Published: January 31, 2025
Monrovia – Integrity Watch Liberia (IWL) and the Women NGO Secretariat of Liberia (WONGOSOL) have reported significant progress in their groundbreaking project, “CSOs Advocacy to Accelerate TRC Implementation in Liberia.”
Launched in December 2024 with funding from the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund through Conciliation Resources, the initiative focuses on advancing transitional justice efforts in Liberia by ensuring the implementation of key recommendations from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).
The official launch of the project on December 11, 2024, marked a crucial step forward, bringing together 46 stakeholders, including representatives from civil society organizations, religious leaders, government agencies, and community members. According to a release from IWL, the collaborative initiative aims to directly engage over 300 beneficiaries and indirectly impact more than 20,000 individuals across seven counties. It underscores the importance of collective action in addressing the lingering effects of Liberia’s civil conflict.
Since the launch, IWL and WONGOSOL have undertaken a series of strategic engagements that have yielded substantial outcomes, the release stated.
A significant milestone was reached on January 15, 2025, during a consultative meeting with the Office of War and Economic Crimes Court (OWECC). During discussions, OWECC announced plans to establish a dedicated Gender Unit in collaboration with UN Women and WONGOSOL. This development underscores a growing commitment to gender-sensitive approaches in Liberia’s transitional justice process.
According to OWECC, the Gender Unit will focus on amplifying women’s voices, addressing their unique experiences during the civil war, and ensuring their full participation in transitional justice mechanisms. The office has already allocated space for the unit and initiated discussions with UN Women to operationalize the initiative.
IWL Executive Director Harold M. Aidoo described the establishment of the Gender Unit as a crucial step in ensuring that women’s experiences and needs remain central to the transitional justice process. He emphasized that this institutional commitment, combined with strong partnerships across civil society and religious institutions, positions the project well to advance the implementation of TRC recommendations.
Beyond OWECC, IWL and WONGOSOL have successfully engaged other key stakeholders, including the Liberia Council of Churches, the Ministry of Gender and Children Protection, the United Nations Resident Coordinator, the Civil Society Human Rights Advocacy Platform, and the Liberia Peacebuilding Office. These engagements have led to commitments to strengthen survivor protection mechanisms and enhance public awareness through targeted faith-based advocacy. Recognizing the need for inclusivity, stakeholders recommended the production of Braille materials and sign language interpretation to ensure that people with disabilities are not left behind in Liberia’s transitional justice process.
Faith-based institutions have also played a pivotal role in promoting reconciliation and advocacy. Their involvement has sparked valuable discussions on how transitional justice mechanisms can be rooted in community-based approaches to achieve sustainable peace and justice, the release added.
IWL and WONGOSOL reaffirmed their commitment to implementing the project effectively across the initial seven counties while exploring opportunities for a nationwide expansion. They noted that stakeholder consultations have generated valuable recommendations for future phases, including the potential to extend the project’s reach to all 15 counties to ensure broader impact and greater national alignment with the TRC’s recommendations.
The “CSOs Advocacy to Accelerate TRC Implementation in Liberia” project is a timely and critical initiative aimed at fostering justice, reconciliation, and accountability in Liberia. By working closely with civil society, government agencies, and faith-based institutions, IWL and WONGOSOL are addressing the legacies of the country’s civil conflict, advocating for the establishment of structures such as the War and Economic Crimes Court, and ensuring that the voices of survivors are at the center of transitional justice processes.
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