Peacebuilding Commission

Sierra Leone configuration

3^rd & 4^th Meetings (AM & PM)

Peacebuilding commission approves $25 million to fill gap

in sierra leone’s efforts to consolidate peace

Foreign Minister of Sierra Leone Cites ‘Considerable Progress’ in Last

Four Years, Commission’s Critical Role in Providing ‘Quick-Impact’ Interventions

As the Peacebuilding Commission held its third and fourth country-specific meetings on Sierra Leone today, Commission Members agreed to fill the gap in that nation’s peacebuilding efforts with an initial contribution of approximately $25 million from the Peacebuilding Fund, according to the Chairman’s Summary of today’s meeting, which was adopted, as orally amended, by consensus.

Sierra Leone was still recovering from years of civil war and destruction and rebuilding the nation on strong foundations was a daunting task, said Frank Majoor ( Netherlands), who chaired the meeting.  For its part, the Commission needed to gain experience as it went and the same was true of the country itself.  The Commission was moving in uncharted waters and its members must be willing to be creative in their approach, while respecting the body’s rules and procedures.

Momodu Koroma, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sierra Leone, said that his country had made considerable progress in consolidating peace over the last four years.  The Peacebuilding Commission was believed to be uniquely placed to play a critical role in improving the country’s absorptive capacity and for providing quick-impact interventions through “bridging funds”.

Carolyn McAskie, Assistant-Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support, stressed that the Peacebuilding Fund was not sufficient to address all challenges.  Rather, it should be seen as a catalytic tool to kick-start activities; the completion of those activities would be the responsibility of international donors.

Economic growth in Sierra Leone stood at 6 per cent and continued to be robust, according to Norbert Toe, International Monetary Fund Coordinator for West Africa.  Key elements of the Government’s fiscal strategy included the increase of domestic revenue collection, through a widening of the tax base and a tighter control on the wage bill for the public sector.

Engilbert Gudmundsson, World Bank Country Manager for Sierra Leone, said that alienation of the population, particularly in rural areas, from economic and social opportunities was one the many underlying factors that had contributed to the conflict and needed to be addressed adequately.  Currently, Sierra Leone was also experiencing a power crisis and its roads were in great need of improvement.  An energy reform package for the country also needed to be developed.

External threats to stability were now less problematic than internal ones, said Hans Dahlgren, Special Representative of the European Union Presidency for the Mano River Union.  As in other countries in the region, economic concerns were paramount.  Security and stability in any of those countries depended on security and stability in the entire region and all of these countries needed help to make sure that their constitutional Governments worked.

Youth unemployment remained the most serious threat to the country’s stability, said J. Victor Angelo, Executive Representative of the Secretary-General for Sierra Leone.  He added that strengthening electoral institutions ahead of the crucial July 2007 elections was an urgent priority.  The $7 million shortfall in electoral funding needed to be resolved within the next month.  Otherwise, preparations, and even the polling date, could be in jeopardy.

The representative of Denmark said today’s presentations had underlined the need to ensure that all peacebuilding processes were led in-country and that the blueprint for priority action was developed by local actors and embedded in local structures; if not, they would be irrelevant.

The representative of Italy said that the Commission’s primary objective was to empower the people of Sierra Leone and increase the sovereignty of their State by increasing the effectiveness of its policies and institutions.  The Commission must be more than another donors’ conference, but should help the Government to create preconditions for donors and investments.

The representative of Angola said that, while it was true that the Commission needed to sharpen its focus and balance its priorities, it must be careful not to micromanage the process from New York.  The Government of Sierra Leone, however, should not be shy in becoming a micromanager and sitting in the driver’s seat.

Also speaking today were the representatives of the United Kingdom, Ghana, Ireland, Finland (on behalf of the European Union), India, Jamaica, France, Japan, Germany, Belgium, United States, Egypt, Guinea-Bissau, Indonesia, Brazil, Jamaica and Pakistan.

The representative of the European Commission also spoke, as did a representative of civil society organizations in Sierra Leone.

The Peacebuilding Commission will next meet at a time to be determined.

Background

The Peacebuilding Commission met today to hold country-specific meetings on the situation in Sierra Leone, as part of its ongoing efforts to support national efforts for the consolidation of peace there.  The Commission was expected to focus on identifying the gaps in, and marshalling resources for, existing activities and programmes.

Statements

FRANK MAJOOR ( Netherlands), Chairman of the meeting, said in his opening remarks that Sierra Leone was still recovering from years of civil war and destruction.  Rebuilding the nation on strong foundations was a daunting task, and the country’s achievements so far, in that regard, should not be overlooked.  Indeed, considerable progress had been made in many areas, although advances had been slow at times.  The willingness of all stakeholders to engage in open dialogue about what gaps remained -- and how the Peacebuilding Commission could contribute to closing them -- was itself significant.  The Commission and the Government of Sierra Leone had a joint responsibility for ensuring that the country was not forgotten as it struggled to emerge from conflict.

For its part, the Commission needed to gain experience as it went, and the same was true of the country itself.  The Commission was moving in uncharted waters, and its members must be willing to be creative in their approach, while respecting the body’s rules and procedures.  Members were called on to engage constructively in the following discussions, and were thanked for having expressed their views so openly thus far.

