the same, on the basis of an effectively managed, coordinated and implemented National Reconciliation Road Map. On security sector reform and the rule of law, the challenges are considerable. With a view to ensuring a seamless UNMIL transition, accelerating progress is vital. Next week, I will have the opportunity to take part in the security sector reform retreat in Monrovia, mentioned by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General. As pointed out in the report of the Secretary-General (S/2013/479), a lack of Liberian police capacity, mobility, professional management and limited resources hampers the necessary progress required to keep step with the UNMIL transition. Also in terms of numbers, police strength has increased only marginally, as detailed by Special Representative Landgren. Progress in reforming and strengthening the judiciary has also been slow. However, the appointment of a new Chief Justice of the Supreme Court presents an opportunity to press ahead and accelerate progress. We should make sure that this opportunity is fully supported and utilized. The responsibility for speeding up progress in justice and security is shared among all of us. But first and foremost, the Government’s commitment is key when it comes to reforms, implementation, the allocation of sufficient resources and ensuring the timely disbursement of allocated funds. To accelerate progress, the Government’s efforts in those areas need to be stepped up. The United Nations system has an important supportive role to play. The PBC fully supports the efforts of UNMIL in all aspects. The creative approaches used by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and UNMIL to fill specialized police posts are useful examples of how different United Nations tools can be used to strengthen the Organization’s work on the ground. The United Nations system needs to perform effectively the tasks that it takes upon itself, including “Delivering as one”, providing programme support and managing funding mechanisms. The independent review of the justice and security joint programme, including the trust fund, should offer a basis for strengthening such mechanisms. UNDP has proposed measures aimed at improving its contribution, in particular in the programming support and management of the trust fund. The security sector reform retreat next week will offer an opportunity for the United Nations system and bilateral partners to consult with the Government on rapid implementation. The PBC is prepared to do what we can to support the Government’s efforts in the marshalling of resources for justice and security. But such efforts will be difficult if the Government’s budget commitment for the sector is perceived as insufficient, if funds are not being released, if the funding mechanisms are not working effectively and if the justice and security hubs are not providing services as expected. Support from partners is more likely to increase when concrete goals and benchmarks are in place and clearly communicated, when funding mechanisms are effectively managed, when there is an efficiently operating joint programme for implementation and the setting of priorities and when progress is accelerating. The holistic context of a coordinated programme will also be necessary to facilitate the provision of justice- and security-related services around the country. The first hub, in Gbarnga, is providing services and has an impact in a number of key areas, but it is still not functioning at the expected level of full operationality. As I now understand it, the court will be inaugurated only towards the end of the year. The repeated delays are troubling and, for the coming hubs, lessons must be learned and applied. For the second and third hubs, the intention is still to inaugurate and celebrate the delivery of services in the second quarter of 2014. For that to be possible, UNDP and the United Nations Office for Project Services, as implementing partners, must do their part, together with the Government, and thus show how the hub concept can be effectively implemented. That will also make partners more willing to give the support needed for the full implementation of the five planned justice and security hubs throughout Liberia. Let me now move on to some other peacebuilding challenges. On gender-related issues, Liberian grass roots groups and civil society have played a strong and constructive role, and continue to do so. That role is even more important in view of the widespread sexual and gender-based violence, including against children, and the shortcomings in taking legal action against perpetrators. In line with resolution 2106 (2013), efforts need to be stepped up, in terms of both specific gender- focused activities and actions to reform and strengthen the criminal justice system.. I am pleased to note that the proposal for PBF funding in Liberia for the coming years includes an increased allocation for gender-focused activities, which would appropriately leave us with a funding level considerably above the 15 per cent target set by the Secretary-General. In upcoming PBC visits and in close cooperation with UNMIL and UN-Women, I will continue the dialogue with the Minister of Gender on those issues, as well as with civil society organizations. Women’s organizations and civil society actively participated in the high-level meeting initiated by the United Nations Office for West Africa (UNOWA) held in Dakar at the end of June, on a subregional