Monrovia –The Independent National Commission on Human Rights (INCHR) has clarified its statutory mandate on reparations for victims and survivors of Liberia’s civil conflicts, dismissing reports that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) recommended a separate Reparations Commission.
In a statement issued October 7 and signed by Cllr. Josephine E. Ogbodu, Director of the Department of Education, Training and Information at INCHR, the Commission said it wishes to correct ongoing public discussions and misconceptions regarding the implementation of reparations as recommended by the TRC.
The INCHR said the TRC recommended, among other measures, the establishment of a Victims Trust Fund and the provision of reparations to victims and survivors as part of Liberia’s broader transitional justice and national reconciliation agenda.
According to the Commission, its own establishment provides the statutory institutional mechanism for the implementation, coordination, monitoring and reporting of TRC recommendations.
Therefore, matters relating to human rights, transitional justice, accountability, reconciliation and implementation of TRC recommendations fall squarely within its legal mandate.
“In fulfillment of this mandate, the INCHR has commenced a process aimed at developing a National Reparations Framework for Liberia,” the statement said.
The Commission said the process is being undertaken through learning, consultation, and engagement with victims and survivors, who remain at the center.
“This will culminate in the development of a victim-centered national framework that provides a foundation for meaningful, inclusive, accessible and sustainable reparations,” INCHR noted.
The Commission said it is undertaking the work in partnership with relevant stakeholders, including WONGOSOL, the Liberia Massacre Survivors Association (LIMASA), civil society organizations, and other national and international partners.
INCHR made it unequivocally clear to both national and international partners that as the statutory institution mandated to coordinate transitional justice initiatives, it must be informed, consulted and engaged in all ongoing transitional justice-related activities.
The Commission further categorically rejected misinformation suggesting that the TRC recommended the establishment of a separate “Reparations Commission.”
“The INCHR urges the public, stakeholders, and the media to distinguish clearly between the TRC’s recommendation for a reparations program, including the establishment of a Victims Trust Fund, and the institutional mechanisms legally mandated to implement those recommendations,” the statement said.
It warned that mischaracterizations of the TRC recommendations risk creating public confusion and undermining efforts to advance transitional justice.
The INCHR emphasized that its current work does not seek to create a new institution outside its mandate, but rather represents its commitment to advancing TRC recommendations through existing legal frameworks, while working collaboratively with victims, government, civil society and partners.
The Commission called on victims’ groups, civil society, development partners, government institutions, traditional leaders, academic institutions, and faith-based organizations to actively participate in the process.
“The Commission remains firmly committed to ensuring that the voices and lived experiences of victims and survivors are not only heard but are placed at the heart of shaping Liberia’s reparations process,” it said.
“Reparations are not merely about compensation. They are about recognition, dignity, healing, restoration and justice for those who suffered,” INCHR stressed.