Monrovia, Liberia, 1 August 2012 - The United Nations Mission in Liberia and the Government of Liberia will on 1 August take part in a three-day workshop on the process of handing over UNMIL security responsibilities to the Government of Liberia.

This workshop to be facilitated by the Conflict Prevention and Peace Forum (CPPF), a program of the Social Science Research Council, follows on the similar workshop held in 2010 focusing on the planning for transition.  Building on the recommendations of the 2010 workshop, a transition planning process and structure were put in place and have worked steadily over the last two years.

This session will aim to assist in the next stage of the transition process enabling the United Nations and the Government of Liberia to plan the gradual handover of security and other related responsibilities currently performed by the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL).

Taking part in the workshop will be key representatives in various levels of government, security and rule of law institutions, members of the legislature, and civil society, together with a small number of independent experts and UN members.

As part of its mandate, UNMIL’s strategic goal is to assist Liberia to consolidate peace and achieve a steady state of security with national institutions able to maintain security independently of a peacekeeping mission.

The Social Science Research Council (SSRC) is an independent, nonprofit international organization that nurtures new generations of social scientists, fosters innovative research, and mobilizes necessary knowledge on important public issues.

The Conflict Prevention and Peace Forum (CPFF) was founded in 2000 as a programme of the SSRC and works to strengthen the knowledge base and analytic capacity of the United Nations system in the fields of conflict prevention and management, peacemaking and peacebuilding.

The United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) was established in August 2003 with the mandate to provide support for the implementation of the ceasefire agreement, protection of UN staff, facilities and civilians, humanitarian and human rights assistance, support for implementation of the peace process, and support for security sector reform.