Peacebuilding Commission

Second Session

1^st & 2^nd Meetings (AM & PM)

Great Strides made in Sierra Leone’s emergence from conflict, peacebuilding

commission told in first ever country-specific meeting

 

But without Intensive Efforts to Improve Economy,

Consolidate Stability, Progress Could Unravel, Country’s Vice-President Says

Sierra Leone had made great strides in emerging from its civil war, but without intensive efforts to improve its economy and consolidate stability such progress could still unravel, the country’s Vice-President, Solomon Berewa, told the Peacebuilding Commission as it held its first-ever country-specific meeting today.

“We are here because we are beginning to hear the alarm bells that signal very credible threats to our peace,” Mr. Berewa told the recently formed Commission, which is meant to coordinate international efforts to assist the development of post-conflict countries and help keep them from falling back into chaos.

Five years after the decade-long conflict ended, Mr. Berewa continued, Sierra Leone could take pride in having restored State authority throughout the country, disarmed former combatants, resettled over 1 million displaced people, held elections, re-established public and social institutions, rehabilitated Government infrastructure and provided some basic services.

Notwithstanding such progress, he said he had no illusions that more difficult tasks were still to come.  Sierra Leone had a young population with over 60 per cent of the country’s population below the age of 35 and a vast majority of those were unemployed.  Unless the growing number of young people could be given hope, they would either become fodder for ruthless politicians, or resort to crime and other anti-social activities.

Weakness of capacity pervaded all areas of the economy, encouraging corruption, he said.  As capacity development efforts had had a chequered history in Sierra Leone, only creative and bold measures could ensure success.  The Government was looking, therefore, for long-term international partnerships to accompany the process over time.

In addition, the country needed support to deal with the population’s short-term requirements until levels of self-sustaining growth were reached, he explained, saying that was where the Peacebuilding Commission could be most helpful.  In that light, he expressed high hopes that the Commission’s deliberations would produce concrete results in helping to reinforce the country’s peace.

Opening today’s session, the Chairman Ismael Abraão Gaspar Martins of Angola said that the meeting was indeed a turning point in the development of United Nations peacebuilding efforts, as it brought together all the relevant actors in Sierra Leone’s recovery.  Despite the Government’s efforts, there was a great need for international assistance to create an enabling environment for development and reconstruction.

The Commission heard expert testimony this morning on Sierra Leone’s needs from Victor Angelo, the Executive Representative of the Secretary-General for the Integrated United Nations Office in Sierra Leone; Matthew Carlson, Regional Director for West Africa at the World Bank; and Abdoulaye Bio-Tchane, Director of the African Department of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Mr. Angelo said it was essential for the international community to help address the root causes of the country’s conflict, which still threatened the peace.  In addition to poverty, Mr. Angelo pointed to the justice and penal sectors as requiring particular attention, with additional assistance needed for law enforcement agencies.  He also stressed that regional problems needed to be addressed -- particularly in Liberia, Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire -- in order to ensure Sierra Leone’s continued progress.

Speaking to the Commission via telecast from Accra, Ghana, Mr. Carlson said that only a few countries in Africa had made more progress than Sierra Leone.  The challenge was to continue to make progress, and the keys to that effort were governance, growth and partnership equality.  Mr. Bio-Tchane said the IMF would welcome an emphasis on the maintenance of economic stability, more effective monetary policy and stimulation of private sector growth.

Following those morning presentations, the Commission held an interactive dialogue on Sierra Leone.  Stressing the need for country ownership of the peacebuilding process, most speakers agreed that Vice-President Berewa’s views must be the starting point for their work.  India’s representative said that it was important that the Commission’s work “support but not supplant” the Government’s efforts.  The representative of Egypt, among others, proposed that the Commission officially endorse the Government’s priorities as its own.

While many delegations highlighted the priority of youth employment, other speakers stressed the involvement of all parties and sectors in Sierra Leone to help cement the peace and spur development.  The representative of Finland, on behalf of the European Union, said that peacebuilding strategies should be as broad-based as possible; it was particularly important for opposition parties to be involved.

