Statement by Liberia

To the Eighth Conference of States Parties to the Arms Trade Treaty (CSP8)

Geneva, Switzerland

22 – 26 August 2022

Delivered by:

Teklo Maxwell Grigsby, II (Atty.)

Chairperson, Liberia National Commission on Small Arms (LiNCSA)

Ambassador Thomas Gabriel, President of the CSP8

Representatives of States Parties

Members of the ATT Secretariat

Representatives of Civil Society Organizations

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen

Mr. President,

I extend warm greetings from His Excellency Amb. George Manneh Weah, President of the Republic of Liberia, and congratulate you for your election as President of the Eighth Conference of States Parties to the Arms Trade Treaty (CSP8) in keeping with the provisions of Article 17 of the Treaty. My delegation also congratulates other Members of the Bureau on their elections and extends commendation for the great organization of the CSP 8. Liberia specifically congratulates the Philippines for acceding to the ATT as the 111^th State Party and reaffirms its commitment to the success of the Conference.

Mr. President, let me also seize the opportunity to thank the United Nations for its immeasurable contributions to Liberia’s post conflict recovery and development. Liberia is particularly grateful to the ATT Secretariat and the Voluntary Trust Fund Selection Committee for its support towards national implementation of the ATT.

Mr. President, as you may be aware, Liberia, like many other countries in this Conference, is not a known producer of Small arms and Light Weapons (SALW) but a victim of its proliferation. The decade and half long civil war in Liberia fueled by illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons in the hands of Non-State Actors is a testament to this fact. Liberia therefore attaches great importance to the central role of the Arms Trade Treaty as the global instrument regulating the trade and transfer of conventional arms.  

As a state party, Liberia aligned to the statement of Niger on behalf of the African Group and in its National capacity commits to firmly implementing the ATT and has taken a number of bold steps aimed at fully implementing the ATT. The government of Liberia in 2012 formally established the Liberia National Commission on Small Arms (LiNCSA) as the National Competent Authority to regulate all aspects of SALW. Liberia signed and ratified the Arms Trade Treaty in 2012 and 2015 respectively. Over the years, Liberia has participated in several Preparatory Meetings and Conferences of State Parties to the ATT and appreciates its sponsorship at the CSP 8.

Your Excellency, Liberia has benefited from the 2018/2019 Grant Cycle of Arms Trade Treaty Voluntary Trust Fund (ATT/VTF) to promote the drafting of legislations to support the domestication of the ATT in Liberia. The National Broker’s Registry was reviewed and consultation with concerned ports and security personnel were held.

Furthermore, in 2020, Liberia was awarded a grant to implement the Project “Filling National Arms Recordkeeping Gaps” in collaboration with the Center for Armed Violence Reduction (CAVR), an Australian based organization with specialization in database and recordkeeping management. The project aims to ensure ATT compliance arms control system through upgrading Liberia’s State and Civilian arms record-keeping, licensing, tracing and international reporting with Arms Tracker. The Project involves scoping, customization, installation, training and ongoing system upgrades and support.

Mr. President, Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, I am pleased to inform you all that in addition to signing and ratifying the ATT, the Liberian Legislature has unanimously enacted “An  Act to amend the Firearms and Ammunition Act of 2015” to domesticate the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT).

The Government of Liberia through the National Legislature has also enacted “An Act to Amend the Act Establish the Liberia National Commission on Small Arms of 2012 and thus Established the Liberia National Commission on Arms of 2022”

The Establishment of the Liberia National Commission on Arms as the National Competent Authority to regulate trade and transfer control of Conventional Arms by the National Legislature is in compliance of Article 5.5 of the ATT. This decision is a milestone in West Africa as Liberia is the first amongst the 15 Member States of the Economic Community of West African States to domesticate the ATT and stands ready to collaborate with and assist other Member States of the African Union to domesticate the ATT.

Your Excellency, Liberia has fully complied with Article 13 of the ATT by submitting Initial Report in 2017 and subsequent reports as required by the Treaty. Liberia, as a State Party and Nation ravaged by over 15 years of civil conflicts further states its readiness to fully comply with all provisions of the Treaty including Article 16 for adequate support to the Secretariat of the ATT. The Government of Liberia celebrated on August 18, 2022, 19 uninterrupted years of Peace since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in Accra, Ghana in 2003.

Liberia welcomes the discussion on post shipment controls and states that beyond the requirements of the ATT, ECOWAS Convention on SALW and other Internal Instruments, it has in its national arms control legislations, administrative sanctions on all vessels, flights and other means of transport for illegal Import and Export of Conventional Arms thereby facilitating diversion.

The Government of Liberia extends special appreciation to the Federal Republic of Germany for the continue support to Physical Security and Stockpile Management (PSSM) Regional Trainings in West Africa and the European Union for support to the United Nations Office on Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), the African Union and Regional Centre on Small Arms (RESCA) for support to Silencing the Guns Initiative.

I thank you for your kind attention.