Monrovia — Members of Liberia’s civil society organizations are calling on the government to adopt the new Human Rights Defenders framework policy documents aimed at fostering the advancement and protection of human rights defenders across the country.
By J.H. Webster Clayeh – websterclayeh@frontpageafricaonline.com
The endorsement took place on Monday, May 11, in Monrovia under the banner of the Liberia Coalition of Human Rights Defenders, a grouping of several civil society institutions.
Speaking after the endorsement ceremony, rights activist Adama K. Dempster, Secretary General of the Human Rights Advocacy Platform of Liberia, said the work of human rights defenders must be backed by legal protections.
“The adoption of the National Human Rights Defender Policy of Liberia is the way to go; we encourage the government, and we call on the government to do this without any further delay,” Mr. Dempster said.
He added, “Those who work on human rights-related matters, there have to be laws that will protect them.”
Mr. Dempster explained that despite years of human rights advocacy in Liberia, there has never been a specific law protecting human rights defenders.
“We have seen in the past, though talking to human rights campaigners, activists, some of them went to jails, some of them were taken to courts, and there has been no law to protect them,” he said.
He noted that Liberia’s status as a signatory to the 1998 Human Rights Defenders Declaration places responsibility on the government to establish legal and policy protections.
“Moving forward, in this dispensation, we thought that since Liberia is a member and signatory to the Human Rights Defenders declaration that was adopted in 1998, it is on the government’s shoulders, it is the responsibility of the government to draft laws and put policies into place that will protect all human rights defenders,” Mr. Dempster stated.
Mr. Dempster emphasized that the protection of defenders extends beyond Monrovia and includes activists and whistleblowers operating in rural counties and concession communities.
“It is about protecting human rights defenders and whistle-blowers who are working in those counties including those concession communities, and when they are reporting, they will not face any threat or any kind of reprisals when they are doing their work,” he said.
Also speaking to journalists, Salia I. Sheriff of Green Advocates International said the organization’s work is deeply connected to grassroots communities.
According to Mr. Sheriff, grassroots defenders from across the country participated in the validation of the policy documents.
“The grassroots defenders are fully aware of this policy; they are fully aware of all the different actions about this policy,” Mr. Sheriff said.
He pointed out that one of the key protection mechanisms within the policy is community-centered.
“One of the protection mechanisms of this policy is directly linked with grassroots communities; it is a strategy that is designed around communities’ solutions,” he added.
