Yasmina Bouziane, UNMIL Spokesperson, His Royal Highness Prince Zeid Al-Hussein, Chair of the Peace Building Commission, Country Configuration for LiberiaMs. Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General of Rule of Law,

NEAR VERBATIM

Yasmina Bouziane (UNMIL Spokesperson)

Good morning ladies and gentlemen; and to our UNMIL Radio listeners. Welcome to this special press conference where we have the pleasure of the Chair of the Peace Building Commission (PBC), Country Configuration for Liberia, His Royal Highness, Prince Zeid; who is here after a week-long visit to tell us about his:

• Thoughts
• Impressions and
• Various activities for this particular visit.

We also have the pleasure to have with us the Officer-in-Charge for this week, the DSRSG-RoL, Ms. Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu.

I would like to remind our listeners and our colleagues from the media that this is an important visit; in fact the third visit of the Chair of the PBC. As you all know, Liberia has been placed on the agenda of the PBC in September 2010 following a request from the Government of Liberia in May 2010.

His Royal Highness-Prince Zeid

Good morning colleagues and good morning to all the listeners. I am delighted to be here. I am delighted to be back in Liberia after a three month absence. It has been almost six or perhaps seven months since I met with ladies and gentlemen of the press.

I am delighted to say that since that first visit, I have witnessed some significant development in terms of the three areas that Yasmina has outlined.

I am very fortunate to be accompanied by a high level delegation representing the Steering Group of this Configuration; in other words, the Senior Diplomats of Countries who are committed to Liberia and who have come with me to see firsthand the recent developments that have taken place.

Our first day was spent in Gbarnga, where aside from meeting the Superintendent and local officials of Bong County, we visited the site of the first Justice and Security hub to be built. We were briefed on the buildings that were been built and should be staffed within the next two to three months. We hope that we will have all the buildings in the hub in place by the end of the year. We hope to begin now the consideration of the second and third Justice and Security hubs with the view of having five in Liberia. So the visit began in a very promising manner.

On our return to Liberia, we had a series of discussions with key defense and security officials as well as internally, on the process of UNMIL transition and the coordination with the Liberian authorities. It is clear that the UN will not be in Liberia forever and there must be planning and integration of efforts accomplished to ensure that when the UN leaves Liberia has the capacity to fulfill some of the key functions that UNMIL would have been fulfilling. We were pleased with the general progression of those consultations in this manner. We also had meeting with some key members of Parliament and we were fortunate to have dinner last night with the Speaker of the Lower House and deliberated on some of the related security legislations. Of course, he, as Speaker, does not get involved in the substance as such but, he briefed us on where the Legislature was in the Lower House.

Just this morning, we had a meeting with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and some key officials of the Court including the Associate Justice; again we detect a progress been made. I am delighted by this visit. I hope to be visiting Liberia regularly and of course with every visit see further progress. We have reached the stage now where we have programming document on agreement with the Liberian Government and the responsibility will soon fall on us to mobilize the necessary funds to ensure that all items jointly agree between representatives of the UN family and the donor community and the Liberian Government.

 

Questions and Answers

 

Q: Victoria Wesseh (Daily Observer Newspaper)

Please tell me your impression about the original hub under construction in Bong County?

 

A: His Royal Highness-Prince Zeid

My initial impression was that I think it was a beautiful day; there was a lot of foliage that had been removed and the space is quite large. Much of it is going to be used. It is going to be a very attractive setting. We are still discussing details surrounding it. What is clear to us is that there are two functions to it: one is that it is service oriented; it will provide the means of people from three counties to find judicial redress. But also there will be offices connected to Customs and the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization. There will also be an arm of the LNP station there. This will be services provided to three counties namely; Nimba, Lofa and Bong.

We think this is the noble way of doing things. And if successful in Liberia, this could be replicated in other countries that have emerged from conflict and need to have their infrastructure rebuilt and services extended. So we are very excited about this.

 

Q: Victoria Wesseh (Daily Observer Newspaper)

What do you hope to achieve from this project?

