[allAfrica.com]  [Gede_Foundation_Dinner_September_19]


Top UN Envoy Calls For Sufficient Personnel And Funds To Resurrect Liberia

United Nations (NewYork)
DOCUMENT
September 16, 2003
Posted to the web September 16, 2003
New York
Seeking 15,000 United Nations peacekeepers and 900 police to bring war-
shattered Liberia back from "hellish limbo," the top UN envoy for the West
African country appealed to the international committee today to commit the
resources and personnel needed to end the "cycle of brutality, violence,
corruption and instability."
"Give us the mandate and the tools and I assure you we will do what is just and
what is right," Jacques Paul Klein, Secretary-General Kofi Annan's Special
Representative, told the Security Council in an open briefing, presenting Mr.
Annan's first report since the 15-member body last month authorized a
multinational force for Liberia and declared its readiness to set up a follow-
on UN stabilization force.
"This effort will require dramatic, engaged and bold solutions," Mr. Klein
said, stressing that the force must be credible, well-trained and fully
equipped and that adequate and secure financing was critical to resurrect a
country "held hostage by armed drugged thugs" who destroyed the state and
engulfed the region in chaos.
"These efforts, if successful, will transform Liberia from a failed state of
war with itself to a nation at peace," he added, recalling the country's last
12 years of living at the "whim of warlords, exploited by a criminal
kleptocracy," suffering "fearful economic waste" and the "untimely death of no
small part of the population."
"Despite the multitude of challenges facing us, there is room for hope," Mr.
Klein declared. "Progress can be made but it will be expensive, arduous and at
times frustrating."
Outlining the tasks ahead, Mr. Klein listed disarmament, demobilization and
reintegration of all ex-combatants, 79 per cent of whom are child soldiers
"coerced [and] psychologically traumatized," reform of the police, justice and
prison system to instil confidence in the population, and humanitarian
assistance.
He said he planned to call an international donors conference, if the Council
approves the mandate, to help a country where three-quarters of the population
lives below the poverty line, 85 per cent are unemployed and many thousands do
not have access to life's basic necessities of shelter, water, food or even
rudimentary medical care.
In his report, Mr. Annan asked the Council to authorize the deployment of a
multidimensional peacekeeping operation, to be called the UN Mission in Liberia
(UNMIL), with a mandate to support the transitional government set up under a
recent peace agreement between the factions, provide security, assist the
return of refugees and help in demobilization and civil reform, among other
things, leading to free and fair elections by October 2005.
TEXT: Briefing to the Security Council by Jacques Paul Klein, Special
Representative of the Secretary-General for Liberia - New York
Monsieur le Président, Messieurs (Mesdames) les Représentants Permanents,
Messieurs, Mesdames,
C'est un honneur pour moi que de vous présenter, aujourd'hui, le premier
Rapport du Secrétaire général en ma capacité de Représentant spécial du
Secrétaire général et Coordinateur des opérations des Nations Unies au Libéria.
Au moment où la communauté internationale examine de près le rôle joué et les
résultats obtenus par les Nations Unies dans la résolution des conflits de part
le monde, j'espère que la situation qui prévaut au Libéria continuera à
mobiliser une attention et un engagement soutenus sur le plan international.
C'est dans cet esprit, et sous réserve d'être approuvées par les membres de ce
Conseil, que les recommandations contenues dans le présent rapport, en vue
notamment de la mise en place d'une Mission des Nations Unies au Libéria, ont
été formulées.
Liberia's massive humanitarian and political crisis calls for immediate
intervention. Thousands of its citizens do not have access to life's basic
necessities of shelter, water, food or even rudimentary medical care. Their
suffering echoes the words of the scriptures - " Eloi, Eloi, lamma sabacthani!
My God, my God why hast Thou forsaken us".
For the past twelve years they have lived in hellish limbo, suffering at the
whim of warlords and despots, exploited by a criminal kleptocracy without help
or relief in sight. Their lives and their country are held hostage by armed
drugged thugs who destroy the state and engulfed the region in chaos. The
ravages of self-centred political and criminal ideologies spread the conflict
beyond Liberia's borders and caused enormous suffering and havoc in the
neighbouring states.
It is hard to assess the psychological effects of these crimes against justice
and humanity. The matter becomes more complex when we think of it as something
which a nation has absorbed into its very being - a sort of virus which,
through channels of circulation - has infected the entire body politic. The
result - the fearful economic waste; the untimely death of no small part of the
population; a measure of terror and pain that can only be partially conceived
and estimated; and the collective national consciousness of having been witness
to enormous crimes.
