85.
As a result of these collaborations, the TRC was able to engage in a variety of training
activities on child issues and child‐sensitive mechanisms for Commissioners and statement
takers, organize awareness raising activities to promote the participation of children and their
families in the TRC process, and hold regional hearings and statement takings exclusively
focused on children and children’s issues.
86.
The final outcome of the above efforts is a Children’s Chapter in the final TRC Report
reflecting the experiences of Liberian children before, during, and after the conflict with
recommendations that place the needs of children within the international child rights
framework.
B.
Protection of Children without a Family & Child Trafficking
87.
In order to monitor the alternative care for children without a family, Liberia has
formulated regulations and set in place minimum standards for the operation of orphanages
and child care institutions in the country. To ensure compliance, the country has assigned social
workers to all 15 counties and has taken appropriate measures against orphanages and child
care institutions found in violation of established standards.
88.
Liberia, through the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, has also provided trainings to
orphanage managers and caretakers to build their capacity in child care services; held series of
stakeholders workshops and awareness raising activities regarding regulations on alternative
care for children without a family and established an inter‐ Ministerial network with the
Liberian National Police, Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Gender to facilitate the protection
of children without a family.
89.
With regard to child trafficking through adoptions, Liberia created an ad‐hoc adoption
authority to monitor adoption practices in the country. After a two month countrywide public
awareness and consultation campaign, the adoption authority, in compliance with
recommendation from the consultation, placed a moratorium on all adoptions. Also, a revised
adoption law which is currently at the National Legislature for passage, put in place and
ensured the closure of adoption agencies suspected of child trafficking. The authority also
recommended that the country become a party to the Hague Adoption Convention.
C.
Child Labor & Child Abuse
90.
As a party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Liberia has made considerable
efforts to protect children from child labor. Since 2007, the country has sponsored a series of
awareness raising workshops on child labor in all 15 counties; assigned Child Welfare Officers
(CWOs) in each county to create long‐term awareness of child rights, including child labor, and
initiated the establishment of 480 community based Child Welfare Committees (CWCs) to
monitor and report child rights violations and promote children’s rights within their respective
communities.
20