MOMODU KOROMA, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sierra Leone, said that over the last four years, his country had made considerable progress in consolidating peace, with the help of the international community and through the resilience of its people.  A number of strategic frameworks for recovery, consolidating the peace and jumpstarting the economy had been developed, and it was in hope of advancing that process that Sierra Leone welcomed its designation as one of the pioneer countries on the Peacebuilding Commission’s agenda.

He said the framework for identifying gaps and challenges in the post-conflict peacebuilding process had been derived from existing strategic frameworks, namely the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, the peace consolidation strategy developed between the Government and the United Nations and the Medium Term Expenditure Framework with donor community.  In July, a balance sheet had been presented on progress made and challenges that still lay ahead, which had revealed that a lot still remained to be done.  At an October meeting involving the country’s Vice President, it had been agreed that four areas were a particular priority:  youth employment and empowerment, support to the justice and security sectors, support to the democratic process and support for capacity-building.

He added that reforms in the security sector continued, where security coordination needed to be decentralized to the provincial and district levels to ensure “blanket cover”.  On the macroeconomic front, the rate of inflation had dropped to single digits, and the country was awaiting word from the International Monetary Fund on progress made in debt consolidation.  Contributions from the United Kingdom of ₤5 million had been received for improving urban water supply in the capital, Freetown.  Support for rehabilitation and upgrading of electricity in Freetown had been provided by Morocco, while a credit for use toward the installation of a wireless network had been provided to the national telecommunication company, SIERRATEL, by China.

Furthermore, he said that in seven months, the country would be holding Parliamentary and Presidential elections -- the second since the end of the war.

He expressed satisfaction with the recent visit of members of the Peacebuilding Support Office, during which a Priority Plan and other concept papers were elaborated on.  A meeting with donor partners had also been held prior to today’s meeting, where participants discussed how to improve the absorptive capacity of the country; the speed of implementation and the need for accountability in the use of funds; the content of the process; and institutional arrangements for overseeing and monitoring the process.  It was thought that the Peacebuilding Commission was uniquely placed to play a critical role in improving the country’s absorptive capacity, and for providing quick-impact interventions through “bridging funds”.

There was no reason to create new mechanisms to monitor projects, he said.  Existing structures, such as the quarterly High Level Development Partnership and Coordination meetings for assessing the implementation of the Poverty Reduction Strategy, should be used to evaluate the use of resources provided by the Peacebuilding Fund.  Once the funding envelope under the Fund was approved, wide consultation should take place to develop specific projects and avoid duplication of efforts.  A special communication strategy might also be useful in this case, alongside the Priority Plan.

He said there was an urgent need to firm up an overarching strategy for the peacebuilding process, and that the Peacebuilding Commission should use a holistic approach to bring together actors to marshal resources, and to advise on proposed integrated strategies for post-conflict peacebuilding and recovery.  He appealed to the Commission to define an explicit timeline for its engagement with Sierra Leone, and what specific role the country, itself, was expected to play.

Mr. MAJOOR thanked the Minister for his statement, noting that while Sierra Leone had progressed quite far in its efforts, its main problem was a lack of resources.  The country’s willingness to link its peacebuilding efforts with those specified in its Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper had also been noted, as well as its proposal for a communications strategy to reach out to the population and development partners.

J. VICTOR ANGELO, Executive Representative of the Secretary-General for Sierra Leone, said that since the Commission’s last meeting, further progress had been made in the peace consolidation process in Sierra Leone.  Preparations for the crucial 2007 elections were well under way.  The Government, in close collaboration with international partners, had also launched a review of the national Anti-Corruption Strategy.  Meanwhile, a joint task force between the Government of Sierra Leone and the United Nations had been established to prepare a priority plan and specific project documents.  It had been agreed that all peacebuilding initiatives should be linked to existing strategies and programmes to ensure maximum impact, reduce transaction costs and avoid overlapping.

He said that youth unemployment and marginalization remained the most serious threat to Sierra Leone’s stability.  The Government had taken initial steps to address the issue, but many of the programmes were small scale and needed to be expanded.  Significant progress had been made in the security sector, and efforts were under way to reform the justice sector, but both areas continued to face serious capacity constraints.  Lack of timely adjudication of disputes and a large backlog of court cases, as well as poor prison conditions, were some of the key problems which continued to negatively impact the credibility of the justice system.  Transitional measures were needed to address the most pressing gaps facing the justice sector, including reinforcing alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.

He said that the strengthening of electoral institutions was an urgent priority, as the successful conduct of elections would greatly contribute to the consolidation of peace in Sierra Leone.  The $7 million shortfall in electoral funding needed to be resolved within the next month, otherwise, preparations, and even the polling date, could be in jeopardy.  Another area of concern was gender disparity.  Existing laws to combat gender-based violence were not being fully enforced, and most national legislation was outdated and did not meet international standards.

Despite progress made, the capacity and performance of critical public services and institutions remained grossly inadequate, he continued.  The civil service was staffed with mostly unskilled, unmotivated and poorly remunerated personnel.  One of the key post-conflict tasks was the rebuilding of the national capacities for development management.  The question of absorptive capacities in the Government remained a major concern.  Action must be taken to create such capacities in the short-term.

He then showed the Commission a brief movie documenting election preparations in Sierra Leone.

ENGILBERT GUDMUNDSSON, World Bank Country Manager for Sierra Leone, said that many of the underlying factors that had contributed to the conflict still needed to be addressed adequately.  Alienation of the population, particularly in rural areas, from economic and social opportunities, was one contributing factor.  For that reason, the World Bank and its partners were supporting the Government’s decentralization drive.  The Bank was also supporting projects to bring economic progress and improvement in peoples’ livelihood.