This is a fearful legacy to be left to future generations. Life becomes cheap;
nothing is absolutely safe or sure; deeds of injustice and violence become
common facts in daily life; and there is the ever-present fear of imminent war.
Events however revolting, are soon forgotten in our often-tempo centric world.
"Bernard Shaw wrote that the worst sin toward our fellow man is not to hate
them, but to be indifferent to them - that is the essence of inhumanity.
The decent and good people of Liberia, and there are many of them, deserve
better from us. Liberia was a founding member of the United Nations. It played
a key and critical role in the fight against fascism - Roberts field was built
as an entrepot for allied aircraft transiting to Europe; Liberia also produced
the majority of the free world's rubber supplies that ensured allied victory
after the plantations of Southeast Asia were overrun. Time and again when
Liberia was called upon for help or assistance, it gave - does it deserve no
less now that they need our help?
Today Liberia is not even listed on the UNDP human development index. Seventy-
five percent of its citizens are living below the poverty line; the
unemployment rate is eighty-five percent; literacy is at thirty-eight percent;
fifty percent of the population is under fifteen years of age. Added to this is
that seventy percent of the belligerents are child soldiers, coerced,
psychologically traumatized, manipulated and exploited by self-appointed
military leaders. We have a phenomenon not known elsewhere in the world where
the younger population is less well educated than their parents.
We have an obligation to assist in putting an end to this cycle of brutality,
violence, corruption and instability that has destroyed the social fabric of
society and has also spilled over the borders of Liberia and profoundly
affected the region. This effort will require dramatic, engaged and bold
solutions. Liberia and the region need to be stabilized and brought into a
larger African framework where it can be given the political support, the
encouragement and mentoring required to help it become a stable and self-
sustaining member of Africa and the international community.
The first steps have already been taken. We need to pay a special tribute to
the courage and diligence of President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, Nigerian
Foreign Minister Olugemi Adeniji, Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas, General Abdulsalami
Abubakar and to the staff who supported the recent peace talks in Ghana. ECOWAS
has played the lead role in creating the conditions for peace in Liberia.
Through concerted political action and the commitment of troops, ECOWAS has
underscored its importance and its energy as the regional organization
committed to ensuring peace, stability and development in West Africa.
To build on the efforts of ECOWAS, the international community must make a
strong commitment, now, to Liberia. From disarmament, demobilization and
reintegration, establishing a safe and secure environment for refugee return;
addressing law and order issues; gender issues; seriously attacking cross-
border criminal activities. These efforts if successful will transform Liberia
from a failed state at war with itself to a nation at peace. Despite the
multitude of challenges facing us, there is room for hope. Progress can be made
but it will be expensive, arduous and at times frustrating. At a time of many
calls on the attention and resources of the international community, it is
necessary to plan next steps not only in Liberia but also in the context of the
region on the basis of objective analysis.
We cannot be timid and handicap ourselves from the outset of this enterprise,
as we did in Sierra Leone. The international community must be prepared to
commit the resources and the personnel needed to help the people of Liberia
rebuild their country. And, whilst the international community must provide the
resources, this must also be a partnership with the citizens of Liberia for
they ultimately have the responsibility for ending the conflict and healing and
rebuilding their nation.
An essential part of the healing and rebuilding process is the bringing to
justice of those who have committed violations of international law. Without
justice, there can be no healing. Without justice, those who believe that they
can act with impunity will be tempted to do so again. Without justice, Liberia
cannot bring to closure this dark past and look to a brighter future.
Ultimately, until you punish the guilty, you cannot absolve the innocent.
During 24-29 August I met with President Laurent Gbagbo of Cote d'Ivoire,
President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah of Sierra Leone and Prime Minister Lamine Sidime
of Guinea and members of the diplomatic community, the Commander of the French
Forces in Cote d'Ivoire, the Prosecutor of the Special Court for Sierra Leone
and United Nations officials.
On 1 September in Monrovia I met with President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria
and his Foreign Minister Oluyemi Adeniji. In my meetings all pledged their
support and full cooperation with UNMIL and stressed the need for regional
cooperation. It is this cooperation that is crucial if United Nations efforts
in Liberia and the region are to be successful.
I turn now to the work facing UNMIL. The Secretary-General's report which is
before you (S/2003/875) details key elements that are required if this mission
is to achieve its mandate.
SECURITY
I must commend the rapid deployment of ECOMIL to Liberia, and take this
opportunity to salute the troops from Nigeria, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, Mali,
Ghana, Benin and Togo in the highly visible and volatile situation that they
originally faced. Subsequent to the deployment of ECOMIL with support from the
off shore assets of the United States, stability has begun to be restored in
and around Monrovia. Clearly, however, much more remains to be done.