 

A: His Royal Highness-Prince Zeid

I hope to achieve honorable citizenship from Liberia because if successful, we would have done something very good. I had a meeting with the President of Liberia and I said if this is

successful; after all this work and in the years ahead, Liberia will firmly be on the path to

peace; maybe honorable citizenship would be a great honor.

But I think the main thing is that the people of this country are going to be given the opportunity to provide that their talents are real and that the contribution not only to this part of Africa but to the international community will be very much felt. So we are joined together in mutual exertion here to ensure that Liberia puts its difficult past behind it and move to a bright future.

 

Q: Wellington Railey, Jr. (New Democrat Newspaper)

You were part of the two day International Peace Building and Dialogue programme that was

held at the SKD Sports Complex in Monrovia. There were a lot of issues raised in terms of

UNMIL’s smooth transition. UNMIL has spent a number of years in Liberia and they are gradually drawing down and hopefully after the elections, there might be the end of UNMIL in Liberia. What are some of the things put in place to make sure that we have a good rule of law system in terms of security to maintain the peace UNMIL worked for over the past years?

The other question that I have is about the recent report from River Gee County that some

ammunition was found by the Liberia National Police. Has that information caught the

attention of UNMIL with the recent violence in Ivory Coast? What is UNMIL doing to ensure

that the conflict in the Ivory Coast does not affect Liberia’s fragile peace?

 

A: His Royal Highness-Prince Zeid

I did participate in the International Dialogue which brought together the G7 countries that are in fragile situation, emerging from conflict with the donor community. It was organized very well and we were all delighted to be in Monrovia and the discussion was extremely rich and very useful. I believe that the G7 countries and the donor community will come out of this in a position where real substantive work will emerge to the benefit of all the countries involve.

In terms of the UNMIL draw down, I do not think there will be a sudden departure of UNMIL after the election. I do not envisage that. Most likely there will be some form of review and consultation. That is not really for me to say. This will be a discussion for UNMIL, members of the Security Council. What is clear though is that there are many crises around the world begging for UN attention so I do not think we need to be relaxed about this thinking that they are here for a number of years and we should take our time. I think it is better to plan for the UN departure and if there was a condition or event that requires a re-evaluation of the UN presence, I am sure that evaluation will take place. But we cannot determine any outcome. But as Liberia grows from strength to strength, it only makes sense that the scale of the UN presence is revised.

 

Ms. Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu, (DSRSG – RoL)

Yes, we are a part of what is happening in River Gee and we are very proud of what the LNP has been able to do in discovering and retrieving these arms. We have always been conscious of stepping up security at the borders for the possibility of the spillover of the conflict. We know that there are ethnic groups on both sides of the border who are related and present a real potential for spillover. We have stepped up patrols rig.

We are very proud of the LNP and I hope you are taking into account some of their success so that when you are making your complaints, they will be seen as fair. But the LNP is improving and I am definite that they will be on top of things when they need to be.

Q: (Women Voices Newspaper)

You spoke with the Security Sector and you mentioned that there were some gaps. What are those gaps and how can they be covered?

A: His Royal Highness-Prince Zeid

This is being studied now, between the Liberian authorities and the UN. In actual fact, we do not in precise terms, know what they are. But there is this dialogue to establish where those

gaps are and to see how to resolve them. All of this is under discussion.

Q: Melody (Real TV and Truth FM)

You talked about some funds being made available very soon but you did not tell us for what purpose those funds are going to be made available; who is giving the funds and how much

Will be made available?

A: His Royal Highness-Prince Zeid

Liberia has great many friends in the international community. And Liberia is being viewed as a country with so much turbulence. We perceived that there is sufficient goodwill on all sides and a sense of fatigue in terms of any possible return to the experience the country has

Undergone; and to ensure that there will be no doubt some reaction. We have now negotiated with the Liberian Government a particular document of numerous priorities of the Government of Liberia. The agenda is set by the Government of Liberia, but also in consultation with a broad array of actors that incorporate the views of many of the actors in civil society and beyond, with the support and input from the UN. The view is, we have to carefully sequence when we are looking at this document; who is going to fund what. For example, we have the peace building fund and we can see if the peace building fund is ready

to fund a particular item or another if the first item is funded by the Liberian

Government. I am optimistic that we will be able to do this. I cannot give you specific

figures now but I can assure you that shortly we will see some good results.

