The Republic of Liberia’s second Universal Periodic Review (UPR) took place on Monday, 4 May during the 22nd session of the UPR.

The Republic of Liberia’s second Universal Periodic Review (UPR) took place on Monday, 4 May during the 22nd session of the UPR.

ISHR prepared a Briefing Paper on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders in Liberia to assist States and other stakeholders to formulate questions and recommendations regarding the protection of human rights defenders during Liberia’s second UPR. In the briefing paper, ISHR called on Liberia to refrain from criminalising the legitimate activities of human rights defenders and repeal all laws and policies that restrict their activities and rights. Specifically, ISHR called on Liberia to repeal out-dated defamation and libel laws and develop and enact specific laws and policies to recognise and protect the work of human rights defenders.

A number of recommendations made by States during Liberia’s second UPR focused on the need for Liberia to strengthen its National Action Plan on Human Rights adopted in 2009. While only a handful of States made recommendations in relation to the protection of human rights defenders or civil society space, this indicates a positive shift as compared to Liberia’s first Universal Periodic Review in 2010, in which it did not receive any specific recommendations on human rights defenders and accepted only three recommendations to protect civil society space. 

ISHR welcomes a number of the recommendations made to Liberia, including:

• Australia’s recommendation that Liberia repeal laws that discriminate against human rights defenders;
• Costa Rica’s call for Liberia to strengthen the Independent National Commission on Human Rights established in 2011, in particular to increase its budget to enable it to effectively work to protect human rights defenders, and for the immediate release of arbitrarily imprisoned individuals; 
• The Netherlands' recommendation for Liberia to bring its legal and policy framework in line with its international obligations, including the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, and to repeal all laws and policies that restrict the rights and activities of human rights defenders, including defamation and Libel laws end defamation, harassment and stigmatisation of civil society; and
• France’s recommendation that Liberia amend laws to protect peaceful demonstrations and civil society space.

In Liberia’s review 136 recommendations were made in total, four of which, as outlined above, reflected issues of human rights defenders and civil society. Liberia will officially respond to each of these recommendations during the UPR adoption in the September 2015 session of the Human Rights Council. ISHR encourages Liberia to consult with civil society in considering these recommendations and accept all four recommendations in relation to human rights defenders and civil society.