Dear President Boakai,
We write to you on behalf of Liberian and international non-governmental organizations that have worked for many years to ensure justice and accountability for victims of atrocity crimes committed during the civil wars in Liberia.
We welcome your signing into law of Executive Order 131 on May 2, 2024, which established the Office for the War and Economic Crimes Court (WECC), under which the Office shall “investigate, design, and prescribe the methodology, mechanisms, and the processes for the establishment of a Special War Crimes Court for Liberia (…)” This work includes determining the model for said court; securing, through the assistance of international partners, the necessary funding for the court; and determining the scope and mandate of the court.
Over the course of 2024, we have followed the steps taken by your administration towards setting up the Office and, ultimately, establishing the War Crimes Court. This included your public commitment to advance the process made during your speech to the United Nations General Assembly on 25 September 2024, the withdrawal of the appointment of the first executive director for the Office following strong reservations voiced by victim and civil society groups, and the more consultative process involved in the second appointment, resulting in the selection of Cllr. Jallah Barbu as the new Executive Director.
These encouraging steps have shown your commitment to making the Special War Crimes Court a reality. This is important given there are high expectations regarding a future Special War Crimes Court among victims, civil society organizations, and Liberian society as a whole, who have long awaited justice for crimes committed during your country’s armed conflicts, including pervasive sexual and gender-based crimes. This process has also garnered strong interest within the international community, particularly among states with historical ties to Liberia, eager to contribute to this endeavor.
The effective operations of the Office for the WECC are critical to continuing the progress made by your administration. To fulfill its mandate, the Office for the WECC needs human and financial resources. In this context, we respectfully ask for further information regarding the office’s staffing and budget, as well as the physical infrastructure needed to support its work. We are also interested in understanding how the office intends to avail itself of international expertise that can assist the Office in advancing a court that can operate fairly and effectively in accordance with international standards and best practice. Such information should ideally be made publicly available, which will instill confidence that the Office is well positioned to implement its mandate. Looking ahead, we believe it will also be essential for the Office to decide on an action plan guided by specific timelines to advance necessary preparations for the court.
We will welcome the opportunity to have more information about the Office’s resources and functioning and to discuss these issues with relevant advisers in your Administration. We look forward to any role our organizations can play in supporting this key process to ensure justice for the wide-ranging atrocities committed during the country’s back-to-back civil conflicts.
Sincerely,
Civil Society Human Rights Advocacy Platform of Liberia
Civitas Maxima
Global Justice and Research Project
Global Justice Center
Human Rights Watch
The Advocates for Human Rights
