ACERWC Report on Follow-Up Mission to Liberia
Published: 15/Jan/2020
Source: African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child
Report of the ACERWC on the Follow-Up Mission Conducted to Monitor the Implementation of its Concluding Observations and Recommendations to the Republic of Liberia 06-08 November 2019
Extract:
7.4. Civil Rights and Freedoms
i. Birth registration
The Committee notes that only 25 % of children under the age of 5 have birth certificates. However progress has been achieved by the Government in increasing the rate of birth registration and certification in collaboration with UNICEF and World Bank, by enhancing accessibility of birth registration centers.
ii. Nationality
The Committee observed that the Constitution provides that Liberian nationality can only be given to people with Negro descent, leaving many non-Negros who have settled in the country at risk of statelessness. The Committee further notes that in additional to discrimination based on race in acquisition of nationality, transfer of citizenship from mother to child raises an issue of gender based discrimination. It is noted that women do not have the right to transfer citizenship, if a Liberian woman has a child with a foreigner she can not transfer her citizenship to her child, but this doesn’t apply to men, a Liberian man who has a child with a foreigner can transfer his citizenship to his child.
Download full report: https://www.acerwc.africa/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Liberia-follow-up-mission-report.pdf