A representative of consolidated non-governmental organizations working in Sierra Leone said that her membership’s priorities included dissemination of the results of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, strengthening civil society organizations and providing skills training for youth and economic empowerment for women.

The Observer for the Organization of the Islamic conference warned, however, against a parallel development track created by civil society organizations.  Efforts of all partners should be pursued under the Government-led framework.

Also participating in the dialogue this morning were the representatives of the United Kingdom, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Belgium, Croatia, Egypt, Jamaica, Indonesia, Ghana, Germany and France.  A representative of the African Development Bank also spoke.

In the afternoon, the Commission continued its dialogue under the topic “National Action –- International Support”, introduced by Mr. Angelo along with Sierra Leone’s Foreign Minister, Alhadj Momodu Koroma; European Commission Delegation Head Fernando Valenzuela; and Alice Mungwa, Senior Political Affairs Adviser for the African Union.

Though he noted that much had been done to reform and strengthen the military in the country, Mr. Koroma emphasized the need to stay alert regarding the security situation.  Mr. Valenzuela said that the European Community was ready to work intensively on the country and noted that support was especially required for the 2007 legislative elections as it would be the first without United Nations peacekeeping presence.  He stressed that the Mano River Union and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) would continue to play an individual role in the regional context.

Urging that the Peacebuilding Commission engage closely with its counterpart unit in the African Union, Ms. Mungwa said that the Union, having been heavily involved in Sierra Leone’s emergence from conflict, was active in creating policy frameworks for post-conflict development, which would be submitted for distribution in the Commission.  She noted that the issues of youth employment, women’s employment and civil society involvement were covered extensively in those frameworks.

In the dialogue that followed the afternoon presentations, delegations elaborated on many of the priorities outlined in the morning session, with the representatives of Japan, Norway and the Netherlands opening the discussion, stressing effective use of resources for a rapid impact that could demonstrate the usefulness of the new Commission.  The representative of Guinea-Bissau agreed that the Commission’s efforts must result in concrete improvements in the situation of the people of Sierra Leone.

Also speaking today were representatives of the United States, El Salvador, Brazil, Sweden, Fiji, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Guinea, Denmark, China, Nigeria, Egypt, Chile, United Republic of Tanzania and Guinea-Bissau.  A representative of the African Development Bank also spoke.

In a summary of today’s meeting adopted by the Commission, Chairman Martins said that the Peacebuilding Commission invited the Government of Sierra Leone to move forward, with support from the United Nations system and other partners on peacebuilding issues presented by Mr. Berewa and reinforced by speakers.  He identified those priorities as the consolidation of democracy of good governance, justice and security sector reform, social and youth empowerment and employment and capacity-building.

Chairman Martins called upon the international community to sustain its political and financial support to the country and encouraged the United Nations, the World Bank, the IMF and other donors to ensure that the allocation of resources reflected the priorities as outlined by the Government.  He further noted the extent to which regional stability affected progress in Sierra Leone.

Following comprehensive analysis and mapping of existing activities, he invited the Government to present an outline of strategies and plans at the next country-specific meeting, which would take place before the end of the year.  In between formal meetings, the Commission agreed to devote time to informal working meetings to address the identified priorities.  Mr. Martins said he would recommend that Sierra Leone be considered for funding under the Peacebuilding Fund launched yesterday.

Today’s discussions were guided by a conference room paper (document PBC/2SIL/CRP.1) that outlines the devastation of Sierra Leone’s civil war, which raged from 1991 to 2001, as well as the existing strategic frameworks for recovery developed through national processes, the Poverty Reduction Strategy, the Peace Consolidation Strategy and the United Nations Development Assistance Framework.

The Peacebuilding Commission will meet again at 10 a.m. tomorrow, 13 October, for a country-specific meeting on Burundi.

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For information media • not an official record