UN PANEL WARNS
Liberia, a country once torn asunder by civil war, has made some
progress in seeking to cut off the illegal supply of diamonds, timber
and other natural resources that have been used to finance wars in
West Africa, but more needs to be done, according to a United Nations
panel.
"Progress in Liberia is slow in relation to concrete action on
addressing many Kimberley Process review visit recommendations," the
Security Council Panel of Experts on Liberia says in its latest
<"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2010/609">report,
referring to the process to certify diamonds as coming from
conflict-free sources in order to cut off the supply of so-called
"blood diamonds" – gems illegally mined or traded to finance wars.
Such diamonds have been a major factor in unrest in Africa, and a tool
that former Liberian president Charles Taylor, currently facing trial
for war crimes before an international court, is alleged to have used
in the decade and a half when civil wars ravaged his own country and
neighbouring Sierra Leone.
The Panel, set up in 2007 to monitor compliance with sanctions imposed
in connection with the civil war, calls on Liberia to improve its
internal controls system and develop "a production footprint and
export footprint" to cut off the potential infiltration of diamonds
from strife-torn Côte d'Ivoire into its own exports.
On forestry and other land resources, it notes that while the
Government has passed legislation to improve management through more
open and competitive bidding, transparency requirements and improved
benefit-sharing, illicit extraction continues around the country.
"While Liberia has made a number of advances in terms of legal
requirements, significant challenges hinder the potential for the
country's natural resources to contribute to peace, security and
development in the long term," it says, citing non-payment of fees
from some concessions, non-competitive allocation of large
concessions, corruption, and lack of Government capacity to monitor
concessions in relation to the scope of the agreements being
allocated.
It calls on the Government to redouble its efforts to build its
capacity to monitor concession agreements and on international donors
to provide "highly desirable" assistance.
The UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) should continue to help the
Government establish authority over natural resources, and this should
"involve continued assessment of hotspots and potential problem areas,
especially given the potential for links between high-value resources,
drugs and weapons (even if this is not currently happening on an
organized crime level) both in Liberia and the region," it adds.
On weapons, the Panel cites minor arms embargo violations, but warns
that the proliferation of locally manufactured guns and pistols is
becoming a major concern. The absence of a harmonized regional legal
and regulatory framework is problematic, and it recommends that no
further change to the embargo be considered until a strong regulation
framework is in place.
The Security Council should also bring to the attention of
neighbouring Guinea the presence and movement of small arms into
Liberia and remind it of its obligations to stop this.
Finally, the Panel reports that Liberia has made no further progress
in implementing an assets freeze on various individuals. Last month,
for the fourth consecutive year, the Council demanded that the
Government "make all necessary efforts to fulfil its obligations" to
freeze Mr. Taylor's assets.
Extending the Panel's mandate for another year, the Council noted
"with serious concern the lack of progress" in implementing a 2004
resolution demanding that all assets of Mr. Taylor, family members and
associates be frozen to prevent them from obstructing the restoration
of peace in Liberia and the region.
Mr. Taylor is on trial on charges of war crimes and crimes against
humanity before the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) in
The Hague, the Netherlands. He left his country amid violent conflict
in 2003, and UNMIL has since then helped the country return to peace
through democratic elections.
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