Introduction to theBureau for Crisis Prevention & Recovery

Nick HartmannNick HartmannProgramme SpecialistProgramme Specialist

BCPR, UNDP New YorkBCPR, UNDP New York

Background

Report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of the report of the Panel on United Nations peace operations (A/55/502) October 2000

“I characterized every step taken towards reducing poverty and achieving broad-based economic growth as a step towards conflict prevention”

“In order to be effective, prevention strategies must address the root causes of violent conflict and the environments that promote it…”

“The biggest deterrent to violent conflict is the promotion of sustainable human development and a healthy democratic society based on strong rule of law and civic institutions, including adherence to all human rights – economic, social, political and cultural.”  

UNDP Administrator Mark Malloch Brown Role of UNDP in Crisis and Post-Conflict Situations (UNDP/UNFPA Executive Board, New York, January 2001 :

“I am confident [the updated strategy for UNDP in crisis and post-conflict situations] provides a platform for UNDP better to attack the corrosive links between poverty, crisis and conflict that have long retarded social and economic progress in many of the poorest parts of the world.”

• Trend of increasing and chronic crises : 24 of 49 LDCs face high levels of disaster risk, with at least 6 of these countries being affected by 2 to 8 major disasters per year in the last 15 years.

• Of the 34 countries that are furthest away from achieving the international development goals established at United Nations global conferences in the past decade, 22 are affected by ongoing or recent conflict.

Context

• 90% of of deaths in contemporary wars are civilian

• 11 million refugees seeking protection, 20-25 million internally displaced

• People continue to be killed every day by landmines planted in during old conflicts

• .5 billion small arms in circulation : 80% of the victims are children and women

• Not just major catastrophes, but thousands of ‘invisible’ small and medium scale events occur on a daily basis in UNDP programme countries.

• In many countries, accumulated disaster losses now exceed limited development gains.

Context (Continued)

Lessons Learned• Development is central to strategies of peace-building, prevention and transition

• Development actors need to look to humanitarian counterparts to learn the lessons of responsiveness

• Development is taking place in a political context and has to be sensitive to that context

• Too often UNDP has been more reactive than pro-active to the challenges on the ground

• Challenges of the ‘gap’ between relief and development require new transition initiatives grounded in a development perspective of early recovery

BCPR Mission Statement

“To enhance UNDP’s efforts for sustainable development, working with partners to reduce the incidence and impact of disasters and violent conflicts, and to establish the solid foundations for peace and recovery from crises, thereby advancing the Millennium Goals on poverty reduction.”

Role of BCPR

• Shapes UNDP’s priorities in terms of :

• Strategy setting• Policy development• Operational support and programming, building relationships with new partners (including other UN agencies, NGOs and donors)

• Division has established an impressive track record of resource mobilization through the Trust Fund for Crisis and Post-Conflict Situations established in March 2000.

1. To reduce the incidence and impact of armed conflict.

2. To reduce the incidence and impact of disasters and establish solid foundations for recovery.

3. To facilitate the social and economic recovery of countries in post-conflict situations.

BCPR Long-Term Goals

Working in over 30 countries, we provide a range of support services that include:

• Training for disaster preparedness• Capacity building programmes for mine action• Small arms collection and disposal• Security sector reform• Demobilization and reintegration of former combatants• Increasing access to essential social services• Restoration of livelihoods• Training of judiciary• Support to the implementation of peace agreements

What does BCPR do?

BCPR Service Lines

1. Conflict Prevention & Peace-building

2. Transition Recovery Programme

3. Security Sector Reform and Rule of Law

4. Small Arms Reduction

5. Mine Action

6. Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration

7. Area-based Programmes

8. Natural Disaster Reduction and Recovery

1. Conflict Prevention & Peace-building

• Advocating the role of development in conflict prevention and peace-building

• Providing policy advice and technical assistance (including conflict assessment) to reorient and develop field programmes in a conflict prevention and peace-building framework

• Creating new development tools and approaches to conflict prevention and peace-building as part of the international response

2. Transition Recovery Programme

• Supporting UN field coordination of early recovery efforts through the RC system and by facilitating coordination

• Designing and piloting new development tools and approaches to respond to the particular crisis

• Mobilizing and deploying TRTs to undertake assessments and comprehensive early recovery planning

• Identifying and strengthening national capacities and expertise to manage and implement early recovery programmes

2. Transition Recovery Teams

• Collaboration with UNDAC assessments

• Specific assessments of the development losses caused by the crisis

• Data analysis and dissemination of information, including liaison with the media

• Development of a UNDP recovery strategy or framework that links into the overall Country Team’s strategy

• Support to resource mobilization

3. Security Sector Reform and Rule of Law

• Promoting legal and judicial reform through the development of more effectively enforceable laws

• Training the judiciary in new laws and legal procedures to ensure consistent interpretation

• Supporting informed debate and decision-making on legal and judicial matters

• Promoting justice and reconciliation through strengthening alternative dispute resolution techniques including non-judicial reconciliation, arbitration and mediation

• Strengthening the capacity of human rights institutions in monitoring, investigating and reporting

4. Small Arms Reduction

• Integrating a development perspective into policies for the reduction of small arms and light weapons

• Building national capacities for weapons collection and destruction

• Creating opportunities for legal and sustainable livelihoods to also reduce demand for small arms

• Supporting countries to control the illicit flow and supply of small arms through training of customs agents, police, and other government agencies

5. Mine Action

• Providing technical support, training, and advice to strengthen the capacity of mine affected to develop sustainable mine action programmes

• Developing and maintaining national management infrastructures for mine action (Mine Action Centers) that build local capacity

• Raising awareness on the negative impacts of landmines on sustainable development and advocating for the global ban on the manufacture, trade, and use of anti-personnel mines in accordance with the Ottawa Treaty.

6. Disarmament, Demobilization, Reintegration

• Establishing management systems and structures that can plan and implement DDR programmes

• Enabling demobilzation and disarmament and promoting public security through reducing the availability of small arms

• Supporting a range of secure livelihood initiatives for the former combatants including job counseling and referral, professional and vocational training opportunities, access to credit and land, micro enterprises, etc.

7. Area-Based Programmes

• Creating participatory community-based structures (community development committees) to identify, plan, and implement rehabilitation priorities

• Providing technical assistance for the community to restore essential social services

• Supporting communities to sustainably reintegrate war-affected populations including IDPs, returnees, etc.

• Promoting coherence between locally-identified rehabilitation priorities and central rehabilitation plans

8. Natural Disaster Recovery and Reduction

•Promoting the integration of disaster risk planning and preparation into national and regional development programmes

• Piloting recovery programmes in post-conflict situations that aim to avoid the reconstruction of risk

• Strengthening national and regional capacities to put in place the appropriate policies, strategies, legal frameworks and institutional structures for sustainable disaster risk reduction through technical assistance and training