Prepared by the Department of Public Information, United Nations
Prepared by the Department of Public Information, United Nations
Monrovia, Thursday, 25 September 1997
OPENING REMARKS
1. Thank you for coming to this press conference which we have convened to mark the end of UNOMIL's mandate. As you are aware, with the successful conclusion of the Liberian peace process, UNOMIL's mandate will expire on 30 September, that is in five days' time.
2. The withdrawal of UNOMIL from Liberia is already well underway. Repatriation of personnel started soon after the announcement of the election results and will be completed by 30 September. A small team headed by the Chief Administrative Officer will remain behind for a period of approximately three months to complete the liquidation and closing process. The liquidation of UNOMIL will include the settling of all outstanding contracts, leases and any other legitimate claims arising from UNOMIL's operations in Liberia.
3. The departure of UNOMIL will not mean that the United Nations is completely disengaging from Liberia. The Secretary-General of the United Nations is acutely aware of the need to sustain the success that has been achieved in the Liberian peace process. This should be done through the consolidation of the hard earned democracy, the reconstruction of the country's war-torn economy and the revitalization of the shattered public institutions. Thus, in addition to the various United Nations agencies such as UNDP, UNICEF, UNHCR, WFP, WHO, and FAO that will now be focussing their activities in Liberia on repatriation, resettlement, rehabilitation and reconstruction, the Secretary-General and the Government of Liberia have reached agreement on the need to establish a United Nations Peace-Building Support Office after the withdrawal of UNOMIL. While the details of the mandate of the office are still being finalized, its purpose will be to help mobilize international support for reconstruction efforts and to provide a quick and convenient channel of communication between the Government and the UN.
4. The Secretary-General will also be convening a Special Conference at Ministerial level on Assistance to Liberia on 3 October in New York in order to provide the government of Liberia an opportunity to discuss with the donor community its preliminary priorities and plans for Liberia's recovery.
5. The credit for the successful conclusion of the peace process goes to the Liberian people who demonstrated their commitment to the peaceful solution of the civil crisis and to the return to democracy by coming out in impressive numbers to vote. I personally visited a number of polling stations in Monrovia as well as in Bomi, Grand Cape Mount and Margibi counties on polling day, and I witnessed the orderly manner in which the people cast their vote, and the enthusiasm they showed about the process. I once again congratulate the people of Liberia for their admirable resilience in adversity and for their political maturity. We also recognize the key role played by the Independent Elections Commission led by its dynamic and hardworking Chairman, the late Mr. G. Henry Andrews, may his soul rest in peace. We commend them for successfully managing the electoral process. We welcome the Government's recent announcement of the establishment of a permanent Elections Commission as an unequivocal sign of its commitment to rebuilding and strengthening democratic institutions in Liberia.
6. The United Nations also commends ECOWAS, and its peacekeeping force ECOMOG, for designing a workable peace plan and for steering the peace process to a successful conclusion. We salute the ECOWAS member states who contributed troops to ECOMOG for the great sacrifices they made in human lives and in material resources, notwithstanding the additional burden this task imposed on their already weak economies.
7. In the Liberian peace process, a unique partnership was forged between ECOWAS, the United Nations and the donors to make the operation a success. The efforts of these key partners complemented each other with the donors providing logistical and financial support to ECOMOG, while UNOMIL provided diplomatic support to the peace negotiations, and mobilized donor support for ECOMOG.
8. As you know, UNOMIL's involvement in the peace process in Liberia dates back to 1993. Its major contributions to the peace process include its involvement as a partner with ECOWAS in negotiating the various peace agreements; undertaking diplomatic efforts to urge the ECOWAS countries to pursue a unified approach to the Liberian problem, using the factions to pursue a peaceful solution to the crisis; presiding over the Cease-fire Violations Committee; and mobilizing donor support for ECOMOG. UNOMIL also played a key role through the mediation team and through its own efforts in resolving the April 1996 crisis which threatened to derail the entire peace process. Thereafter, the mission observed and verified the disarmament exercise while supporting the demobilization process.
9. For the electoral process, although UNOMIL's primary mandate was limited to observing and verifying the process, we went far beyond that and provided logistical support for IECOM's operations as well as technical and other operational assistance to the Commission. I wish to take this opportunity to express my profound appreciation to UNOMIL staff members, both civilian and military, as well as Liberians, for the dedication to the cause of peace and their professionalism in discharging their responsibilities. It has been a privilege for me to have a mission staffed with a group of such outstanding and dedicated civilian and military professionals. I will never forget their total commitment to duty, and most importantly their profound concern for the dignity and well-being of the people of Liberia. UNOMIL is also indebted to all the UN agencies operating in Liberia, and to HACO, for the support they extended to our operations. We salute these agencies as well as the international and local NGOs for working tirelessly, often in difficult and hazardous circumstances, to address the humanitarian needs of the Liberian people.
10. UNOMIL is gratified that the election results were a free expression of the will of the people. We are also pleased to note that the new Government has taken positive steps and announced policies that deserve the support of the international community. The challenges that lie ahead are, however, daunting. They cannot be met through the efforts of Liberia alone. This is why the Secretary-General is convening a Conference on Assistance to Liberia on 3 October.
11. Ultimately, it is for the Liberian Government, leaders of the opposition and civil society to make this nascent democracy work. I have already commended the Government's establishment of a permanent Elections Commission. We also look forward to the establishment of the proposed Human Rights and National Reconciliation Commissions. Increasingly in recent years, human rights have come to be seen as an integral element of good governance. You in the Fourth Estate also have a major role to play in the consolidation of democracy which is why the government's commitment to a free press is so important. However, as members of the media, you must recognize that you have an obligation to be accurate, constructive and responsible in your reporting.
12. As a Namibian, a country which has emerged from a protracted and bitter struggle only seven years ago, and is still grappling with the process of democratization and economic development, I firmly believe that peace is a consequence of political, economic and social justice. Very often, when the political system gives the vote to the many, and the economic system gives bread to only a few, civil strife is almost inevitable. When the vote is a human right of the many and bread is a privilege of a few, democracy becomes a mockery; it cannot be an instrument of peace, because it is not an instrument of justice. It is against this background that I appeal to the international donor community to be generous in support of the reconstruction and development efforts of the Government of Liberia to enable it to translate its economic and social programmes into reality for the well-being of the people of Liberia.
13. As we depart this beautiful country, Liberia, we leave with fond memories. In returning to the various corners of the globe, we will act as Liberia's ambassadors to the world. We will tell the success story of Liberia and impress upon our countries the need to give support to Liberia in order to sustain this success.