The multi-national force that is now presently in Liberia, with your approval,
will be replaced by a United Nations Force on 1 October. This UN Force must be
credible, well trained and fully equipped. Its leadership must be focused,
impartial and experienced and professional. Without these ingredients the
mission will be in jeopardy. Troops will be asked to carry out extremely
difficult tasks such as securing the capital and other major towns, ensuring
combatants respect the Peace Agreement, monitoring the borders, establishing
cantonment sites for disarmament, overseeing demobilization and ensuring that a
safe and secure environment is established for all members of the Liberian
population. Therefore, well-led, trained and equipped forces can make the
difference between success and failure, between peace and chaos.
DISARMAMENT, DEMOBILIZATION AND REINTEGRATION
One of the major challenges facing us will be the Disarmament, Demobilization
and Reintegration of all ex-combatants. United Nations experience in Liberia,
Sierra Leone, Cote d' Ivoire, the Congo and Mozambique should serve as lessons
learned. Firstly, there cannot be disarmament and demobilization without
integration, rehabilitation and reinsertion into society.
Therefore, it must be stressed, adequate and secure financing for the programme
is critical and must include the maintenance of cantonment sites, supporting
ex-combatants and their families during the process, and providing alternative
means of vocational training, employment and education. In this respect,
particular attention must be focused on:
a) Child ex-combatants who face greater difficulty in re-entering civil society
and will require special assistance in compliance with the UN Convention on the
Rights of the Child. This assistance will focus on family reunification along
with special medical, shelter, and education and technical assistance
facilitated by UNICEF and other child protection agencies until such time as
they can be safely reintegrated into civil society;
b) Female ex-combatants also face difficulties. They need to receive
specialized medical treatment, shelter, education and re-training and
counseling assistance; and
c) The medical rehabilitation of all ex-combatants will be required. Those with
physical disabilities must be given high priority assistance. It should also be
noted that most of the ex-combatants have neither completed formal education
nor have they acquired the necessary technical skills to compete in the
economic development of Liberia. Without the prospect of participating in the
economic life of the country, most of the ex-combatants will revert to criminal
activities to sustain a livelihood. It is crucial that programmes be created to
ensure that ex-combatants have a fair chance to secure employment or
educational opportunities if they are to be peacefully reintegrated into
Liberian society.
RULE OF LAW AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Police Reform
One of the yardsticks by which UNMIL's ultimate success will be measured is its
contribution to reforming and restructuring the criminal justice system to
better reflect the communities they serve and to provide confidence for
returnees. I have placed a high priority on this process.
In all of these endeavors our focus is to ensure that police performance meets
international standards of policing and human rights. This requires co-location
of CIVPOL officers with local police for the purpose of monitoring and
mentoring. But the key to self-sustaining police reform is professional
training. We will institute the essential programmes of human dignity and
transitional courses and basic and specialized courses such as leadership,
management, community policing, firearms and traffic training. Our aim will be
to create an effective educational infrastructure within one year so that the
local police can become self-sustaining in their training programmes, thus
freeing up our resources for the more extensive programme of co-location.
Judicial Reform
We will also work to ensure objectivity in the judicial system that has been
rendered dysfunctional through political intimidation and lack of resources. As
I have said often, if police reform is not accompanied by judicial reform, it
is like trying to clap with only one hand. This is a bitter lesson learned from
my last two missions. Those entrusted with this programme and the new Judicial
Review process, must be competent professionals who have the confidence and
trust of the local judicial community. The overall management of judicial
reform and review remains the responsibility of the National Transitional
Government of Liberia (NTGL) with assistance provided by expert international
organizations, under the lead of the United Nations through the expertise and
resources of the United Nations Development Programme.
Until citizens know and believe that the courts are truly independent bodies
with enforceable decisions, with an effective police force trained to
international standards of policing and human rights, only then can there be a
guarantee of the rule of law.
Corrections
UNMIL will, in partnership with the (NTGL), provide substantive assistance in
areas related to the prison system, and will center its efforts on: prison
reform, training and development of prison service personnel. This will
naturally include monitoring functions to ensure international standards of
human rights are protected and ingrained.
A team of correctional system experts will provide assistance, advice and
mentoring support to regional institutional and headquarters prison personnel,
including administration, human resources and finance, and the Ministry of
Justice. As with Police reform, prison reform will entail co-location and
monitoring in the prisons and the headquarters with their national
counterparts. Also necessary and key to the reform and development of the
prison system will be the redevelopment of a national training capacity. This
reform of the criminal justice system will not come cheap.
