OHCHR, partners conduct conflict-sensitive election reporting training for media practitioners, human rights officers and CSO

Over 36 persons including journalists, human rights officers, elections workers as well as CSO from Bomi, Grand Cape Mount and Gbapolu Counties participated in the first phase of series of regional training on conflict-sensitive and human rights-based approaches on Election Reporting in Tubmanburg, Bomi County. Approximately 144 persons are expected to participate in the nationwide training on conflict-sensitive and human rights-based approaches on Election Reporting. 

According to Atty. Roosevelt Jayjay, OHCHR human rights officer, the training is a Peacebuilding Fund project on election to promote peaceful electoral environment and community security in Liberia, it is held under the theme: “Promoting Human Rights and Peaceful Environment” organized by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human rights (OHCHR) in collaboration with the Press Union of Liberia (PUL), National Elections Commission (NEC) and the Independent National Commission on Human Rights (INCHR). 

Atty. Jayjay also told participants that the UN OHCHR project aims to address the most prominent and underfunded potential triggers of violence and to strengthen response mechanisms so as to make more inclusive, more effective and better coordination, with a view to reducing the likelihood and intensity of violent conflict related to the electoral issues during and after 2023 elections.

He informed participants that the project is in line with Liberia’s International Human Rights obligation and pillars 3 & 4 of the government’s medium-term Development, the pro–poor agenda for prosperity and Development, through its notable priority on promoting inclusive and peaceful elections, which pounds a well- developed framework for sustaining peace, formulated in accordance with Security Council Resolution 2333 of 2016.

Atty. Jayjay added, “The project will support peaceful electoral environment through interventions on conflict prevention and mitigation of widespread insecurity, human rights violation and electoral violence before, during and after the 2023 elections”.

He stressed that the project supports a response to actual and procured triggers of electoral violence by consolidating the early warning and early response mechanism; mainstreaming human rights, gender and youth–based intervention, mainly at grassroots level.

“To promote Human Rights and peaceful electoral environment, the project will implement series of activities and one of these activities is to train media practitioners on conflict-sensitive and human rights-based approaches to election reporting.

The UN Human Rights officer observed that the overall outcome of the program will be a more inclusive, coordinated and effective early warning system and inclusive dialogue at community and political level to reduce violence.

Speaking on behalf of the OHCHR Country Representative, Mr. Uchenna Emelonye, Mr. David Dolo informed participants that the training was one of OHCHR’s ways of helping the Liberian Government fulfill it human rights obligation and ensure that human rights is mainstreamed in all activities of the government.

Mr. Dolo observed that the importance of elections reporting cannot be overemphasized and described the process that leads to elections as competitive and emotional, that, when not managed well could lead to conflict.

“This is why the OHCHR sees it fit to train you in conflict-sensitive reporting on elections,” Mr. Dolo said.

The UN Human Rights officer called on participants to take advantage of the training to improve their skills on reporting on election-sensitive issues.