strategy for the Mano River Union. I salute UNOWA and Special Representative of the Secretary-General Djinnit on that initiative. Strengthening the Mano River Union and the strategy, taking into account security and development, is an important contribution to conflict prevention and peacebuilding. We should all consider ways to lend our support. As mentioned in the report of the Secretary- General, there are concerns about a lack of oversight, revenue issues and corruption related to land and natural resources. During the most recent PBC visit to Liberia, in May, I had an opportunity to participate in a conference on the topic, which was arranged by civil society, with active Government and business participation. This is an issue where civil society plays an important role, and the conference offered a constructive opportunity for a frank and open dialogue. The Government of Liberia has expressed its intention to fight corruption. Some actions have been taken, but progress remains slow. Further actions should be encouraged, measures should be implemented, oversight strengthened, perpetrators taken to court and those guilty held responsible. The international community needs to strengthen its coordinated support to Liberia in this area. I am pleased to note that the Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO) is currently considering a PBF contribution aimed at promoting concerted action by the World Bank, the African Development Bank, bilateral partners and the United Nations in support of Liberia in conflict-sensitive and sustainable land and natural resources management. Indeed, the PBF could be more proactively employed to promote such cooperation among the international financial institutions and the United Nations system in other areas as well. I will continue to make that point in my discussions with the PBSO and with the relevant actors in Liberia. The PBC welcomes the inclusion of the concepts of fragility and peacebuilding in the strategies for Liberia recently adopted by the World Bank and the African Development Bank. It will be essential to maintain that fragility perspective in the implementation of the strategies. During the PBC visit to Liberia next week, I intend to continue the dialogue with the international financial institutions on how we can best work together to ensure synergies and mutual support. The PBC visit next week will focus on security sector reform and national reconciliation. I will also consult with the Government and partners on how we can best support Government efforts on resource mobilization. In preparing for the visit, I welcome input, and I am, as always, available for consultations. The visit should provide a basis for accelerated progress on key peacebuilding challenges and guide the support of the PBC on justice, security, reconciliation, gender issues, land issues and natural resources.

I thank Mr. Tillander for his briefing I now give the floor to the representative of Liberia.

Allow me, at the outset, to express my Government’s deep appreciation to the Security Council for its consistent support to the maintenance of peace in Liberia. It is a privilege for me to bring my Government’s perspective to today’s important discussion on the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), which has been convened under the presidency of Australia. The Government of Liberia is also grateful to its many bilateral partners, some of which are represented in the Council, for their continued valuable support to Liberia’s development. The twenty-sixth progress report of the Secretary- General (S/2013/479) on UNMIL presents a succinct overview of the prevailing political, socioeconomic and security situation in Liberia at this critical juncture in the transition process. I wish to commend the Secretary- General for his report, which, in our view, brings out in a cogent manner the progress that has been achieved and the challenges that still lie ahead. In the same vein, I would also like to thank Special Representative of the Secretary-General Karin Landgren and Ambassador Staffan Tillander for their statements and the useful observations they put forward. I join them in emphasizing that, while Liberia has the primary responsibility for shaping its future, the continued support and partnership of the donor community are indispensable to success. Last month, on 18 August, Liberia celebrated 10 years of uninterrupted peace and stability under the theme “Never again to war”. Indeed, the past 10 years have seen determined efforts to consolidate peace by promoting reconciliation, building democratic institutions, initiating reforms across all sectors and pursuing development. The commemoration of that national milestone provided an opportunity for all Liberians to reaffirm their commitment to peace, security and development. The Secretary-General’s report correctly describes the security situation in Liberia as stable but fragile. That means that Liberia and its partners must focus concerted efforts on reducing the level of fragility. It is in consideration of that imperative that the Liberian Government and UNMIL conducted an extensive transition planning process, which resulted in a responsible road map for the reconfiguration of UNMIL, which the Council endorsed in 2012 in resolution 2066 (2012). The resolution provides for a phased reconfiguration of the UNMIL presence in Liberia over a three-year period. It is the assessment of the Liberian Government that the first year of