He said that infrastructure improvements were absolutely necessary to get the economy moving.  Currently, Sierra Leone was experiencing a power crisis and its roads were in great need of improvement.  The World Bank was helping to finance investments in power generation and distribution and hoped to witness a significant improvement in power supply in later 2007.  Significant resources had also been put into transport programmes.  Unemployment, particularly among the young, was another risk to stability, and the Bank was financing various public works activities to alleviate that problem.  The Bank and other external partners were also supporting improvements in public management and governance.  There remained a need to address major social indicators, especially in the area of health.

He said that, at the first Consultative Group meeting held in Freetown two weeks ago to take stock of progress under the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers, it was agreed that substantial progress had been made on macroeconomic stability, growth and public financial management, but that mixed results were seen in the fight against corruption.  The meeting recommended prioritization of activities the Government could undertake without much external support.  An energy reform package for the country also needed to be developed.  Significant improvements were noted in primary school enrolment, as well as improvements in a variety of health services, but more was needed to bring health indicators up to acceptable levels.  Concerns were expressed at the low level of health expenditure in the country.  The strategy and implementation for youth development and employment also needed to be strengthened.

He said that financial support to Sierra Leone, while significant, was clearly inadequate given the country’s enormous needs.  He encouraged serious consideration of using the budget support channel for disbursements from the Peacebuilding Fund, as there was already a framework in place, backed by four significant external partners (the African Development Bank, the European Commission, the Department for International Development and the World Bank) who maintained a continuous dialogue with the Government on governance improvements.  Using the budget support channel would also reduce transaction costs and avoid further proliferation of support channels.

KAREN PIERCE ( United Kingdom) said she shared the Chairman’s optimism on the progress made by the Peacebuilding Commission, and that focusing on gap-bridging was a good use of its energy.  Sierra Leone was to be congratulated for its progress, although considerable challenges still remained in “embedding” peace more deeply into the country.  Now that consultations between the United Nations, the Sierra Leone Government and donors had begun, action needed to be taken on points raised at the last country-specific meeting.  The Minister was asked how he wished that process to be carried out, and whether he planned to include the civil society and private sector.

She agreed that no new mechanisms were needed to oversee implementation.  What was needed, however, were timelines to a long-term focus on Sierra Leone’s post-conflict phase, particularly to ensure that the country did not slide back into conflict.  An argument was also made that there should not be a rush to conclude the process too soon.  In East Timor, for example, a quick pull-out of the United Nations mission had led to adverse results.  “Irreversibility” should be the major goal; that is, to make sure the country did not go in reverse.

Whenever local capacity was not thought to be adequate, an opportunity should be seized to bring those with more capacity to contribute their experiences, she continued.  There was a great advantage in producing a comprehensive assessment and mapping of existing activities, including examining the threats and risks.  Hopefully, such a map would be produced in time for the next country-specific meeting.  Also, a strong and credible Special Court for Sierra Leone was an integral part in maintaining peace and security in the country.  In the Balkans, for instance, a lack of justice had seemed to retard the prospect for peace.  The year 2007 was a “peak” year for the Court; the Secretary-General had issued an appeal for further funding for the Court, and Members were asked to give due importance to the work of that body.

LESLIE KOJO CHRISTIAN ( Ghana) said that, while gains had been made in peace consolidation, the situation remained fragile, and the root causes of the conflict had not been removed.  At previous country-specific meetings, several gaps had been identified.  Priority areas included youth unemployment, job creation and enterprise developments.  Some donors had expressed support for those areas, but further assistance was needed.  In the area of justice, a lack of timely adjudication, poor prison conditions and poor coordination among justice institutions were all serious concerns.  Transitional measures, particularly traditional courts and coordination of the capacities of key ministries, were needed.

He said that in the area of security, Sierra Leone’s prisons department needed urgent support for capacity issues.  On reinforcing democracy, he wanted to see improvements in the electoral sector, in order to deliver credible elections in July 2007.  Every effort should be made to support such a critical moment.  Sierra Leone needed short-term assistance so it could move forward in the medium- and long-term period and serve as a shining example to other democracies in the West African subregion.

KEVIN DOWLING ( Ireland) said that consultations and coordination with all stakeholders must be stepped up, and it had been agreed that existing coordination mechanisms should be used to achieve that goal.  The recommendations of the Truth and National Reconciliation Commission were a good basis for action, since the Commission’s 90 recommendations had been the result of a long and broad-based consultation process.  While it was important to explore how projects could be implemented, and to link them to existing Government commitments, the Commission must not lose sight of the need for short-term activities, too.  The funding gap identified in relation to the upcoming elections, for example, should be a priority, along with work relating to the Human Rights Commission and the public information campaign on the process and its outcomes.  Full consultation with donors and civil society should be conducted to help avoid duplication of efforts, and to identify projects that could add value.

KIRSTI LINTONEN ( Finland), on behalf of the European Union, said that the future of Sierra Leone must be decided by its citizens.  The European Union reaffirmed its engagement in West Africa, and its Special representative would continue to work in close cooperation in Sierra Leone.  She agreed with all the priorities identified today.  The aspiration of youth needed to be fulfilled to empower them to contribute to the country’s long-term recovery.  The Commission should identify urgent economic development projects that would have a quick impact, particularly for youth.

