Summary of Pillar III: Strengthening Governance and the Rule of Law

Bad governance can be blamed for most of the crises that besieged Liberia over the past quarter century. Violence, human right abuses, arbitrary killings, enforced disappearances, torture, use of child-soldiers by fighting forces, targeting of civilians, rape and sexual violence against women and children were commonplace and leave a legacy that must still be overcome. A number of challenges must be faced in the Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS). Key to tackling these is working to change the mindsets and value systems of Liberians, restructuring and strengthening central and local governance institutions, systems and processes as well as ensuring that the rule of law prevails.

The government continues to make significant progress in redefining the mandates of public institutions, developing a comprehensive anti-corruption strategy, proposing a successor to the Governance Reform Commission, establishing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Independent National Commission for Human Rights, reforming the Civil Service Commission and initiating discussions on the relationship between the central and local government. The result is that hope is being restored, corruption has been reduced and transparency and accountability have increased. However, a lot more remains to be done.

The short - to medium –term agenda of the government is to lay the foundation for a new democratic culture, achieve balanced development and promote a culture of accountability in order to meet the collective aspirations of the people. At the cornerstone of the national agenda are respect for the rule of law in all spheres of national life, provision of equal opportunities and better management of the economy and national resources for the benefit of all. More specifically, the government in collaboration with civil society, must focus on: reforming and rebuilding the public sector; decentralizing political governance and social responsibilities; strengthening the rule of law and respecting human rights; conflict sensitive policy making and conflict management mechanisms; affirmatively addressing gender inequalities; strengthening environmental rules and regulations; rebuilding civil society and the media; involving broader participation in the governance process; and reducing corruption.