Liberia

We are heartened and very encouraged by the increasing global recognition of the important role of women in all facets of national life, from peacebuilding to recovery and development. We have also utilized resolution 1325 (2000) as a tool for promoting the involvement of Liberian women in all sectors of society. The Liberian national action plan for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) is a response by the President, Ms. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, and the Government of Liberia, to the Secretary-General's call for the development and implementation of action plans. The plan complements initiatives such as the poverty reduction strategy and the joint programmes of the Government of Liberia and the United Nations already in place, focusing on additional and specific actions needed to promote and advance gender mainstreaming and ultimately to promote sustainable development. The Liberian national action plan strengthens efforts to advance gender equality, including Millennium Development Goal 3. Liberia has made significant efforts with great impact in the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), including the national action plan.

We would like to thank our partners, who were very supportive of us in this endeavour. In particular, I would like to thank the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women, the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and, of course, the United Nations family in Liberia and other partners from the international community. We have also set up a national steering committee on the Liberian national action plan, comprising the Ministers of Gender, Justice, Defence and Foreign Affairs, United Nations agencies, civil society, and local and international NGOs to guide the implementation of the plan and provide oversight and accountability. The implementation of the plan is not limited to the actions included therein; additional activities and measures can be initiated as necessary, bearing in mind the need for coherence.

To make specific roles and responsibilities clear, the Liberian national action plan delineates a lead agency and collaborators for each activity, in addition to ensuring coordination for the implementation of the activities. A secretariat has been established, county steering committees have been set up in five counties, and a civil society observatory group is being set up to monitor and evaluate the implementation of the plan and to prepare a shadow report.

A gender equity in politics bill, designed to increase women's participation in governance, political parties and other institutions, has been introduced in Parliament and is awaiting approval for passage into law. A civil service code of conduct — proposing that all public institutions establish an environment conducive to the meaningful participation and advancement of women through the adoption of policies and procedures to address gender inequalities, including language on sexual harassment — has been developed and is currently under review. We have also established a national rural women's structure to ensure that rural women's participation in the development and reconstruction process is part of the development agenda. We also held a conference on women in cross-border trade to recognize the role women play across borders as they help to sustain our economies. We have also established community policing forums nationwide, mainly headed by women, to improve citizen-police relations.

However, we have taken some concrete steps, and the plans for the next two years include the development of a strategy to ensure 20 per cent participation of women in the security sector by 2011. Presently, women constitute 30 per cent of immigration officers and 15 per cent of the national police. We also plan to earmark funding for long-term plans and the sustainability of the programmes; develop a fund-raising exercise and strategy and a donor roundtable to raise funds for the effective implementation of the plan; develop and implement a comprehensive communications strategy; initiate affirmative action processes that will address the gaps in women's participation at all levels; and promote strong partnerships and strategic linkages.