Security Council extends mandate of UN office in Liberia

The Security Council has decided to extend the mandate of the United Nations Office in Liberia for one year, according to an exchange of letters made public today in New York.

In a letter to the Security Council, the Secretary-General had recommended that the UN Office's presence in Liberia be prolonged through December 2002. The Office, he said, had made worthwhile contributions to national reconciliation, respect for human rights and the rule of law, in spite of the difficult political and security circumstances prevailing in the country and the subregion and the limited resources available to it.

"[The UN Office] has kept me and the Security Council informed of the evolving situation in the country and provided a useful political link between Liberia and the international community, particularly since the imposition of sanctions," Mr. Annan wrote, noting that the UN staff in Liberia had also given support to the various phases of the Sierra Leone peace process.