Claiming Human Rights - in Liberia

The Republic of Liberia is a member of the United Nations and the African Union. It has ratified many UN Human Rights Conventions (compare list on the right) and thus has made binding international commitments to adhere to the standards laid down in these universal human rights documents.

Liberia is an English-speaking country in West Africa. The country with an area of 111,369 square km has a coastline on the Atlantic Ocean. On a global scale, its population density is low. The capital of the country, which became independent on 26 July 1847 from the United States of America, is Monrovia. Liberia is a member of the regional economic communities ECOWAS and CEN-SAD.

With a Human Development Index of 0.44 Liberia ranks 169^th of 182 countries ranked in the UNDP Human Development Report of 2009. Life expectancy of the 3.8 million inhabitants at birth is 58 years, population growth is 4.5 percent per year. GNI is 170 US-$ per capita. External debt is 442.1 percent of gross national income. Primary school enrolment is 30.9 percent.

In as far as Liberia has ratified the Optional Protocols for UN Human Rights Conventions or has accepted the Competence of the corresponding UN Treaty Bodies (compare list on the right), the inhabitants of Liberia and their representatives are able to invoke their human rights through these bodies.

All inhabitants of Liberia may turn to the UN Human Rights Committee through procedure 1503, to the Special Rapporteurs for violations of specific human rights or to ECOSOC for women's rights violations.

Since Liberia is a member state of UNESCO, its citizens may use the UNESCO procedure for human rights violations in UNESCO's fields of mandate.

Employers' or workers' and certain other organizations (not individuals) of Liberia may file complaints through the ILO procedure in the cases of those conventions which Liberia has ratified.

Since Liberia is an AU member, its citizens and NGOs may file complaints to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

They may also file complaints according to the EU guidelines (on Human Rights Defenders, Death Penalty and Torture) to Embassies of EU Member States and the Delegations of the European Commission.

In cases of human rights violations by multinational enterprises, they may also invoke the National Contact Point in an OECD member state.

Liberia has joined the International Criminal Court, it may thus be called upon in case of severe crimes.