children. Despite the Free and Compulsory Primary Education Program set up by Liberia to increase school enrolment of children, unofficial fees and costs relating to uniforms and school supplies discourage parents from sending their children to school. Extractive Industries 44. The Commission welcomes the legislative measures being taken by Liberia to ensure accountability and transparency in resource governance, including the passing of the Liberian Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative Act on 11 June 2009. 45. The Commission is however concerned with reports which reveal the existence of inadequacies in government oversight and monitoring in the area of extractive industries, including legal, regulatory and enforcement frameworks and transparency mechanisms. Reports further indicate of violations that have occurred because of concession agreements that Liberia has signed with private corporations, without the participation or free, prior or informed consent of affected communities. Public Integrity and Corruption 46. The Commission welcomes the establishment of the Anti-Corruption Commission in 2006, but regrets the absence of information in the Report on steps taken to comply with the TRC recommendations to enact a Whistle Blower Statute to protect and reward persons who expose corruption and to enact a code of conduct to govern the public sector. The Independent National Human Rights Commission 47. While welcoming the establishment of the Independent National Human Rights Commission (INHRC), the Commission is concerned that the INHRC has not been accredited by the International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, and it is not fully operational, and is therefore unable to effectively fulfil its mandate. The Report does not provide statistical data on the number of complaints received, investigations carried out, and orders for compensation and/or rehabilitation by the INHRC. Further, the TRC had recommended that the INHRC be empowered to prosecute the human rights violations it has jurisdiction over before any court. Timely Submission of Periodic State Report 48. The Commission regrets the 23 years delay in submission of the Report, as well as the Report’s non-compliance with the Guidelines for State Reporting under the African Charter, and the Guidelines for State Reporting under the Maputo Protocol. V. Recommendations 9

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