Liberia Panel of Experts Report
The Council is scheduled to hold consultations on the Liberia sanctions regime on 23 June to discuss the report from the Liberia sanctions regime’s Panel of Experts. The Liberia Sanctions Committee received the report on 1 June and it was circulated to the Council on 15 June.
The report considers in detail the arms embargo, and travel bans on individuals identified as a threat to stability in Liberia and assets freeze against Charles Taylor and his associates. It also details progress made by the Liberian authorities in regulating the natural resource sector, in particular ensuring its diamond industry is in compliance with the Kimberley Process and its forestry and timber sector is being managed in compliance with domestic laws.
In its recommendations, the Panel suggests the Sanctions Committee update the travel ban and assets freeze lists on the basis of the additional information provided in the current and previous reports of the Panel, in particular more detailed identifying information such as updated passport numbers for some targeted individuals. The Panel also repeats its earlier recommendation that the Sanctions Committee explore with Interpol the preparation of Interpol-UN Special Notices for the individuals named on the travel ban list.
In December 2010 the Council adopted resolution 1961 which renewed the targeted sanctions regime, including travel bans and asset freezes, and arms embargo in Liberia and reiterated its on-going attention to the effect of the lifting of previous measures on the export of natural resources (timber and diamonds) which had been used to finance arms during previous conflicts. Resolution 1961 also renewed the mandate of the Panel of Experts to monitor the sanctions regime and arms embargo and requested the Panel prepare a mid-term report on its work by 1 June (the Panel’s final report is due on 1 December).
