There is a critical need for further international
action to end the civil war in Liberia – and to halt the spread of chaos beyond its borders that has both
inflamed the Côte d’Ivoire crisis and threatens wider
military conflict and humanitarian disaster in much of West Africa. The key mechanism in this respect is
the International Contact Group on Liberia (hereafter
Contact Group), established in September 2002. And
the central players within that body, whose
cooperation is essential if effective action is to be
taken, are its three permanent members of the Security Council: the U.S., UK and France.
