Since the end of the Civil War in 2003, however, there has been a great deal of activity by a number of international organizations with the objective of establishing in Liberia a solid democracy based on human rights.
[4] The 2003 peace agreement that ended the Civil War called for the establishment by the Liberian government of an Independent National Human Rights Commission.
[6] Human Rights Watch noted that in 2010 Liberia "made no progress in ensuring the prosecution of those responsible for war crimes committed during the armed conflicts" in accordance with the 2009 final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
[6] A 2012 report by Amnesty complained that persons guilty of major human-rights violations during the civil war had still not been brought to justice, and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's call for the establishment of a criminal tribunal to prosecute such cases had still not been heeded.
The CJL said that its first order of business would be "to name and shame" the perpetrators of wartime human-rights violators "and make sure that the USA is neither a safe haven for them nor a vacation joint where they travel and enjoy their bloody wealth without any form of accountability".
Ritualistic killings, which involve the removal from the victim's corpse of body parts used in tribal rituals, and which are often described in police reports as accidents or suicides, are a common occurrence.
[9] There exists an underfunded and understaffed Liberian Anti-Corruption Commission, created in 2008, that is supposedly empowered to prosecute crimes that effectively amount to corruption.
Human Rights Watch noted in 2011 that though there had been a multiplicity of high-level corruption scandals during the previous year, they had resulted in "few investigations and only two convictions".
The Anti-Corruption Commission, HRW complained, is "hampered by insufficient funds [and] personnel" and does not actually have the "authority to independently prosecute cases", and that the failure of Sirleaf to deal with this issue has led to "the perception that the president lacks the will to address the problem".
[9] The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, in a 2009 report, called on Liberia "to enact without delay and as a matter of priority legislation prohibiting female genital mutilation and to ensure that offenders are prosecuted and punished in accordance with the severity of this violation".
It also called on Liberia "to immediately stop issuing permits to practitioners, as is currently being done by the Ministry of Internal Affairs", and to implement and strengthen programs designed to change attitudes toward the practice.
Prostitution of young girls is also a significant issue, alongside child trafficking, compounded by the presence of many street children in urban areas such as Monrovia.
Orphanages in Liberia operate with little regulation, leading to inadequate food supplies, poor sanitary conditions, and limited medical care.
As of 2023, it is estimated that there are over 30,000 orphans in Liberia, a situation exacerbated by the aftermath of civil wars and health crises, namely, the Ebola outbreak.
It has helped in the establishment of "peer watch clubs" and "redress committees" that report such abuses and that have led to the dismissal of a number of teachers.
Addressing these issues requires a coordinated effort from government, NGOs, and the international community to ensure that all children, especially orphans, can access their rights to education, safety, and support.
Forced labor is illegal, but takes place, with rural families often sending women and children to cities to work in homes or as street vendors.
[9] A project in Liberia by the Action for Community and Human Development has sought to "enhance industrial workers unions' capacity to engage with management and protect workers' rights, build the capacity of local community development structures in governance and decision making, and assist constituents with their engagement with local authorities".
[17] The Liberian judiciary is characterized by inefficiency, corruption, underqualified lawyers and judges, and a chronic lack of court facilities, transportation, and other resources.
[9] Prison conditions in Liberia are substandard, with overcrowding, insufficient food and potable water, poor sanitation and ventilation, and a lack of medical care.
The Red Cross has been helping to improve the water supply and sanitation at several facilities, while the UN and various NGOs have been providing medical services and working on sanitary issues.
In 2008 the overwhelming majority of inmates in Monrovia Central Prison, according to Amnesty International, were being "held without charge, some for as long as two years".