She said that it was essential to support election organizations and monitoring programmes for next year’s elections.  All parties should have equitable access to all resources, but it was also the international community’s responsibility to implement the electoral process.  She expressed concern that the National Human Rights Commission budget was not adequate.  The Peacebuilding Commission should also assist in implementing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s mandate.  Many challenges remained to having an effective, law abiding security sector and a fair judiciary.

FERNANDO VALENZUELA, representing the European Commission, urged that time not be spent dwelling on what had been achieved already, but rather, on what action was needed to push the process forward.  Peacebuilding was a medium- and long-term exercise.  The Commission needed to help the country develop a consultation mechanism in which it would examine specific proposals, discuss them and set priorities regarding those proposals.  It was also important to ensure coherence and complementarities with Sierra Leone’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, including governance requirements.  Also important was the need to clarify capacity, management and absorption requirements, and to engage in a mapping exercise in which the country could identify who did what.  The current method was thought to be “too general”; concrete action must now be taken.

Mr. KOROMA, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sierra Leone, said that the priorities identified today had been identified by the Commission back in October, so he hoped there was no need to reopen that discussion.  The process was ongoing, but there was a need to get into a framework of action rather than continuing an interactive debate, in order to prevent a lull in the process.  The Commission did not have time to identify the nitty-gritty details, so the Government of Sierra Leone would present that information to the Peacebuilding Fund.  The Government was already consulting with donors in Freetown and intended to work through existing mechanisms.

Mr. ANGELO, Executive Representative of the Secretary-General for Sierra Leone, said that strategic frameworks approved by national entities were in place and had been made more responsive.  The Government must have full ownership of the peace and development agenda.  In many post-conflict situations, the Government was in the back seat while outsiders took over rebuilding the country.  The Government should be in the front seat, but not as the taxi driver receiving directions from behind; it should be in charge.

He said the thing that had been lacking had been consultations between the Government and key development partners.  The priority plan needed to be finalized; budget concepts defined; and the political dimensions of a peacebuilding process for 2007, and beyond, agreed upon.  Better consultation with international partners was also needed.  Sierra Leone was facing many gaps; the wise thing was to choose which ones were of greatest priority.  He identified democratization (especially the elections budget), human rights, women’s participation and gender parity, employing and empowering youth, addressing the backlog in the courts and capacity-building as key priorities.

AJAI MALHOTRA ( India) agreed that the Commission’s role was to consolidate peace and security across Sierra Leone.  Indeed, that country’s efforts to prepare strategy papers, map the gaps and begin implementing its plans with the meagre resources at its disposal were to be commended.  For its part, India had helped the country advance security sector reform by building barracks for Sierra Leonean soldiers.  It was noted that a shortfall of $7 million had been identified in terms of electoral preparations, and the Commission must act to help bridge the gap by January 2007, as specified by the Secretary-General’s Special Representative in his report.

He said members must make good on the promise of using the Peacebuilding Fund as a catalyst for change, and in doing so, there was no need to await completion of the mapping exercise for funding to begin.  Indeed, “in cases of gaps in the dyke, we must put our thumb in it.”  As such, the Chairman’s Summary must include a description of precise action to be taken, and the provision of a funding envelope for Sierra Leone.  The Commission must show that it was responsive to the countries on its agenda.

LOTTE MACHON ( Denmark) said she was encouraged by the good work being done on the ground.  Today’s presentations had underlined the need to ensure that all peacebuilding processes were led in-country, and that the blueprint for priority action was developed by local actors and embedded in local structures; otherwise, they would be irrelevant.  There was also, however, a need to increase coordination and dialogue in-country.  The Commission must sharpen its focus and hold on to the idea of the mapping exercise.  Urgent action could still be taken, but in parallel with mapping the existing gaps so that the Commission could develop a practical work plan.

She said that Sierra Leone had come a long way, but there were still unfinished aspects to the peace process.  Democratic institutions needed to be strengthened.  A culture of political intolerance must be averted, and a level playing field must be created.  There also needed to be more political participation, including by civil society, and the participation of women required special attention.  Closing the funding gap for the electoral funding was an obvious priority.  Unemployed youth were a key threat but also a resource.  The Truth and Reconciliation Commission was a way to prevent what happened from happening again, and she urged the Government to speed up implementing its recommendations.

RAYMOND WOLFE ( Jamaica) said that a holistic approach was needed to reform the justice and security sector, as well as to build the capacity of Sierra Leone’s civil service and to advance preparations for elections.  The Minister and fellow delegates were urged to not lose sight of the need to develop a plan for sustainable economic recovery and for risk reduction strategies.  Donors such as the United Kingdom, the European Commission and others were commended for providing help with the upcoming elections and with infrastructure development.

He said, however, that even if elections were held successfully in Sierra Leone, other problems could not be ignored.  For instance, youth unemployment was a serious priority gap.  Indeed, short-, medium- and long-term strategies were all equally important to ensure that there was no fall-back to old ways.  Jamaica supported the approach of India in believing that short-term critical needs must be addressed as well, as the Foreign Minister himself pointed out.  Each action must move in tandem with the other.  It was also agreed, as stated by the delegate from the United Kingdom, that the Peacebuilding Commission should retain its focus on Sierra Leone well beyond the elections.

