Inaugurated on 20 February 2006 , with implementation from 22 June 2006 – for two years, with allowance for additional 3-month extensions up to one year.

Mandate: Foreseen in Part VI, Article XIII of Accra Peace Accord (18 August 2003)

The final Truth and Reconciliation Commission Act was passed in June 2005, with a mandate “to promote national peace, security, unity and reconciliation by”

a) investigating gross human rights violations and violations of international humanitarian law as well as abuses that occurred, including massacres, sexual violations, murder, extra-judicial killings and economic crimes, such as the exploitation of natural or public resources to perpetuate armed conflicts, during the period January 1979 to October 14, 2003 although could also explore period before 1979;

b) providing a forum to address impunity;

c) establishing an independent, accurate and objective record of the past, and paying particular attention to gender based violence;

d) compiling a report with findings and recommendations.

Staff: 9 Commissions, with not less than 4 women appointed by Head of State after vetting by a Selection Panel. Chaired by Councillor Jerome Verdier. An International Technical Advisory Committee (ITAC0 consisting of 3 persons, with full rights and privileges as Commissioners

January 2008: Public hearings are scheduled to start this month, after many delays. This process was initially begun in August 2006, but was set back by financial and logistical problems. Since then the TRC has been focussing on statement-taking, but this has now been scaled down to "enable the TRC to move into the second phase", says Chairman Jerome Verdier. 

Over 10 000 statements have been taken.

Hearings will fall into one of three categories: individual hearings based on statements or interviews; thematic hearings that will look for the trends and causes of the conflict; and institutional hearings, which will examine how national institutions (such as the judiciary and education system) have been affected by the conflict, with a view to bringing about reform in the future. [The Inquirer] 

One of the key operations of the TRC is also to include the voices of the diaspora. While movement has been achieved on the diaspora hearings, the in-country operations have been impeded by various issues, including lack of financial resources, securing of essential staff, and clarifying operational procedures. An International Contact Group was established in March 2007 to assist on strategy development and securing of funds.  [CSVR] 

The TRC process has also been under fire from local civil society groups, who claim that the TRC is acting contrary to a memorandum of understanding by which civil society was to be the key implementing partner of community-based programs.  [“Liberia: Trouble at TRC Again”, The Inquirer, 16 July 2007]