| United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Support
to NEPAD
Humanitarian Response, post-conflict recovery and reconstruction
Unaddressed consequences of conflict - major impediments
to socio-economic progress
Violent conflict and its unresolved consequences rank among
the top few factors seriously obstructing a large number of
African countries from achieving their aspirations to peace
and security and socio-economic progress. Countries emerging
from conflict and in post-conflict situations are over-burdened
with complex problems including political instability, insecurity,
human rights, justice and rule of law, reconciliation, reintegration
and rehabilitation of displaced populations and, socio-economic
challenges including rebuilding critical physical and institutional
infrastructure, corruption, war economies and large unemployment
problems.
While it is well recognized that the stabilization of societies
emerging from conflict requires more than peace agreements,
peace-keeping troops and short-term humanitarian assistance,
responses to such situations continue to be security and military
oriented in spite of the increasingly articulate rhetoric
for comprehensive solutions. As a result, very little attention
is given to recovery and reconstruction needs and civilian
population in these countries may, at best, expect to benefit
only from limited and poorly-coordinated humanitarian assistance.
Weak strategic planning, severely limited capacities of internal
actors, lack of significant and sustained international support
and funding and, poor coordination between humanitarian, reconstruction
and development initiatives leave most of the recovery and
reconstruction needs unattended. As a result most post-conflict
countries will not be able to meet the Millennium Development
Goals by 2015. In fact their socio-economic situation could
even worsen further unless immediate and comprehensive action
is taken to stem the down-ward trend. The impact of conflict
on neighbouring countries and sub-regions including the burden
of hosting large numbers of refugees could also have serious
consequences on their socio-economic progress.
Need for a comprehensive and integrated approach
Addressing the needs of African countries in transition from
conflict to sustainable peace would require a comprehensive
and integrated approach, commitment of the concerned countries
themselves and strong international support encompassing humanitarian
assistance, recovery/reconstruction and development. It is
in an effort to provide a broad and strategic policy blueprint
for such a comprehensive approach that the African Union is
currently developing a strategic framework on post-conflict
reconstruction. The AU framework could also serve as a strategic
tool that will guide the systematic identification of needs
and gaps in post-conflict countries and the development of
further integrated programmes and projects to meet critical
needs and gaps.
The Sub-Cluster on Humanitarian Response and Post-Conflict
Recovery
The Sub-Cluster on Humanitarian Response and Post-Conflict
Recovery, under the Cluster on Governance, Peace and Security,
advocates for increased attention to the needs of countries
emerging from conflict, and provides support to the AU in
its effort to bring about increased policy-level coordination
and the mobilization of international support required to
address the needs of post-conflict societies. The Sub-Cluster's
priority activities in the short/medium-term include providing
support to the African Union in the development and dissemination
of a strategic Framework for Post-Conflict Reconstruction
and Development, compiling preliminary assessment reports
on critical needs and gaps in selected post-conflict countries,
conducting (or participating in) assessment missions, advocacy
and capacity building.
The Sub-Cluster's activities were invigorated at the beginning
of 2005 with the appointment by UNHCR of a Senior Programme
Coordinator and an earlier secondment by JICA, to UNHCR, of
an expert on post-conflict issues. The Sub-Cluster held its
first formal coordination meeting on 30 March 2005 to review
current challenges, endorse its work plan and establish a
smaller and more agile Inter-Agency Technical Support Cell
comprised of six agencies (IOM, UNHCR, UNDP, UNICEF, ILO,
and WFP) that would carry forward the Sub-Cluster's work.
The IATSC has met twice in 2005 to exchange information about
each agency's activities relating to post-conflict recovery
and review progress in implementation of its work plan.
The draft AU framework on post-conflict reconstruction and
development has already been reviewed by members of the AU
Peace and Security Council and other AU Member States during
the PSC's 4th Brainstorming meeting held on 4 and
5 September in Durban, South Africa. The framework will shortly
be reviewed by two separate meetings of international experts
and experts of AU Member States during the first half of 2006.
The Framework is expected to be endorsed by AU's decision-making
organs during the June/July 2006 AU Summit. Official endorsement
of the draft Framework and the creation of monitoring and
implementation mechanisms by the AU would pave the way for
an increased and more systematic engagement of the NEPAD Sub-Cluster
in the Framework's dissemination and implementation.
As part of the build-up to the current state of affairs,
UNHCR has also made contributions to the Post-Conflict Recovery
Workshop convened by the NEPAD Secretariat in Johannesburg
from 13-15 October 2004. The main discussions in this meeting
focused on the core areas of intervention in post-conflict
recovery.
