Published: May 25, 2026
MONROVIA — The United Nations human rights office and the Swedish Embassy have donated computers, printers and office equipment to the Liberia National Bar Association, backing the legal body as Liberia pushes to establish a War and Economic Crimes Court to address atrocities committed during the country’s 14-year civil conflict.
The support package, funded through a one-year Swedish government project and delivered by the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, was formally handed over during a ceremony in Monrovia attended by U.N., Swedish and Bar Association officials.
OHCHR Country Representative Christian Mukosa said the intervention is designed to strengthen the Bar Association’s operational capacity and expand access to justice at a moment when Liberian lawyers will be called on to represent both accused persons and victims before transitional justice mechanisms.
“People accused of violations will return to the Bar Association to seek legal representation, while victims and complainants will also depend on lawyers to defend their rights,” Mukosa said. “Lawyers will continue playing a key role in defending victims, protecting the accused and ensuring that the rule of law prevails.”
Mukosa said the initiative also extends to county bar associations and legal clinics in Bomi, Grand Bassa, Margibi and Bong counties that lack sufficient resources to defend citizens’ rights, noting that vulnerable citizens without legal representation risk being excluded from the justice process altogether.
He credited Sweden with making the project financially viable. “We can have technical expertise and intelligence, but without financial support, we cannot achieve much,” he said.
Swedish Embassy First Secretary Susanna Elmberger welcomed Liberia’s decision to establish both the War and Economic Crimes Court and a National Anti-Corruption Court, describing the moves as critical steps toward ending impunity for civil war-era abuses.
“It is important that all actors and stakeholders seize the current window of opportunity and strengthen collaboration to ensure that these courts become a reality,” Elmberger said.
She said Liberian lawyers must be adequately equipped to contribute to the design, implementation and operation of the proposed courts, and that Sweden intends to continue supporting future justice and human rights initiatives in Liberia through OHCHR.
Receiving the donation, LNBA President Cllr. F. Juah Lawson described the support as both timely and essential, saying the equipment represents more than office supplies.
“On behalf of the officers, National Executive Council and the entire membership of the LNBA, we extend profound appreciation to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Government and people of Sweden for this timely and meaningful support,” Lawson said.
She said the Bar Association reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that transitional justice mechanisms are credible, fair, inclusive and victim-centered, and pledged that donated resources would be used for their intended purposes.
Liberia’s proposed War and Economic Crimes Court has been under discussion for years, stemming from recommendations by the country’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which concluded its work in 2009. The court has yet to be formally established.
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