 

Q: Wellington Railey, Jr. (New Democrat Newspaper)

Two years back the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) completed its work and

provided recommendations to the Government of Liberia. Within the recommendations, was

a key issue about incumbent, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf not to hold

public office for the next 30 years and some other individuals were listed for prosecution as

part of the recommendation?

 

For the peace we now enjoy yearn in Liberia through the help of UNMIL, Liberians are now

saying that when the TRC recommendations are not implemented, all that UNMIL is

doing in terms of peace will not last. So you as the Head of the Peace Building Commission,

what is UN doing to ensure that the TRC recommendations are implemented to ensure that the

peace Liberia is yarning for is maintained?

 

A: His Royal Highness-Prince Zeid

Every country has a particular past experience and the way it resolves that experience or other experiences comports with the cultural rhythm of the country. It is not really for us the international community to determine specific items like that. There are many items numerated in the TRC recommendations. These items are being discussed by members of Parliament and various stakeholders and we believe we need to listen to all the different

quarters and organically this is a Liberian-driven process. And the results will only take root if

Liberia comes to a decision on it.

 

Q: (Women Voices Newspaper)

We believe that UNMIL is in charge of our borders where UNMIL peacekeepers were deployed alone the borders because of the conflict in the Ivory Coast. How is it that LNP discovered the arms with UNMIL being unaware?

Q: Ms. Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu, (DSRSG – RoL)

I like to encourage you to see the security agencies of Liberia as being responsible for the security and that we are backing them up. Do not think that it is UNMIL doing everything. Your own security agencies are growing wings by the day to take on all those tasks. The BIN is in place and is taking care of the borders. The fact that arms were discovered by LNP should be a source of hope for everybody because these are the things the fighter hate. The fact that someone will share the information with a security agency is the fact that people are confident that there will be action and there was an action. I am hoping that the Liberian Government will bring all of you on board. We were a part of it and we will continue to be a part of it whatever it takes. But please understand that your security agencies are in the front line and they are doing their best.

 

Ms. Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu, (DSRSG – RoL)

Let me begin by saying a big thank you to His Royal Highness and the members on the Country Configuration on Liberia, for the time they have spent in the country trying to familiarize themselves with the situation that they have assume responsibility to travel and help. They did not remain in the comfort of their offices in New York and asked question but they came to see for themselves how they may impact the situation. We are confident that they have seen enough so that when we sent them reports from the national partners, they will know what they are talking about, they will know where Gbarnga is. We are sincerely grateful.

Let me thank the press also because you have come to make sure their engagement with the people of Liberia translated into real terms. That means our role as the mouthpiece of the people, the agenda setting role, your gate keeping role; all of these are needed at this time so that there is a bridge between the people of Liberia and the PBC who is so anxious to affect the lives of ordinary Liberians. The efforts they are putting in to meet you at the point of your needs is ample testimony that Liberia does not have fair weather friends but friends who walk with you every step of the way; and I hope the media will enlighten people of the activities of the Commission, enlighten the community concern of the first hub; about what it means to host this first initiative that is going to affect the lives of it citizens. We know that access to justice and security is important for citizens to feel the peace dividend so whatever steps that are taken to enhance the capacity of the local agencies to better offer protection should be applauded. And this is what the PBC is all about. And we ask your help to constantly write about these issues so that the people of Liberia can be equipped. They do want to be the outsider who weeps more than the bereaved.

Thank you for being willing to partner with the PBC to bring the message to the people. We hope you will continue to remain engaged and if you have any issues you let us know so that we clear them for you.

Thank you.