Monrovia — The newly formed Mano River Human Rights Network has identified Human Trafficking, Child Soldiering and High Cost of living among others as major human rights issues that requires immediate actions by Mano River Union (MRU) Countries including Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.

The Mano River Human Rights Network pointed out these Human Rights issues at the end of a two-day consultative meeting held in Freetown from January 29-30, 2004 at which time the Network was established.

A release from the National Human Rights Center of Liberia, said these and many other crucial human rights issues were identified in a joint declaration signed at the close of the meeting attended by the Acting Executive Secretary of the National Forum for Human Rights of Sierra Leone (NFHR), the Coordinator of the National Human Rights Center of Liberia (NHRCL) and the Treasurer of the Guinea Organization for Human Rights (OGDH) respectively in persons of Messrs Charles B.P. Lahai, A. Blamo Sieh and Daillo Abdoul Gadiry.

The group, in the declaration, made specific reference to some key human rights issues in the individual MRU countries although Gender and Sexual Violence, Child Prostitution and HIV/AIDS were similar in the three countries.

In Liberia, the group identified twelve issues among which were Child soldiers, Protection of Human Rights Defenders, Community Policing, Restructuring the Governance System and Strengthening Liberia's Relationship with neighboring countries including La Cote d'Ivoire and Guinea.

Ten issues of Human Rights were identified in Guinea by the Network. They include Arbitrary Arrest, Human Trafficking, Repression of Freedom of Expression, Political Disappearances and Extreme Poverty.

As for Sierra Leone, there were 10 issues among which were Mismanagement of Natural Resources, Security and Stability, High Cost of Living and Mass Education on the Special Court.

The Network then urged the governments of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, the MRU Secretariat, ECOWAS, and the international community to take immediate action on the human rights concerns identified in the document.

They added that the proliferation of small arms and roving of private militias were of concerns. As such, they seek to work constructively with the human rights movements in the MRU Basin.

Also in the declaration, the group noted with deep concern the need for networking and linkage between human rights organizations within the Mano River Basin and agreed on the need for unity and collaboration among the human rights movements in their respective countries among others.

The new group indicated their willingness to constructively engage their respective governments to ratify outstanding international instruments and protocols as a means of further enhancing the protection of the fundamental liberties of their people.

Meanwhile, the release said the Network's next meeting would be held in Monrovia next March to be followed by the third meeting in Conakry, Guinea.