• Do Not Return to War UNMIL Chief Cautions Liberians, Source: New DEMOCRAT
• ‘CBL Will Stand for Women’s Inclusion at all Levels of the Economy’ -Governor Milton Weeks, Source: Daily OBSERVER
• Notorious toothfish poacher arrested in Liberia, Sources: Daily OBSERVER and Undercurrent News
• LIPO Begins Nationwide Awareness on Intellectual Property, Source: Daily OBSERVER
• The UN Peacekeeping Mission in Liberia is Coming to a Successful End, Source: UN Dispatch

Do Not Return to War UNMIL Chief Cautions Liberians, Source: New DEMOCRAT

Liberians Wednesday began a two-day National Peace and Reconciliation Conference under the theme: “local voices for inclusive reconciliation at the Monrovia City Hall. The conference brought together representatives of the nation’s fifteen political subdivisions, national and international partners to talk peace and reconciliation as the UN mission draws down.

The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, Farid Zarif told Liberians not to invent the wheels of the war days. “Liberians need to come together and present themselves as a nation, having realized decades of civil destructions,” Mr. Zarif said actions to move Liberia forward is lacking. The UNMIL chief, who served as the day’s keynote speaker, told Liberians that the peaceful holding of successive elections tells the world that the nation has matured. “We need action now. We need more of such conference with specific to enable us to walk the talks,” Zarif said. Read more

‘CBL Will Stand for Women’s Inclusion at all Levels of the Economy’ -Governor Milton Weeks, Source: Daily OBSERVER

The executive governor of the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) says the bank will continue to push for women’s inclusion at all levels and sectors of the economy by ensuring female representation internally at the senior management level and up to CBL’s Board.

Milton Weeks, who served as keynote speaker at the second women’s conference organized by the Liberia Chamber of Commerce (LCC) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), said the conference recognizes that gender equality is necessary for sustained development. Mr. Weeks explained that the purpose of inclusion of women at the Board’s level is to enhance good governance within the organization, and those who are selected should be well equipped to do so. According to him, the CBL has over the years implemented various programs and policies aimed at developing the economic potential and development of women. Read more

Notorious toothfish poacher arrested in Liberia, Sources: Daily OBSERVER and Undercurrent News

An Antarctic and Patagonian toothfish poaching vessel was arrested on March 13 in waters belonging to the West African state of Liberia by the local coast guard, with assistance from NGO Sea Shepherd, the latter said.

The F/V Hai Lung, known to the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) by its previous name Kily, was transiting through Liberian waters when it was boarded and inspected by a Liberian coastguard team, working alongside Sea Shepherd’s patrol vessel Sam Simon. Operating under a long list of different names -- including Yele, Ray, Kily, Constant, Tropic and Isla Graciosa -- the F/V Hai Lung is an "infamous" fishing vessel that has been blacked-listed by several regional fisheries management organizations including CCAMLR and the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission. Read more

LIPO Begins Nationwide Awareness on Intellectual Property, Source: Daily OBSERVER

The Liberia Intellectual Property Office (LIPO) has begun its first-ever nationwide awareness aimed at helping copyright holders, the police, customs officers, and the general public to understand the intellectual property (IP) law. The awareness, held separately at the US Embassy in Monrovia and the headquarters of the Liberia National Police (LNP), brought together over 100 participants from diverse backgrounds, including copyright holders, who were educated in the 2016 IP law, the process of filing in applications and its benefits in a bid to reduce the number of infringements.

Prince Decker, the agency’s acting OiC, explained that after a month-long internal review of its past activities, they came to the conclusion that the lack of public awareness has created a challenge for the enforcement of existing legislations. Read more

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA ON LIBERIA

The UN Peacekeeping Mission in Liberia is Coming to a Successful End, Source: UN Dispatch

By the end of this month, the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Liberia will no longer exist. The mission, known as UNMIL, is closing shop after nearly 15 years in operation.  This is a major milestone and success story for both Liberia and the United Nations. In 2003, it was hard to imagine this day would ever come. Around 250,000 people had been killed in a singularly brutal civil war.

The infrastructure that existed in the country was decimated. Most Liberians who had the opportunity to leave the country had fled. Fifteen years later, thanks in large part to UNMIL, Liberia is a stable democracy with a rapidly developing economy. It was a hard slog, but Liberia has made incredible strides and is emerging as a beacon of political stability in a volatile region. Read more