A House with Two Rooms - The Advocates for Human Rights

Section vii. non-diScrimination meaSureS related to minoritieS and women
Statement givers clearly identified discrimination as a major root cause of the conflict in Liberia.
Protection of minorities both through assuring non-discrimination and through affirmative action to
address past discriminatory policies should be the central tenets of regaining national unity. One of the
key doctrines of protecting against discrimination is constitutionalization of an anti-discrimination
norm. 349 Liberia’s constitution already enshrines several important non-discrimination principles.
Article 11(a) states that all “persons, irrespective of ethnic background, race, sex, creed, place of origin
or political opinion, are entitled to the fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual, subject to
such qualifications as provided for in this Constitution.” Also, the constitution specifically protects
the right to equal employment regardless of membership in any of the aforementioned categories. 350
The constitution includes a policy directive to provide equal access to educational opportunities and
facilities for all citizens. 351
Protection of Minorities
Minorities for the purpose of international human rights are groups in a non-dominant position
relative to the state who possess ethnic, religious, or linguistic characteristics differing from the rest of
the population, and who demonstrate a sense of solidarity directed towards preserving their distinctive
collective identity. 352 Targeting of ethnic, religious, and linguistic groups during the conflict was widely
reported by statement givers and must be addressed in order to rebuild national unity in Liberia.
Liberia acceded to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial
Discrimination in 1976 and is accordingly obligated to implement the terms of that international
treaty. Liberia has never submitted a periodic report to the Committee on the Elimination of Racial
Discrimination. 353 The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, relevant
treaty body instruments, the Convention against Discrimination in Education, the Declaration on
the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious or Linguistic Minorities, and the
Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion
or Belief provide a guiding framework for the right to be free from discrimination. The Advocates
recommends the following:
• The Government of Liberia should support an amendment to the Liberian Constitution to
protect against discrimination based on ethnicity, tribe, and language.
• The Government of Liberia should ensure that Liberia’s constitutional protections against
discrimination are fully enforced through implementing legislation and national policy. 354
• The Government of Liberia should take all appropriate legislative measures to ensure that the
provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination are
fully reflected in domestic law. 355
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Chapter Fourteen