| UN Envoy Pledges Support In Fight Against Crime |
| Published on April 30, 2008 | Email To Friend Print Version
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The United Nations Envoy in Liberia, Ms. Ellen Margrethe Løj, has pledged continued UN support to the Government of Liberia, especially in the fight against crime. “Cases of armed robbery, mob violence, and rape still remain high,” she observed. “And UNMIL has joined the Government and other partners to launch anti-crime and anti-rape campaigns across the country to deal with these challenges.”
She added that active community involvement and cooperation would be crucial for success in the fight against crime. “Together with the full cooperation and support of the public and communities we serve, we can succeed in dealing with these problems.”
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) was speaking at a medal parade during the weekend when she awarded UN peacekeeping medals to 165 military observers (MILOBs) and Staff Officers of various nationalities serving in the UN Mission in Liberia, (UNMIL).
SRSG Løj said that even though UNMIL has embarked on the first phase of its drawdown plan, the Mission will remain committed in its support and assistance to the Government and people of Liberia, so that further progress can be achieved in the areas of Security Sector reform, Rule of Law reform, Governance, Economic Development, and the effective implementation of the newly-completed Poverty Reduction Strategy, PRS.
Explaining the important role that the medal recipients play in work of the Mission, Ms. Løj, stated, ‘Our staff officers are the principal advisers to the Force Commander and work within the Force Headquarters to help direct all the military operations”. She added, “These tasks enable our diverse peacekeeping units, out in the field, to undertake the complex and multifaceted duties we assign them.”
Staff Officers are military and enlisted personnel possessing knowledge and skills in the fields of personnel administration, intelligence, military operations, logistics, civil military operations, communications, training, engineering, medicine, public information, legal and military justice. The UN Envoy further described the military observers as the eyes and ears of the Mission across the country, providing senior management with regular assessments on security and public order, movements across the country’s borders, community disputes, weapons collections and socio-economic assessment.
In his remarks at the parade, Chief of Staff, UNMIL Forces, Brig.-Gen. Emmanuel Quist, commended his colleagues for their dedication and professionalism. “The Staff Officers and Military Observers in spite of all odds and difficulties have worked tirelessly and have always come up with the desired results and expectations.”
The Medal award ceremony was attended by Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General for Recovery and Governance Jordan Ryan, UNMIL Force Commander Chikadibia Isaac Obiakor and other senior officials of UNMIL.
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