A House with Two Rooms - The Advocates for Human Rights

• The Government of Liberia should ensure access to health care to help the elderly to “maintain
or regain the optimum level of physical, mental and emotional well-being and to prevent or
delay the onset of illness.” 58
• The Government of Liberia should provide specific training on gerontology, geriatrics, and
psychogeriatrics to health and social welfare personnel, as well as education on self-care to
the elderly. 59
• The Government of Liberia should provide elderly people with access to suitable education
programs and training on the basis of their
preparation, abilities, and motivation. 60
• The Government of Liberia should recognize
and utilize the position of respect,
influence, and knowledge of elderly people
in the development of future programs and
planning. 61
Programs for Vulnerable Groups: Children
Children suffer disproportionately during all armed
conflict. Many statement givers told the TRC of the
extreme suffering of children as a result of preventable
disease, malnutrition or outright starvation, family
separation, forced conscription, and targeted violence
against these most vulnerable members of Liberian
society. The Government of Liberia has ratified the
Convention on the Rights of the Child, the African
Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, and
International Labour Organisation Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention and is therefore bound
to the obligations set forth in them. In order to strengthen its commitment to the protection of
children, the Government of Liberia should:
• Ratify both optional protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and International
Labour Organisation Minimum Age Convention without delay.
• Dedicate appropriate and sufficient resources to submit its report to the Secretary-General of
the African Union describing the measures taken to give effect to the rights set forth in the
African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. 63
• Dedicate appropriate and sufficient resources to submit its required reports to the Committee
on the Rights of the Child.
The treaties and instruments described above provide a guiding framework for the effective promotion
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Potential Implementation Strategy:
Addressing Multi-Generational
Relationships
The Conceptual Framework for the
International Year of Older Persons (1999)
suggests that communities play a central
role in facilitating multi-generational
relationships. Youth and elder groups can
together address issues of common concern,
including “safety, environmental protection,
cultural enrichment, income-generation and
others.” The Conceptual Framework also
notes the role of communities in bridging
older and younger generations through the
sharing of new/old technologies and new/
traditional lifestyles. 62