Mr. DERUFFE ( France) said that progress in the justice sector was important.  The way that the Government planned to move forward in that area should transcend the mere administration of justice and an absorption of the backlog.  The Peacebuilding Commission was itself a process and it needed to undertake mapping exercises to identify gaps on the ground, whether sector-by-sector or partner-by-partner.  Mapping could also identify interactions.  Coherence and coordination on the ground was at the heart of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone’s mandate.  A large part of the Commission’s work was seeing that such cooperation operated effectively.  The Peacebuilding Fund had been created to start short-term activities right away, but it was important not to neglect the link between short-term and long-term priorities.

KENZO OSHIMA ( Japan) said his country had, since the first country-specific meeting, been supporting Sierra Leone through bilateral means, particularly in the health sector and in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).  Noting that political stability was a major concern for the country, especially the effect that youth unemployment had in that area, the Minister was asked to elaborate on the kinds of measures taken so far to address the lack of jobs.  At the last meeting, other delegates had suggested concrete projects involving vocational training and microfinance.  How could those projects fit into the youth empowerment and employment programme being established in Sierra Leone?  What obstacles, apart from funding constraints, were there in implementing such a programme?

Also, he said the upcoming elections were important in helping consolidate democracy in Sierra Leone.  As such, the international community must strive to fill the financial gap of $7 million relating to electoral preparations, and the Minister was asked to clarify the kind of assistance needed to help bring about free and fair elections in July.  In addition, much more needed to be done in terms of security sector reform, which was a subject that could not be overemphasized in a post-conflict country and should be given high priority in terms of the Peacebuilding Fund disbursement.  A project concept had been put forward by the Sierra Leone Government to reform that sector, but more information was needed.  Japan had also been happy to learn about efforts to improve public financial management.  It would like to hear more about the senior executive service established to ensure delivery of public services.

JULIA KATHARINA GROSS ( Germany) said she agreed with the importance of election preparations and reforming the justice and security sectors.  As for addressing youth unemployment, she asked the foreign minister and the representative of the World Bank for their assessments of the role of the private sector in addressing the marginalization of youth and women.  Perhaps the Commission could receive some input from the private sector in the next country-specific meeting.

JOHAN VERBEKE ( Belgium) said that good coordination between the Commission and donors was essential, under which priorities must be clearly established.  However, establishing a line of priority should not be seen as a bureaucratic exercise, but as a matter of immediate importance.  Background material was needed to assist members of the Commission with that work.  Advances in strengthening the security framework was welcomed, especially the formation of a new Office of National Security.

Turning to youth unemployment, he said the country must ensure that it did not focus exclusively on that matter alone.  For instance, there must also be focus on reforming the justice sector as a matter of priority, as well.  Belgium felt that media attention brought about by the upcoming elections should be seen as an opportunity for the Government of Sierra Leone to showcase its progress, and to help attract foreign investment.  Also, the Secretary-General’s report to the Security Council had discussed a “culture of intolerance” between the political parties in the country, and must be corrected.  The Code of Conduct just signed by eight political parties was a step in the right direction.  Indeed, the Peacebuilding Commission’s efforts to help bolster national election efforts would be useless if local actors were not seen to do their part to uphold democratic tenets.

Mr. BAUSCO ( Italy) said that the Government of Sierra Leone should be in the front seat.  Successful consolidation of peace lay primarily in its hands.  The Commission’s primary objective was to empower the people of Sierra Leone and increase the sovereignty of their State by increasing the effectiveness of its policies and institutions.  Another objective was delivery.  Soon, people would confront the Commission with the need for tangible benefits.  Delivery should increase sovereignty and independence.  The Commission must be more than another donors’ conference.  Financial support was a concern, but the added value should be in helping the Government to create preconditions for donors and investments.

He said that economic growth was essential.  Sierra Leone had immense resources, not the least being its tourism potential.  The Commission should be an element of constructive change.  As soon as possible, it should look at the substance of the process and select, for each sector, a limited but detailed set of policy directives and a limited number of projects to kick-start, maybe through the Peacebuilding Fund.  Local and international private sectors should also be fully involved in the process.  The Government and the Commission should jointly elaborate a system of good governance and rule of law.  He supported the request for a precise timeline, a matrix for division of labour and briefings on the follow-up of the process.

ISMAEL ABRAÃO GASPAR MARTINS ( Angola) said today’s deliberations had been conducted in a commendable way, and congratulated the Chairperson of the meeting for his effort.  While it was true that the Commission needed to sharpen its focus and balance its priorities, it must be careful not to micromanage the process from New York.  The Government of Sierra Leone, however, should not be shy in becoming a micromanager and sitting in the driver’s seat.  Satisfaction was also expressed regarding the mechanism established by the World Bank to help the country quickly absorb external aid contributions.  More information was requested on how that process was being carried out.  Also, how was the private sector being harnessed to address the question of youth unemployment?

JOSEPH MELROSE ( United States) said that, now that key priorities had been agreed upon, the process must be continued.  The issue of disaffected youth was a significant factor in creating the decade-long conflict.  While youth employment was critical, ways must also be found of sustaining that employment, through private sector investment in such things as fisheries, agriculture and, possibly, tourism.  It was essential to look for a long-term sustainable process rather than a short-term, immediate fix.

MAGED ABDELAZIZ ( Egypt) said the Commission must make sure that it was helping the Government directly and address main challenges that had been outlined by the foreign minister today.  Funds should be granted speedily so as to allow activities, particularly election preparations, to go forward.  That support should go to the Government, not to United Nations activities, in order to solidify national ownership of the process and support the priorities of Sierra Leone itself.

