Peacebuilding Commission

Organizational Committee

5^th Meeting (PM)

PEACEBUILDING COMMISSION’S ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITTEE APPROVES

PROVISIONAL CALENDAR FOR JANUARY – JULY 2007

 

Discusses Arrangements for Field Visits to Sierra Leone, Burundi

The Organizational Committee of the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission approved the newly established body’s provisional calendar of events for January to July 2007, and discussed arrangements for future country-specific meetings, as well as the logistics of proposed field visits to both Burundi and Sierra Leone –- the Commission’s first two focus countries.

According to the proposed calendar of events, the Commission, mandated with aiding in post-conflict reconstruction, will meet again in its country-specific configuration on 27 February (Sierra Leone) and 28 February ( Burundi).  Future formal and informal country-specific meetings are proposed at regular intervals through to the end of July 2007.

The calendar also sets the Commission’s proposed first field visit –- to Sierra Leone –- from 12 to 16 March.  Dates for an in-country visit to Burundi will be agreed later.  Sierra Leone and Burundi, both recovering from devastating civil wars, are beneficiaries of the first-ever grants to be distributed by the Peacebuilding Commission, aimed at generating confidence and encouraging economic recovery.

Before the Organizational Committee was a “note for discussion on the arrangements for Peacebuilding Commission visits”, which set out the members’ draft terms of reference, including the need to:  obtain a first-hand view of the situation on the ground and potential threats to peace; engage directly with national Government and all relevant stakeholders concerning priority areas already identified; and focus the attention of the international community on peacebuilding efforts.

The note also listed options and formulas for selecting the Commission members that would visit each country in this first round of initial trips, including:  representation by region, plus one additional Commission member; representation by electoral group, plus one additional member; or any other options proposed by members.

On a related matter, Assistant Secretary-General Carolyn McAskie, Chief of the Peacebuilding Support Office, said that, currently, there was sufficient funding, available from donor sources, to cover the cost of no more than four Commission members per trip, per country.  Under those arrangements, those members that were in a position to cover their own costs would do so.  She added that the overall size of the delegations for the visits should perhaps not exceed seven Commission members.

During an exchange among the Committee members, delegations expressed concerns about a host of issues, including, among others, whether the respective Governments would even welcome field visits by members of the Peacebuilding Commission.  One speaker suggested that a letter of welcome from the respective United Nations ambassadors or other Government officials would be helpful in that regard.  Another speaker wondered if the logistics of such visits would overburden the capacities of the countries involved.

There were strong calls for regional representation, which many said would send a strong message to the everyday citizens in the countries concerned.  Several speakers also stressed the need for the submission of a follow-up report once delegations returned to New York, but one representative of an African delegation added that the “purpose” of such visits should not be merely to generate a report.  The visits should aim to forge a relationship with stakeholders on the ground, he said.  Another speaker stressed that the Commission delegations not be made up of high officials from the country-specific meetings, but should have some connection to the countries or regions themselves.  

Ismael Gaspar Martins ( Angola), Chair of the Organizational Committee, said that, from the beginning, both Burundi and Sierra Leone had welcomed the proposal that Commission members visit their countries, particularly to talk with Government authorities and other stakeholders on the ground.  His experience with similar missions of the Security Council had been positive, he added.

Also weighing in on the discussion, Sierra Leone’s representative said that the Committee should not be discussing rationale for the visits, but the specifics.  The rationale was clear.   Sierra Leone had always believed that this “great new body” could not merely sit in New York and give advice.  If the Commission truly aimed to rally relevant stakeholders to support long-term peace and development in Sierra Leone and other post-conflict countries, interaction with those stakeholders –- particularly civil society and representatives of women’s groups -- was critical.

Burundi’s representative added that his delegation would prefer that the make-up of the Commission’s delegation be based on geographic representation, because it believed that would be the most democratic formula.  He added that his Government would welcome such field visits, and suggested that a high-level press conference be held during the proposed week-long visit to let the people of the country see the fruit of the process which they had surely heard was under way at the United Nations in New York.  He reassured the Committee that members of the Peacebuilding Commission would be welcome in his country.

On funding the visits, Ms. McKaskie said that one option was to propose that the Commission put specific funding requirements in its 2008-2009 budget requirements.  But that would depend on the wishes of the Commission.  Her personal view was that funding was bound to be available from time to time, but it was up to the Peacebuilding Commission to decide.  As to whether country visits would strain local capacities, she said that a great deal of the burden would fall on the respective United Nations country teams, which would support the Governments fully.  She assured the Organizational Committee that the members would receive a “warm welcome”.

A representative of the World Bank said that his organization would be more than happy to be a part of the logistics, providing there was enough lead time to make the proper arrangements.

Mr. Martins wrapped up the discussion saying that there was a consensus among members that the Commission’s delegations should be based on some sort of regional representation, at least for this first visit.  The Committee would continue to look at the issue of funding for the visits, particularly once talks on the upcoming budget got under way.  He suggested that the Organizational Committee might wish to reconvene to firm up the open issues by early March.

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For information media • not an official record