To accomplish these objectives funding of civil institutions is crucial.
Therefore, should the Council approve this mandate, I propose to call a
conference of potential donors and seek international assistance for the reform
and development of civil institutions. These activities will encompass tasks
ranging from basic training for civil servants to the provision of essential
equipment and infrastructure. I also intend to seek funding for the salaries of
civil servants to bridge the interim period until the Liberian Government is
able to collect revenue to support its activities. The prompt payment of
salaries is a key element in building professionalism and discouraging public
employees from seeking bribes to supplement their incomes.
HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE
I have witnessed first hand that Liberia's conflict has resulted in a
humanitarian catastrophe impacting not only on Liberians but refugees from
Sierra Leone and the Ivory Coast.
What I also can state is that emergency programmes are beginning to resurface
to help alleviate this crisis. As mentioned in the Secretary-General's Report
Ms. Carolyn McAskie Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator and Humanitarian Envoy
for the crisis in Cote d'Ivoire and the United Nations Country Team to Monrovia
and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the Red Cross movement are
providing emergency interventions, particularly in the food, health, nutrition,
water and sanitation, education and protection sectors. Those now engaged in
these efforts include: the World Food Programme (WFP) and its partners , The
World Health Organization (WHO); the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and other health agencies; and
the ICRC. UNHCR has re-started its operations. It is assisting refugees from
Sierra Leone and the Ivory Coast to return to their places of origin.
In addition, humanitarian agencies began relocating IDPs in Monrovia to the
camps in Montserrado County on 11 September. Several thousand IDPs in temporary
settlements will be assisted to return to their previous camps where they will
continue to receive assistance and protection. Priority is being given to IDPs
occupying school buildings in order to enable children to return to school by
mid October.
In the last few weeks the UN Special Humanitarian Coordinator, Mr. Ross
Mountain and I have engaged in negotiations with the authorities in the
neighbouring countries, as well as the Liberian parties to secure their
cooperation in facilitating cross-border humanitarian operations to various
parts of Liberia. On 12 September, a 15-member inter-agency team including UN
Agencies and NGOs undertook a 3-day mission to Harper, on the southern border
with Sierra Leone. The mission, which was undertaken by boat, has paved the way
for re-establishing relief programmes in the area and for initiating cross-
border activities, particularly for refugees on the Sierra Leone border.
To ensure a coordinated and effective response to humanitarian assistance
proper funding is critical. To date donors have been generous in providing
start-up resources for life-saving activities, but more is still required to
ensure sustainability in all these programmes. I am particularly pleased that a
Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal for 2004 will be launched at the end of the
year.
In sum, a well-planed, coordinated and funded humanitarian programme is a
crucial requirement in order for sustained development and peace to flourish in
Liberia and give its citizens hope for a productive future. The peace process
deserves no less.
Allow me to address the issue of human rights. UNMIL, as an integrated mission
will encourage and coordinate international protection efforts and the
promotion of human rights in Liberia. I will give priority to the improvement
of the human rights situation and the protection of civilians, especially women
and children. I assure this Council that human rights protection will include
monitoring and publicly reporting on the current situation in this regard.
Distinguished Representatives,
L'avenir du Libéria et de son peuple se trouve à présent entre les mains des
membres du Conseil. Le rôle et les objectifs que je viens de présenter pour une
mission de l'ONU au Libéria requièrent une mise à disposition de ressources
adéquates et l'expression d'un soutien continu de la part du Conseil de
sécurité. Si nous voulons le succès de cette mission, il est impératif que les
Etats membres fassent montre de leur volonté de nous octroyer le mandat et les
ressources nécessaires pour réaliser nos objectifs. Dans le même temps, il est
essentiel que le peuple du Libéria reconnaisse et accepte sa responsabilité
première dans le développement de sa nation. Cette opération se doit d'être un
réel partenariat qui permettra au Libéria de s'engager dans la bonne voie et de
faire en sorte que, plus jamais, ses habitants ne soient les victimes de
seigneurs de la guerre et que son territoire cesse d'être un refuge pour ceux
qui cherchent à déstabiliser la région.
The people of Liberia deserve better. The international community, in
partnership with Liberia, must rise to the challenge.
As my Alsatian countryman, Albert Schweitzer wrote many years ago: "We are not
free to choose whether we will or will not do the right thing in Africa-we owe
it to them. The good, which we do, is not an act of charity- indeed after we've
done everything there is in our power to do- we shall have repaid only a small
part of the mistakes committed against them in the past".
Thank you.

   

  ===============================================================================
 Copyright © 2003 United Nations. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica
                          Global Media (allAfrica.com).
  ===============================================================================