He said the Government of Sierra Leone should be required to provide a clearer view of the projects and actions needed and how much they would cost.  That information could be compared with the concerned parties in the Peacebuilding Fund and the Peacebuilding Support Office to come up with an estimation of both immediate, and long-term, requirements.  He also hoped the Commission could hold its country-specific meetings every few weeks to keep track of things on the ground.  Balance was needed between bilateral donors, support from the Fund and support from the Peacebuilding Commission to avoid duplication.

MEMUNATU PRATT, a representative of civil society organizations in Sierra Leone, said the views expressed today had underscored the concerns of civil society.  Since the last meeting in October, the group had consulted with its membership on ways to line up its priorities with the four high-priority areas agreed at that meeting.  Civil society organizations were now playing an active part in the Peacebuilding Task Force, and were currently trying to cultivate a good working relationship with the Government.  They were also working with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to advance the national poverty reduction strategy, including reducing mass youth unemployment, which was a grave problem.

She said the group was also seeking to contribute to the electoral process, in partnership with the National Electoral Commission, believing that civil society should not be neglected in the process.  To that end, a press briefing and several forums had been organized for members of civil society, to educate them on their role in the elections.  A partnership was also being sought with the Centre for Conflict Resolution in South Africa, to map out civil society engagement in reducing conflict and to ensure that the goals of the Peacebuilding Commission were being met.  Regional public education exercises had also been a strong focus, but the group faced numerous constraints, including in terms of resources.  There was a great need to create policy space for civil society groups to continue engaging each other.

Mr. GUDMUNDSSON, World Bank Country Manager for Sierra Leone, said that other countries that had been in situations similar to the one Sierra Leone was in now (such as Mozambique and Rwanda) had been able to develop a vital private sector and attract direct foreign investment.  Sierra Leone faced some difficulties in that area in the short run.  While it should maintain the public works programmes that had already been launched, as such programmes helped in the areas of employment and social infrastructure, the longer-term solution was a strong private sector.  Before that could happen, the Government needed to tackle several challenges, including a lack of in-country capital, a lack of infrastructure, low transparency ratings and low ratings from the World Bank.  The focus, therefore, must be on local actors or, possibly, actors from the diaspora, which might result in smaller activities than might be desired.

He said that the extractive industries did hold much attraction for the private sector, but industry alone would not create enough jobs.  Agricultural sectors, such as cocoa, needed to be revived.  Sierra Leone was a “hidden gem” in terms of natural beauty, but the poor infrastructure would likely be an obstacle to tourism as well.  A recent study had also found that Sierra Leone was one of the few countries that could increase and sustain its fisheries, and manufacturing offered possibilities.  There was a clear need for additional financing, from election initiatives to public works, but it was important to simplify arrangements and not make new ones, to build on what was already there, minimize transaction costs and maximize effectiveness.

Mr. ANGELO, Executive Representative of the Secretary-General for Sierra Leone, responding to questions raised during earlier interventions, said that mapping exercises had been completed on two topics; identifying impediments to private sector growth, and identifying obstacles to the expansion of trade.  What remained was the speedy implementation of three or four key actions to bring in much needed Government revenue in 2007, without which the State would not be able to function.

Also, he said his Office had developed a detailed budget for the upcoming electoral process and it was available for interested donors to peruse.  A special instrument had been developed to receive contributions; so far, contributions had been received from the Governments of the United Kingdom and Ireland.  There was a need to shore up the capacity of the National Electoral Commission, as well as to oversee the logistics and procurement activities related to the elections.  There was then the matter of holding the elections themselves, which entailed security costs.  Indeed, a study conducted by the Office had outlined potential security threats at each stage of the elections and had specified tasks of the Office of National Security and Sierra Leone Police.

He said political dialogue must take place in advance of the elections to prepare the stage in July.  So far, political parties had been able to agree on a Code of Conduct.  Also, it was necessary to ensure that people upheld certain international electoral standards and that all stakeholders understood that they were beholden to those standards.  Again, such awareness-raising activities would be compromised without funding.

He said links between the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Human Rights Commission must be strengthened.  The Office of the Executive Representative would assist the Human Rights Council to translate key recommendations into an action plan for 2007.  Again, more resources were needed to enable the Commission to perform its mandate.  It was admitted that the Office had failed -- in the early days -- to hold regular consultations with the Government and international partners, but it was now committed to holding committee meetings taking place every quarter.  Such meetings were fundamental for the process and for clearing up misunderstandings.

NORBERT TOE, International Monetary Fund Coordinator for West Africa, said that a three-year macroeconomic programme for Sierra Leone had been approved by the International Monetary Fund’s Executive Board in May, amounting to $44.4 million.  An initial disbursement of $7 million had just been made, to be followed by another disbursement of the same amount upon completion of a review.  The programme’s objectives were to encourage sound fiscal management, encourage more efficient monetary policy and to stimulate private sector growth.  Key elements of the Government’s fiscal strategy included the increase of domestic revenue collection, through a widening of the tax base and a tighter control on the wage bill for the public sector.

He said economic growth stood at 6 per cent and continued to be robust.  In addition, Sierra Leone was expected to reach the completion point under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, whereupon it would receive up to $675 million in debt relief.  Additional debt relief of around $609.9 million could be secured under the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative, covering debt service obligations relating to World Bank, International Monetary Fund and African Development Bank borrowings.

