As UN Security Council discusses a Special Report on Liberia, Liberia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, His Excellency Mr. Lewis Brown, on behalf of Government, is proposing one year for the extension of the United Nation’s Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), while the Undersecretary General for Peacekeeping Operations, Havre Ladsous is advising that Liberia remains on the UN Security Council's agenda through the establishment of the next administration.

“Only one more year to continue the phased withdrawal – one more year to enable our recovering and reforming institutions to continue to stand up as UNMIL draws down; one more year of presence of UNMIL which represents to many Liberians, a ‘brand of confidence’ that would assist in mitigating, if not deterring, the real risk of a disruption during the country’s most sensitive political period. Only one more year of working together, in what for Liberia is a successful partnership to properly prepare for a successor mission and a democratically-elected government to continue the useful partnership and build upon the progress,” Ambassador Brown appealed.

According to a dispatch from New York, Liberia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations made the assertion when he addressed the United Nations Security Council’s Briefing Session concerning UNMIL at the United Nations Headquarters last Friday, December 2, 2016.

Noting the many concerns associated with the request for an extension, Ambassador Brown reminded the Security Council of the Liberian State that necessitated the deployment of UNMIL in October 2003.  He agreed that the country has made substantial progress but admitted that there is still a long way to go. He thanked the UN Security Council,other UN agencies as well as the many bilateral and multilateral partners for their continued support. “We do not take your continued support, or its associated costs, for granted, nor should the depths of our gratitude be ever underestimated,” he emphasized.

Ambassador Brown assured the UN Security Council that the Liberian Government intends to meet the target of an 8,000 strong police force fully deployed all across the country from its current strength of 5,100, and to ensure a continuous commitment of the police, and all other security institutions, to training including the important element of safeguarding human rights and improved professional standards. He assured that the nearly 2,600 immigration officers will be further strengthened with the completion of training facilities in northern Liberia that will have a training capacity of 1,000 officers.

Touching on the military, the Liberia’s Permanent Representative to the UN said, “Liberia is proud that the country’s military is growing in professional competence with support especially from the United States, and other friendly governments, and with mentoring from ECOWAS,” adding that access and affordability to justice which was nonexistent in many parts of the country is improving; while security institutions are demonstrating signs of increasing readiness to stand up as UNMIL stands down.

Highlighting the challenges ahead, Ambassador Brown named the ensuing conduct of the elections, the impactful consequences for the future, and the associated risks for which many of our institutions may not yet be fully tested or adequately prepared.

“To have UNMIL, this ‘confidence brand’, walk with Liberia for only one more year through this last mile is an added guarantee and a priceless insurance which completes the UN Mission of keeping the peace not only by the separation of belligerents, but importantly also, through a more meaningful transformation from a failed state to a thriving democracy,” Ambassador Brown emphasized.

He said, although this may not have been the mandate per se, it is hard to imagine that the peaceful and successful conduct of the ensuing critical elections is not an important test, if not the last important test, of the success of the mission.

Ambassador Brown noted that though resources are finite as there are growing needs in other parts of the world including on the African continent for the resources of UNMIL, Liberia continues to consider this situation seriously, and will take the needed steps, within the limits of its means, to be removed from a dependence on UNMIL.

For his part, the Undersecretary General for Peacekeeping Operations, Havre Ladsous advised that Liberia remains on the UN Security Council agenda through the establishment of the next administration.

Presenting the Special Report to the UN Security Council following a strategic assessment of Liberia in November, Mr. Ladsous, speaking on behalf of the Secretary-General, outlined three possible options regarding the future of UNMIL, taking into account the parameters provided by the Security Council, namely the security situation of the country and Liberia’s overall capacity to maintain stability. He named that options as: withdrawing UNMIL and establishing a successor mission; maintaining the status quo; or continuing the drawdown of UNMIL.

“Irrespective of your decision, it would, in our view, be important that Liberia remains on this Council’s agenda through the establishment of the next administration, with which we will engage closely in developing recommendations on the future of the UN’s engagement in Liberia beyond June 2018,” Undersecretary General for Peacekeeping Operations Ladsous advised.

“Throughout the next 18 months, it will be necessary to retain a mission able to provide strong good offices and political support, mentoring of the security and rule of law institutions, as well as human rights monitoring and capacity-building,” he recommended, adding that though the UN has full confidence in the ability of the national security services, they would also consider it essential that there remain some capacity to respond, in extremis, should there be a deterioration of stability that risks a strategic reversal.

The UN Security Council is expected to make a decision on December 21^st, 2016.