THE CHAIRWOMAN OF THE U.N. COMMITTEE OVERSEEING SANCTIONS ON LIBERIA SAID SATURDAY SHE HOPED THE MEASURES IMPOSED ON THE COUNTRY'S DIAMOND AND TIMBER INDUSTRIES WOULD SOON BE LIFTED THANKS TO PROGRESS LIBERIA HAS MADE, AP REPORTED. IT IS, AND I WILL UNDERLINE, MY PERSONAL IMPRESSION, WHICH I WILL COMMUNICATE WITH MY COLLEAGUES ON THE COMMITTEE, THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS WORKING HARD TO MEET THE BENCHMARKS SET UP BY THE SECURITY COUNCIL FOR LIFTING THESE COMMODITY SANCTIONS, ELLEN MARGRETHE LOJ SAID AT A NEWS CONFERENCE IN MONROVIA SATURDAY. LOJ IS DENMARK'S REPRESENTATIVE TO THE U.N. AS WELL AS CHAIRWOMAN OF THE LIBERIA SANCTIONS COMMITTEE. THE SANCTIONS WERE SLAPPED ON LIBERIA IN 2001 WHEN THEN PRESIDENT CHARLES TAYLOR WAS ALLEGED TO HAVE USED PROCEEDS FROM THE SALE OF DIAMONDS AND TIMBER TO FUEL WARS IN THE REGION. TAYLOR ON MONDAY WAS BROUGHT BEFORE A WAR CRIMES COURT IN NEIGHBORING SIERRA LEONE AND PLEADED NOT GUILTY TO WAR CRIMES AND CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY. THE SECURITY COUNCIL WANTS MEASURES PUT IN PLACE TO ENSURE EARNINGS FROM THE INDUSTRIES ARE USED TRANSPARENTLY AND IN THE INTEREST OF THE NATION. THE SANCTIONS WERE TO BE REVIEWED IN SIX MONTHS. LOJ SAID SHE UNDERSTOOD FROM DISCUSSIONS WITH LIBERIA'S NEW PRESIDENT, ELLEN JOHNSON SIRLEAF, AND OTHER OFFICIALS THAT A LOT IS BEING DONE, BUT WE ARE NOT QUITE THERE YET. SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE MOMENTUM IS KEPT UP SO THAT THE SECURITY COUNCIL WILL BE ABLE SOME TIME IN THE FUTURE AND HOPEFULLY NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE TO LIFT THE SANCTIONS ON TIMBER AND DIAMONDS SO THE INCOME FROM THOSE TWO IMPORTANT INDUSTRIES WILL BENEFIT THE LIBERIAN PEOPLE AND NOT SOME ACTORS OUTSIDE THE GOVERNMENT SYSTEM.