Preliminary assessment of situation in post-conflict
countries
Recognizing the massive recovery, reconstruction and development
needs in the Continent, the Japan International Cooperation
Agency (JICA) seconded a Senior Technical Expert on Post-Conflict
Recovery to UNHCR Regional Liaison Office in Addis Ababa in
May 2004. The JICA expert provides support to the work of
the Sub-Cluster and UNHCR including in undertaking preparatory
work such as developing criteria for selection and classification
of post-conflict countries1,
organization of a socio-economic databases in these countries
and coordination of the preparation of preliminary assessment
and analytical reports on the status of recovery and reconstruction
in selected post-conflict countries.
The preliminary assessment reports mentioned above would
provide a background for the development of integrated and
comprehensive programmes and projects that could address critical
needs and gaps in past/present recovery and reconstruction
initiatives. Compilation of basic socio-economic database
on selected post-conflict countries was completed during the
first half of 2005. A report on Angola was prepared and shared
for comment during the 3rd quarter of 2005. Reports
on Sudan, DRC, Liberia, Cote d'Ivoire and Burundi are expected
to be completed during the first quarter of 2006.
Country-Specific initiatives
The Sub-Cluster and UNHCR also work closely with the AU in
support of its initiatives in specific Countries such as the
Sudan and Central African Republic. At the Meeting of Experts
on Post-Conflict Reconstruction in the Sudan held by the AU
5-6 December 2005, a draft "Framework for the Involvement
of AU Member States and Relevant African Institutions in Post-Conflict
Reconstruction of the Sudan" was discussed. This Framework,
being developed under the auspices of the AU Committee on
post-conflict reconstruction in Sudan, contains guidelines
that aim to facilitate efforts of AU member states in providing
support to the Sudan in its post-conflict recovery and reconstruction
efforts following conclusion of a Comprehensive Peace Agreement
at the beginning of 2005. 44th meeting of the AU
Peace and Security Council held on 29 December 2005 was also
devoted to discussing the situation in the Central African
Republic and called for increased international support to
meet humanitarian and recovery needs in that country.
UNHCR's framework for durable solutions
In order to enhance closer cooperation and coordination with
other UN System agencies, government departments, NGOs and
other partners involved in humanitarian, recovery and development
activities, UNHCR developed a strategic policy in the past
few years dubbed as Framework for Durable Solutions. This
Framework aims to enhance burden and responsibility sharing,
building capacities to receive and protect refugees and find
sustainable durable solutions to their problems. The Framework
includes methodologies such as Development Assistance for
Refugees (DAR) and Development through Local Integration (DLI)
in asylum countries and, Repatriation, Reintegration, Rehabilitation
and Reconstruction (4Rs) in countries of origin. In particular,
the 4Rs methodology is intended to serve as an overarching
framework for institutional collaboration in the planning
and implementation of reintegration activities in post-conflict
situations.
Following decisions reached in the IASC, UNHCR is also gearing
up its activities to strengthen the key roles it will play
in the protection of and assistance to Internally Displaced
Persons in conflict situations within the UN Collaborative
Approach. UNHCR will have a leading coordination role in protection,
camp management and administration and emergency shelter.
Major Challenges relating to the work of the Sub-Cluster
1. As clearly mentioned at the opening session of the Brainstorming
Retreat on the FPCRD held in Durban in September 2005, post-conflict
reconstruction and development in Africa is primarily a political
process. It requires, therefore, full commitment and
further support by all parties if the efforts were to make
a difference on the situation of post-conflict countries in
any significant way.
The Advisory Panel could play a key role in raising
the profile of the post-conflict reconstruction issue on the
political agenda of the United Nations and other international
partners.
2. The African Union has made post-conflict reconstruction
one of its key objectives in ensuring stable peace and security
in the Continent by including it in the mandate of the Peace
and Security Council as well as its strategic plan for the
2004-2007 period. As indicated above, progress is being made
in putting in place a strategic policy framework on PCRD and
mechanisms for implementation and monitoring. This progress,
however, should be complemented by strong international support
and the mobilization of resources to implement the framework,
meet actual needs and bridge gaps on the ground. In this
regard, consideration may also be given to strengthening the
synergy of effort between the AU Commission and NEPAD secretariat.
The Advisory Panel can play a key role in highlighting
the problems of countries in post-conflict situations and
calling for a particular attention of the international community
in the mobilization of support and resources to help Africa's
development.
3. In light of the immensity of the post-conflict reconstruction
challenge in AFrica and the primary focus of AU's effort on
policy, monitoring, and strategic coordination, the Sub- Cluster
can play a pivotal role in connecting this effort with initiatives
that can make a tangible difference on the ground. While
all members of the Sub-Cluster have strong support for its
objectives, they are often constrained by absence of clear
policy guidelines support from their respective headquarters
as well as resource limitations at the field level (especially
in Addis Ababa) to engage in concrete activities such as field
missions and project/programme development.
