Human Rights Outfit Holds Civil Society Workshop on TRC Follow-up in Liberia

News

Paul James-Allen, Monrovia

As the Liberia Truth Reconciliation Commission (TRC) mandate draws to a close, the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission (JPC), Foundation for International Dignity (FIND), Talking Drum Studios and the Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG) are hosting a two-day conference to discuss follow-up to the TRC process on Thursday, February 19 and Friday, Feburary 20, 2009 at the P.A. Ribhouse Conference Center, Lakpase, Monrovia. 

The conference will bring together 60 civil society, governmental and international participants to discuss the status and prospects of the TRC process, map-out strategies on how best to monitor and advocate for the implementation of any TRC final recommendations, and brainstorm on other peacebuilding and reconciliation initiatives that need to be pursued.

The conference is part of a series of events and projects initiated by the organizers in May 2008 in an effort to be prepared to respond to the transitional justice needs of Liberia once the TRC process is complete. The TRC is mandated to proffer recommendations on important transitional justice approaches such as prosecution, reparation and memorialisation when its mandate expires in June 2009.

The  TRC mandate says the Independent National Human Rights Commission (INHRC), which has not yet been fully established, is then to carry-out the responsibility of ensuring and monitoring the implementation of TRC recommendations.Civil society and the moral guarantors of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) are also mandated to monitor and campaign for the implementation of these recommendations.

The conference is being organized with funding and technical support from the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) and Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA).

Editor @ February 19, 2009