Peace-Building Speaking Notes at The International Peace Academy Seminar

K.Y. Amoako, Executive Secretary, ECA
14 December 1996
Addis Ababa

OPENING

Let me reiterate the key points made in my statement on Friday and use these as the backdrop for today's presentation and discussion.

Solutions to peace must be devised in a context that takes into account the following: the high cost of conflict and the economics of peace, the importance of peace to development, the role of civil society in promoting peace, why women should be involved in the peace process, and the challenges for the future.

I. High Cost of Conflict and the Economics of Peace has taken a great toll on Africa, a continent wrecked by conflict economic role less costly than military involvement ruined infrastructure vast human toll, escalating humanitarian costs need restructuring of public expenditures away from military huge opportunity costs ontinental demilitarization and cuts in military are preconditions for reviving civil society, reducing poverty, and sustaining development

- demilitarization requires disarmament, demobilization of forces, the reduction of the arms flow, and reintegration programmes, in addition to a reallocation of resources, a re-configured public expenditure mix, and a rehabilitation of critical infrastructure

- increases security, build confidence, and reduce public fear

- complementary reintegration programmes (training and employment schemes) can jump-start the economy

- macroeconomic reform programmes should be linked to the reintegration programme

- a successful conversion requires suitable public policies

- leads to enhanced production of civil goods and services and increase spending in the social sector

- reduced military spending promises greater benefits for the poor

- investments in basic social services can yield higher payoffs than investments in the military

II. Without enduring peace in the region, there can be no economic development and vice versa

stability and security - prerequisites to sustainable development

years lost on conflict are years lost on development

post-conflict peace-building is an integral aspect for securing durable peace

economic development may be further constrained by the diversion of donor funds that support economic development to disaster relief

disaster relief aid may be seen as a substitute for development aid

catastrophic if donors decide to reduce their development assistance because of contributions to relief efforts

the more that is spent on disaster relief, the less effective aid is seen in solving the fundamental development problem

III. Enduring peace requires a strong, viable, and assertive civil society

can support and build alliances; can sensitize and mobilize the general population about peace and good governance

the mass media should be mobilized to promote the concept of peace and facilitate consensus-building

IV. We can achieve peace if we consistently involve women in peace negotiations, peace-building, and peace management

women inherently peace makers; good style of negotiation and arbitration

are stakeholders and are the ones disproportionately affected by conflict

should support research that explores gender differences in interpretation of events leading to crises, the use of force, and strategies for creating stable peace

women and men leaders, together, can anticipate and prepare for a peaceful society of the present and of the future.

Background: Definitions

peace efforts have been classified into three distinct areas: peace-building, peace-keeping, and peace-making. While the focus on this session is peace-building, I believe it is necessary to define the other two terms:

peace-building - building bridges for constructive interaction between diverse societal groups; minimizing the potential for violent conflict; and creating an environment conducive to sustainable development

peace-keeping - building barriers between those engaged in conflict

peace-making - negotiating peace and reaching a mutually acceptable settlement

peace-building strategies are required at all stages of conflict

at the early stages

- peace-building - addresses the underlying causes of societal stress and helps prevent the eruption of conflict

- must address economic, social and political factors that can generate conflict, factors such as distribution and use of economic assets and political power.

- In a sense, the broad range of activities undertaken at this stage are the most cost-effective peace-building intervention that a country can ever undertake.

once conflict breaks out, peace-building - supported through programs to reduce mutual antagonisms, correct stereotypes and other destructive attitudes, and build up trust.

- includes measures to improve the confidence and commitment of the warring factions and combatants to the peace process

during the peace-making process, peace-building - supported through the systematic inclusion of activities that will help ensure the consolidation of the negotiated peace program.

- include economic activities in the peace settlement package to achieve long-term peace

beyond peace settlement and the "shaking of the hand", peace-building involves supporting and implementing a range of activities to restore political, social, and economic life.

- includes reconstruction of destroyed infrastructure and institutions (Bosnia), rehabilitation of victims or armed conflicts (Uganda), demobilization and re-integration of the fighting forces (Mozambique) and the reinforcement of a culture of tolerance through education and empowerment of people to enable them to express their views and participate in the political process

successful peace-building must therefore have at least three components:

- shared economic development

- confidence building in the political system of the country

- proactive education for mutual understanding

these components must transcend immediate political differences through collaboration designed to find lasting solutions to common socio-economic problems

the implementation of peace-building activities must be seen as a process inseparable from sustained democratization and economic development

What has undermined peace-building in Africa in the past?

poverty - root cause of the social and political chaos

people in Africa among the poorest in the world

on average, 45 to 50 percent of people in sub-Saharan Africa live in conditions of poverty

not enough to go around for everybody

a majority of countries not growing fast enough to pull themselves out of poverty

civil and ethnic conflict shuts off populace from the economic development sphere = vicious cycle of poverty

social upheaval further increasing

lack of accountability, of rule of law, and incentive systems that reward only politicians and bureaucrats have undermined development efforts and have eroded peace-building

sustained and broad-based economic growth is a key ingredient of long-term peace-building