Mr. KOROMA, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sierra Leone, said that the mapping process was vital for proper coordination and donor intervention.  In a place where every activity was a priority and where many actors were interacting with the Government, the need for mapping interventions could not be overemphasized.  They identified, not only gaps in funding arrangements, but also inter-faces.  In his country, frameworks and assessments were evident at many levels.  More than 30 assessments had been done since 2002 to identify critical areas for intervention and ensure that resources did not overlap.

He said that it was important to distinguish between critical short-term interventions that should fall under the Peacebuilding Fund’s mandate and longer-term interventions that fell under the Commission’s responsibility.  Hopefully, an in-country forum would be able to do that.  The required mapping of gaps had been done for the Fund and his Government had felt it was not necessary to overburden the Commission with that information, since its time was believed to be limited.  He then read out several paragraphs of the priority plan distributed earlier in the day, to show how much work had gone into it.  He emphasized that the plan would be reopened for discussion after today’s meeting.

He said that there were already multi-donor arrangements in place for the election and any money provided would definitely go to improving that process.  The improved governance and accountability pact from six months ago was a 10-point plan to ensure benchmarks and make sure the Government was held accountable.  Many donors already subscribed to those arrangements, though he admitted that there was still room for improvement in proper fiduciary information.

Reacting to points raised on functioning of the Peacebuilding Fund, CAROLYN MCASKIE, Assistant-Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support, said the procedures for the disbursement of funds in Sierra Leone was the same as those used for Burundi, which were discussed during yesterday’s country-specific meeting on that country.  Arrangements were now properly in place on the ground in Sierra Leone to allow for disbursements under the Fund.  To ensure country ownership over the process, a steering committee co-chaired by the Government and the United Nations would act as a guide.  The approval of all projects would be decided by that steering committee; those decisions would not be “second-guessed by New York”.

She said that a Priority Plan for Sierra Leone, when completed, would form the strategic framework for implementation.  The Plan must first be reviewed by her Office and then it would be circulated to Members of the Commission.  A country envelope would then be announced, estimated at $25 million.

She added that the Fund had not been set up to provide direct budget support.  There were provisions within its terms of reference that allowed it to finance specific activities in relation to recurrent Government expenditures, including civil service salaries, which had been identified as a common, critical gap in most post-conflict situations.

On the link between the Fund and the recipient Government -- a question raised by the representative of Egypt -- she said the Fund was designed to support Government priorities as articulated through its Priority Plan.  The rules stipulated, however, that the UNDP, as a fund manager, must process funds through a United Nations intermediary, but that arrangement did not in any way mean that United Nations agencies could fund their own projects through that entity.  An accountability framework had been set up to oversee the process and was overseen by a committee co-chaired by the Government in question and the United Nations.

She stressed that the Peacebuilding Fund was expected to extend immediate support to address the problems outlined in the soon-to-be-revealed Priority Plan, which, in turn, was in line with the Commission’s discussions on Sierra Leone.  The Fund was not sufficient to address all challenges.  Rather, it should be seen as a catalytic tool to kickstart activities; the completion of those activities would be the responsibility of international donors.

ALFREDO LOPES CABRAL ( Guinea-Bissau) said that Sierra Leone’s minister had reminded the Commission of everything that had been accomplished since October and that it had all been done on time.  The day’s speakers had noted that there had been a great deal of joint action.  The Commission could spend days discussing how best to help Sierra Leoneans, but it was the primary responsibility of that country’s citizens to achieve peace and reconciliation and to see to it that democracy became a tangible reality.  For that reason, next year’s elections should be organized in the best possible manner.  The amount of $7 million was not too much to ask to consolidate democracy.  The country had come a long way, and the Commission’s members should put their hands deep in their pockets, all the while knowing that there were rules that would be followed.

He hoped that, at the end of the meeting, a check for $25 million or even more could be announced, since his calculations came to $30 million.  He hoped that all in a position to do so would show generosity and solidarity.  The international community had invested a great deal into Sierra Leone and should not stop now.  Peace and stability there would be in the interest of the people of the entire subregion.  He thanked everyone for their generosity and responsibility.

Mr. VALENZUELA of the European Commission thanked the representative of the World Bank, the Executive Representative of the Secretary-General and the Minister of Foreign Affairs for consistently stressing the importance of maximizing the effectiveness of various processes already in place.  But the coordination of those processes must be improved.  For its part, the European Commission had allocated more than Euros 70 million to infrastructure projects, Euros 50 million for budget support and Euros 10 million to support parliamentary elections in 2007.  Contributions had also been assigned to the Truth and Reconciliation commission and the Special Court.

He said the European Commission was following the proceedings of the Peacebuilding Commission closely, particularly as it got ready to shape up the next tranche of contributions.  Those contributions were expected to amount to $250 million (dollars), which would focus on poverty reduction, supporting good governance and the building of infrastructure.  In addition, two main donors -- the United Kingdom and European Commission -- had embarked on a joint programme with the Government of Sierra Leone to hammer out specific allocations.  To avoid duplication, it was necessary to coordinate the activities of all those actors.

There were currently too few donors in Sierra Leone, which should be indicated in the Chairman’s Summary, he said.  It was also requested that, at the next meeting of the Peacebuilding Commission, the World Bank and other major donors would report on measures taken to coordinate their actions.

