Women’s NGO Secretariat of Liberia (WONGOSOL) in collaborations with the Liberia Future Trust (LIFT) supported by Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) and Conciliation Resources has ended a brainstorming engagement with stakeholders on the implementation of the TRC Recommendation.
The engagement held Friday, December 17, 2021, brought together several participants from different women-led organizations across Montserrado County under the theme: Implementation of TRC Recommendations to break barriers and circle of impunity by establishing war crime Crime’s Court.
The TRC recommendation contains major findings on the root causes of the 14-year Liberian civil conflict, its impact on women, children and the generality of the Liberian society; responsibility for the massive commission of Gross Human Rights Violations (GHRV), and violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), International Human Rights Law (IHRL) as well as Egregious Domestic Law Violations (EDLV).
The report also determined and recommended that Criminal Prosecution for these violations, Reparations, and a “Palava Hut” Forum is necessary and desirable to redress impunity, promote peace, justice, security, unity, and genuine national reconciliation.
The TRC was agreed upon in the August 2003 Comprehensive Peace Agreement in Accra, Ghana, created by the TRC Act of 2005.
The TRC was established to “promote national peace, security, unity and reconciliation,” and at the same time make it possible to hold perpetrators accountable for gross human rights violations and violations of international humanitarian law that occurred in Liberia between January 1979 and October 2003.
Speaking at the start of the occasion, Madam, Berthee Forbpabeo, project officer of WONGOSOL said the organization is currently implementing a project intended to “Enhance Women’s Meaningful Participation in National Advocacy for Accountability for War Crimes in Liberia”.
She emphasized that WONGOSOL in implementing projects in six counties: Lofa, Nimba, Bong, Bomi, Montserrado, and Grand Bassa respectively, will empower women who were affected greatly to advocate in their districts and counties for lawmakers to enact into law a bill for the establishment of the court.
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She noted that too many women are living with bullets in their bodies, and the establishment of the war crimes court will allow them to explain their stories, which would be documented.
According to her, WONGOSOL is partnering with seven local civil society organizations in these counties, providing intensive training to enhance the participation of local women in the advocacy to ensure that those who committed human rights are brought to book.
She said a war crimes court will serve as a deterrent for would-be human rights abusers to rethink themselves before engaging in any act of war in Liberia in the future.https://thenewdawnliberia.com/wongosol-pushes-bill-on-women-leadership/ Editing by Jonathan Browne