the implementation of UNMIL’s transition road map has proceeded according to plan. The process also brought into focus the realistic challenges of post-conflict development and the resource and capacity gaps to be bridged in achieving our agenda for transformation. The Liberia National Police (LNP) serves as the lead agency in the implementation of the tasks assigned by the road map. Over the past months, the LNP has taken over the duties and areas of responsibility transferred to the Government by UNMIL. However, personnel and logistics constraints remain huge challenges for the LNP. Training is a vital component of the transition and an important means of building capacity. Acute financial shortfalls linked to unmet revenue projections have hampered the optimal use of facilities at the National Training Academy, making it difficult to meet the timeline for the deployment of police and immigration personnel. Notwithstanding those initial setbacks, the Government of Liberia remains firmly committed to the road map as agreed. In that regard, I hasten to mention that the LNP and the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization concluded plans to expand their capacity and have undertaken vetting exercises to increase their forces in the next three years. In furtherance of the transition plan, the Government of Liberia is appropriating in its 2013/2014 budget an amount of about $10 million for the security and justice sectors. The Government will continue to seek avenues for additional support through the budgetary process and from its partners. The Government of Liberia remains committed to the implementation of the 2011 Security Reform and Intelligence Act, which calls for the rationalization of security agencies, including the National Bureau of Investigation and the Ministry of National Security. The Act is being implemented in stages. Here again separate allocations have been incorporated into the 2013/14 budget to provide severance pay for employees who will be laid off; retirement benefits and pensions, through the Civil Service Agency, for employees that have reached the age of retirement; and for the redeployment of some employees to other agencies. Access to justice is a fundamental human right. It underpins the initiative to reform the judicial and criminal justice systems so that they become more accessible and affordable. That is why the Government values highly its engagement with the Peacebuilding Commission and its critical support for the establishment of five justice and security hubs in the various counties, only one of which has been constructed thus far. Those hubs, when completed, will facilitate access to justice by Liberians in the rural areas; the decentralization of justice and security institutions; and the reinforcement of civil administration in the various counties. The Government has recommitted itself to adequately supporting and sustaining hub operations. The Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) have been undergoing robust tactical and technical training to protect the territorial integrity of the country. The AFL is positioning itself to assist the civil administration in specific support missions when required and preparing to participate in regional and international peace initiatives when so ordered. The Government of Liberia recognizes the full support provided by the United States Government to date in assisting the AFL in its efforts to prepare itself. Currently, an enhanced platoon from the AFL is serving in the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali. We are seeing the positive effect of collaboration between the military and security forces of Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia in monitoring activities along their common border. The Government intends to increase the personnel capacity and capability of the Liberian Coast Guard to address transnational crimes and illicit activities in our territorial waters. Again, the Liberian Government wishes to thank the United States Government for its generosity in building the capacity of the Liberian Coast Guard. The Government is aware of the potential risk of conflict resulting from any improper handling of land rights and the management of our natural resources. The Government will continue to fully engage all stakeholders of various communities in the decision-making process where there is potential for investment in the development of our natural resources. Finally, Liberia remains grateful to the United Nations, especially UNMIL, and to the wider international community for the crucial role that they continue to play in preserving peace and stability in Liberia. My Government is committed to continuing its collaboration with UNMIL and other stakeholders in ensuring the timely and full implementation of the transition plan. We believe that the transition plan has been carefully calibrated to take into account the resources and capabilities of the Liberian Government as well as the challenges of reconciliation and healing. Any initiative aimed at accelerating or fast-tracking the transition process could have a destabilizing effect and undermine the gains already made. We support the recommendation of the Secretary-General for the extension of the mandate of UNMIL for a further year and urge the Council fully to endorse it.

There are no more names inscribed on the list of speakers. I now invite members to informal consultations to continue our discussion on the subject.