Liberia: Children’s Rights Under Spotlight: Duty Bearers, INCHR, UNICEF Conclude Three-Day Dialogue with Roadmap for Stronger Protection Measures  

Monrovia — Representatives of the Children Representative Forum, duty bearers from various Ministries, Agencies and Commissions (MACs), civil society organizations, and the Independent National Commission on Human Rights (INCHR), with support from UNICEF-Liberia, concluded a three-day national dialogue held from 17–19 November 2025.

The forum, held at Murex Plaza in Monrovia, aimed to strengthen the role of duty bearers in protecting and promoting children’s rights, while building the capacity of both state actors and the Children Representative Forum to implement, monitor, and report on Liberia’s commitments to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC).

Over the three days, participants engaged in robust discussions highlighting progress and persistent challenges affecting children across the country. Key issues examined included juvenile justice, children in foster and caregivers’ homes, exposure to violence, child labor, and early and forced marriage.

The dialogue also underscored the importance of state party reporting, shadow reports by civil society organizations, and monitoring by national human rights institutions. Participants further identified gaps in the enforcement of juvenile diversion programs, inadequate training for judges, magistrates and law enforcement officers on child-related cases, and inconsistencies in the Children’s Law of 2011—particularly on harmonizing statutory and customary laws on early marriage.

The session also featured a peer exchange between former and current leaders of the Children Representative Forum, including past leaders participating virtually from the diaspora.

At the close of the dialogue on November 19, duty bearers from relevant government institutions, civil society representatives, the Children Representative Forum, and INCHR agreed on several priority actions for 2026, including strengthening awareness campaigns—especially in rural areas—on sexual violence, child labor, and early marriage.; participating in the revision of the Children’s Law of 2011 and identifying key areas for amendment and conducting regular engagements and trainings with juvenile court magistrates on juvenile justice, with emphasis on improving conditions for children detained in prison facilities.

The stakeholders also agreed to mandate INCHR to advocate for the establishment of juvenile reformatory centers to prevent children from being exposed to harsh prison environments and to carry out a public inquiry on the status of children’s rights in Liberia.

In addition to committed to establish a robust Child Protection Unit within INCHR to monitor all child-related programs, policies, and legislation, increase focus on children with disabilities, who face heightened marginalization and discrimination, use school curricula and media platforms to promote children’s rights nationwide, implement targeted programs to eliminate the worst forms of child labor and develop a national CRC implementation plan with clear targets, timelines, and responsibilities.

Participants praised duty bearers for their openness throughout the dialogue and commended the INCHR—particularly its Chairperson, Cllr. T. Dempster Brown—for convening the forum. They also lauded the Children Representative Forum for its active engagement.

The gathering acknowledged UNICEF’s continued support to the Government of Liberia in advancing children’s rights, noting significant progress over the years. However, participants called on UNICEF to further strengthen national institutions to effectively fulfill Liberia’s obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child.