4. The challenges facing the Sub-Cluster are closely related
to weaknesses observed in the Cluster approach to NEPAD support
in general. If the sub-cluster is to be effective in its
initiatives, all member agencies of the cluster system should
provide it full support including by providing offices in
the field with clear policy guidelines, establishing support
and follow-up mechanisms at Headquarters level and the necessary
resources to enable them participate in sub-cluster activities
more substantively.
5. The Regional Consultation of UN Agencies Working in Africa,
in our view, does not provide an adequate platform to effectively
support the NEPAD initiative. Very little information is disseminated
regarding the existence and activities of the Clusters and
their sub-clusters including between and within the Clusters
themselves. It would be crucial to expand and strengthen
this forum if the mechanism is to serve the need for effective
dialogue and collaboration. As a minimum, sufficient time
should be allocated for the annual consultations which
could, in our view, also be more productive if they were held
into two phases - the first at a technical level (examine
progress, prepare agenda, make proposals and recommendations)
and the second at the level of Principals.
6. As an entity entrusted with the immense responsibility
of coordinating the Cluster System, ECA should be given a
clear and strong mandate by the CEB, or perhaps even by the
General Assembly. ECA should also be provided with adequate
resources if it is to effectively and efficiently discharge
its coordination responsibilities. Coordination of the Cluster
approach may also benefit from the broad experiences of field-based
agencies such as UNDP. Participation and commitment of the
Breton Woods institutions, within the Cluster system or through
another mechanism, would be critical for the success the effort
to support NEPAD.
The Advisory Panel may recommend that all UN system agencies,
including the Breton Woods Institutions, increase their commitment
to the supporting the NEPAD vision.
Annex
Interesting facts on the economic impact of conflict,
poverty, forced population displacement
and underdevelopment in Africa
- Roughly half of all countries that emerge from war
lapse back into violence within five years.2
- More than 281 million of Africa's estimated population
of nearly 874 million (more than 32 percent) live in countries
which are either currently undergoing conflict, in transition
from conflict to peace or post-conflict situations.3
- Between 1989 and 2002 more than half of African countries
experienced political violence and armed conflict of varying
degrees.4
- Armed conflicts are costly. According to one quantitative
model the overall economic cost of a conflict, for the affected
country as well as its neighbours and the region could reach
250 percent of initial GDP. Considering the average income
of most low-income countries (US$19.7 billion) averting a
civil war could save an average of US$49 billion excluding
health costs. When health costs and increased risk for another
conflict are added the total cost could reach US$64.2 billion.5
- Out of a total of 22 active armed conflicts in 2003, 9
were in Africa - 41 percent of the global total.6
- In 2002, out of a total of 63 low-income countries in the
world 38 were located in sub-Saharan Africa. A large number
of these countries were also either in active conflict or
in a post-conflict situation. 7
- Out of some 533 armed conflicts that occurred between 1946
and 2001, 168 of them took place in Africa representing almost
a third of the global total.8
- Africa is host to over 4 million refugees and more than
13 million internally displaced people.
- As of the end of 2003 there were 38 major situations of
protracted refugee cases (refugee populations of 25,000 or
more who have been in exile for five or more years
per case) in the world. 22 of these cases, representing 58
percent of the world total and comprising 2.3 million refugees,
were in Africa .9 The
consequences of having so many human beings in a static state
include threats to security, wasted lives, lost productivity
and squandered resources.
1 Angola, Burundi, Central African
Rep., Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the
Congo, Eritrea, Liberia, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Sierra
Leone, Somalia, the Sudan, and Uganda.
2 In larger freedom: towards development,
security and human rights for all, Report of the UN Secretary
General to
the 59th session of the General Assembly
3 GEOHIVE regional population data,
www.geohive.com
4 Uppsala University, Dept. of Peace
and Conflict Research - Conflict Database
5 Why Civil Wars are Costly-and
what could be done to reduce these costs
PricewaterhouseCoopers, www.pwcglobal.com
6 Journal of Peace Research, Vol.41
No.5, Sept.2004
7 Rasheed Draman, Poverty and Conflict
in Africa: Explaining a Complex Relationship, report prepared
for Experts Group
Meeting on Africa-Canada Parliamentary Strengthening Program
8 Journal of Peace Research, Vol.41
No.5, Sept.2004
9 Report to the 30th
meeting of the Standing Committee of the Executive Committee
of the High Commissioner's Programme, June 2004
UNHCR/RLO - January 2006
|
Governance Peace and Security