The National Elections Commission (NEC) and partners, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Electoral Support Office in Liberia, on Thursday began rolling out the last phase of awareness on the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Security Agencies and the Media in Elections in Tubmanburg, Bomi County. The governments of Sweden and Ireland are providing the funds for the rollout in Tubmanburg.
A statement from the Commission says the first, second and third phases of the SOPs have been rolled out in Ganta, Gbarnga and Buchanan.
According to the NEC, the main objective of the Standard Operating Procedures is to provide guidance regarding the roles, responsibilities and specific mandates of both security personnel and the media on elections day.
The SOPs seeks to facilitate communication between the security agents and the journalists and the understanding of conflict-sensitive reporting and right to access information.
The NEC statement, issued on Thursday, January 5, 2023, said, the SOPs also emphasizes the role of female journalists and law enforcement officers in electoral violence prevention and peace-building.