ANDY RACHMIANTO ( Indonesia) said that resolving the problem of youth unemployment would contribute significantly to improving the situation in Sierra Leone.  Also, small and medium sized enterprise, as well as microcredit, held promising possibilities.  Next year’s election would be a milestone and it was important to meet the shortfall in funding.  He would support a contribution for that specific purpose.  There needed to be a full mapping exercise for work plans and goals, but that should not detract from the needs on the ground.  The priorities identified by Sierra Leone should serve as a blueprint.

LUIS GUILHERME NASCENTES DA SILVA ( Brazil) said that a lack of capital and its high cost presented significant obstacles, but ways needed to be found to minimize the financial cost of items on the Commission’s agenda.  He would have liked more information on that.  It was important to ensure that countries in post-conflict situations were subject to special conditions.  He would also have liked more information on debt relief strategies.

At the request of the Chairman, Mr. TOE reiterated the comments he delivered earlier on Sierra Leone’s expected debt savings under the HIPC Initiative completion point and the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative.

Ms. MCASKIE said that every time money passed hands, a chunk of it was taken off.  It was important to eliminate that as much as possible by streamlining the way funds were administered.  UNDP “pass-through” costs were designed to be very low, especially since the transfer of funds took place on the ground and did not pass through Headquarters, although Headquarters would monitor the process, as requested by the Secretary-General.  The need to eliminate unnecessary costs had very much been in the mind of drafters of the Fund’s terms of reference, who tended to be from the Governments of major donor countries.

RAYMOND WOLFE ( Jamaica) said that it was important to keep the focus on the main priorities.  He wanted to re-emphasize that, when issues of peacebuilding and long-term recovery were approached, the economic factor could not be left out.  It was important to focus on youth unemployment, but issues in the World Bank report on medium-term to long-term needs must also be addressed.  Infrastructure needed to be developed to address the alienation of the population from economic and social opportunities.  All of those things were critical elements in addition to everything else that needed to be done.

MUNIR AKRAM ( Pakistan) said that, after listening to the Minister, the Commission had found itself on the receiving end of some advice, namely on the need for an overarching strategy and to act quickly on its endeavours.  Members would do well to take that advice on board.  He was pleased to see that Sierra Leone faced quite a promising prospect on the debt relief front, as elaborated by the International Monetary Fund representative.  As the representative of Jamaica had said, to ensure a wider perspective of the situation, and if it were considered appropriate, the issue of debt relief should be reflected in the Chairman’s Summary, including details on the amount of resources that were expected to be freed up.

HANS DAHLGREN, Special Representative of the European Union Presidency for the Mano River Union, said that he had travelled frequently to the region in the last five years.  External threats were now less problematic than they had been in a long time.  United Nations camps were closing and people were being repatriated.  Now the most acute threats to stability came from within.  As in other Mano River countries, economic concerns were paramount.  Security and stability in any of those countries depended on security and stability in the entire region.  Liberia and Guinea also faced huge challenges and all of these countries needed help to make sure that their constitutional Governments worked.

JOELLE JENNY ( United Kingdom) said she was greatly satisfied with the strong emphasis placed on private sector development and on establishing conditions to increase investments.  In that regard, what more could the international community do to assist the Government to help change the culture within the civil service?  Also, when would the road map for civil service reform be made available?

Mr. KOROMA, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sierra Leone, said that there was still a problem with the capacity to deliver essential public services.  A senior executive service had been developed to target the top echelons of the civil service to make sure reforms had a cascading effect on the rest of the service.  Some people might not fit into the new arrangement and might want to quit.  It was important to make sure that they could leave in an honourable manner, with decent severance pay.

He said that the possibility also existed to allow people in the diaspora to find a niche for themselves back home.  In order to create a soft landing pad for them, salary conditions must be created to give them a motivation to take the bold step of returning home.  Paying them at current salary levels would be a disservice, as those salaries were extremely low.  Those who had obtained the lowest level of jobs overseas could not work on such salaries for more than a month.  In order to implement such a bold move, the working culture needed to be changed and the necessary resources found.  Donor community support was needed in that area.  Every donor had his own conditions and that could also create problems.

He said that today’s discussions had been positive and gave a clear indication of the donor community’s willingness to help Sierra Leone get out of its current malaise.  That process would require time and dedication and needed to be carefully debated, as it had been done today.  He would take all the comments in good faith and hoped a way could be found to implement the suggestions.  He thanked Mr. Angelo, Mr. Gudmundsson and Ms. McAskie for their tireless efforts in nudging his country forward.

The Chairman thanked the Minister and fellow delegates for the open and constructive approach taken during today’s debate, saying he had tried to capture that spirit in the Chairman’s summary.

He added that he had made some changes to that text, on the basis of the afternoon’s discussion, to include the suggestions made by the representatives of Jamaica and Pakistan.  The new draft would also include, among other things, a reference to the “important contribution” that the Peacebuilding Commission could make to the creation of “an enabling environment for economic recovery”, including by stimulating domestic investments, promoting trade and increasing foreign investment.

In addition, he said the draft would indicate that the envelope of approximately $25 million would be made available “as an initial contribution”.  A small reference would be inserted on the need to broaden donor base and to secure additional assistance, including through further debt relief.

He said the final text would be collectively examined before it was approved.

After a series of oral negotiations on the text, the Commission then adopted the Chairman’s summary of today’s meeting.

The Chairman said that he wished the Government of Sierra Leone well in its endeavours to promote peace, security and development.

He then adjourned the meeting.

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For information media • not an official record