New York, US - The UN Security Council has extended the mandate of the UN peacekeeping mission in Liberia (UNMIL) by another year, stressing the supporting role it will play when the West African country holds presidential and legislative elections next month.

In a unanimously adopted resolution, a copy made available to PANA in New York on Saturday, the Council members authorised the extension of UNMIL’s mandate through 30 September 2012.

They underlined the importance of the mission in helping Liberian authorities organise the forthcoming elections, which are scheduled to take place on 11 October.

The Council noted that, 'UNMIL is tasked with providing logistical support, particularly to facilitate access to remote areas, coordinating international electoral assistance, and supporting Liberian institutions and political parties in creating an atmosphere conducive to the conduct of peaceful elections.”

It, however, stated that Liberians themselves will remain primarily responsible for ensuring the success of the elections.

The Council members also urged Liberians to work towards “an environment conducive to a timely, credible, inclusive and peaceful electoral process, which includes free and constructive political debate”.

'Free, fair and peaceful elections will represent a core benchmark” for determining the future drawdown in size and scope of the peacekeeping mission,' the resolution stated.

It called on both UNMIL and the Liberian government to make progress in the process of transition planning and to develop detailed proposals for the next stages of the drawdown of UNMIL, which has been in place since 2003, when the Liberian civil war ended.

The resolution also emphasized the need for UNMIL to coordinate closely with the UN peacekeeping force in Cote d’Ivoire (UNOCI) to ensure common strategies and activities near the Liberian-Ivorian border, where armed groups have often operated in the past.

Last Wednesday, in an address to a Security Council meeting, UNMIL’s head Ms. Ellen Margrethe Loj, warned that even if the elections are successfully staged, “it does not mean the work is finished. Liberians will still require considerable assistance and support in rebuilding their lives and the country'.

Pana 17/09/2011