Lessons from Asia

high performing Asian economies during the last three decades - offer useful lessons

East Asia has a remarkable record of high and sustained economic growth

since 1960, economic growth in Japan, Hong Kong, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand - more than five times faster than sub-Saharan Africa

sensible economic policies - key ingredient of their success

- high levels of private domestic investment

- investments in primary and secondary education

- productivity improvements in agriculture

- good macroeconomic management = stable environment for private investment

on average, between 1960 to 1990, rates of investments exceeded 20 percent of GDP

proportion living in poverty declined drastically

- Indonesia - the decline was 58 percent in 1960 to 17 percent in 1990

- Malaysia - from 37 percent to less than 5 percent

in short, human welfare improved dramatically

life expectancy increased from 56 years in 1960 to 71 years in 1990

in contrast, life expectancy in Sub-Saharan Africa has remained stable at approximately 51 years and is likely to be brought even lower by AIDS epidemic

Focus on Malaysia

Malaysia an east Asian miracle with the two major ethnic groups working amicably towards sustained peace and prosperity

was a prime candidate for considerable ethnic violence and protracted conflict

Malaysia has addressed ethnicity; has had substantial growth

background - on the eve of independence in Malaysia, there was a clear fault line running between the two largest ethnic groups in the country -- the Malay and Chinese. These two groups shared neither language nor religion, and had no shared memory of struggle to draw on.

ought to have experienced inter-ethnic violence

however, Malaysia successfully avoided ethnic tensions through deliberate policies of shared growth coupled with the establishment of a multiethnic political coalition a formula that fostered economic and political power sharing.

the multiethnic political coalition fostered ties between Chinese and Malay leaders and forced political candidates to seek the large middle electoral ground

Malaysia introduced explicit wealth-sharing programs to improve the lot of ethnic Malays relative to the better-off ethnic Chinese.

this principle of shared growth, enabled national leaders to establish their legitimacy and win the support of the society at large

ensured rapid sustained growth of Malaysia during 1960 to 1990 was shared by all groups

growth was also accompanied by improved income distribution

the result - from 1973-87, the number of poor in Malaysia decreased by 46 percent, and inequality decreased

How Can We Move Forward

can gain from Malaysia's experience with rapid growth and political and economic power sharing

comprehensive peace-building agenda must encourage positive interaction between socioeconomic development and political progress

need participatory government, good governance, and sound economic policies

effective participation in the economic and democratic arenas

- assuring human rights

- changing incentive structures for public service

- systematically evaluating the effectiveness of public expenditure patterns

The UN System-wide Special Initiative on Africa

a good framework for peace-building

a set of concrete and coordinated actions designed to maximize support for development in Africa

can give momentum to Africa's development

four cross-cutting themes:

- give development a chance

- strengthening the capacity to govern

- new hope for the upcoming generation

- urgency for survival issues

the subject matter of this seminar falls under the first cross-cutting theme "give development a chance" and is intricately linked to the second theme "strengthening the capacity for governance".

these two components are designed to ensure minimum conditions for civil tranquillity and economic development. Programs:

- strengthen OAU's capacity for peace-building

- foster civil society organizations' role in conflict resolution and economic development

- promote the application of modern communications and the information technology for economic development and consolidation of democratization in Africa

- expand capacity for transparent and effective governance

- mobilize external support for Africa's transition

the other two themes - "new hope for the upcoming generation" and "urgency for survival issues" - focus on poverty reduction primarily through provision of basic education and health services, promotion of employment and sustainable livelihood, and issues of water and food security.

- The programs under these two themes will directly address poverty in Africa -- a key element of peace-building

The Role of ECA

ECA with UNDP has the secretariat function for the SIA and is working in four key areas of significance to this meeting

- strengthening civil society

- harnessing information technology for development

- promoting informal sector employment for poverty reduction

- building capacity for governance

ECA - increasingly articulate about the important interface between economic development and peace-building

ECA - will provide policy advice to member States, will identify and disseminate best-practices, and undertake advocacy and awareness-raising activities to:

- reinforce member States efforts to implement sound economic policies aimed at reversing growth slow growth

- promote the implementation of programs that ensure broad-based and equitable growth

- foster macro-economic policies that are more contextual, take into account the constraints, issues, and factors endemic to Africa

- promote the role of women in decision-making and peace-building process, and

- promote peace in the context of sustainable development by advocating the inclusion of economic dimension to conflict resolution, prevention, and management.

- integrations programs

V. Challenges for the future

there is an economic dimension to peace

peace-building is a process inseparable from sustained democratization and economic development

politicians, civil servants, and civil society organizations each have a critical role to play in the success of any peace-building effort

we must support preventive diplomacy, create conditions for development, and strengthen institutional capacities to deal with conflict

In conclusion, it is important to say again that peace should no longer be a stranger to Africa.