911 disarm finalreport

7/30/2019 911 Disarm Finalreport

1/49

the United Nations Department of Public Information

in partnership with the NGO/DPI Executive Committee

Rebuilding SocietiesEmerging from Conflict:

A Shared Responsibility

United Nations, New York

9 to 11 September 2002

Organized by

FINAL REPORT


2/49

Standing ovation in the General Assembly Hall after Mary Robinsons keynote address


3/49

3

Introduction*

The Department of Public Information (DPI), in cooperation with the ExecutiveCommittee of Non-Governmental Organizations associated with DPI (NGO/DPI ExecutiveCommittee), convened its 55th Annual Conference, entitled Rebuilding Societies Emergingfrom Conflict: A Shared Responsibility, from 9 to 11 September 2002 at United Nations

Headquarters in New York. United Nations and Government officials and the NGO commu-nity explored the Conference theme, focusing on contemporary examples of post-conflictcountries that have been the subject of concerted United Nations involvement. The success-ful event was highlighted by several noteworthy achievements:

The keynote speakers gave addresses that received widespread media coverage. Thespeakers included: Vojislav Kostunica, President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia;Mary Robinson, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights; LakhdarBrahimi, Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations forAfghanistan; and Jos Luis Guterres, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperationof Timor-Leste.

2,750 people from 85 countries registered for the Conference and over 2,000 people

from 760 organizations and 70 countries attended the Conference. The plenary sessions and workshops featured over 210 different speakers from around

the world, many of them from the front lines in post-conflict countries.

The NGO/DPI Executive Committee hosted a reception in the Delegates DiningRoom that was attended by 850 people.

Media outreach included several press conferences that featured speakers from theConference.

The Conference coincided with the commemoration of the anniversary of 11September 2001, which appeared to have little impact on Conference attendance.

The Conference participants were enthusiastic about their participation in theConference and the information that they received and shared. They often cited the feelingthat they were part of a larger community and they were inspired by the accounts of the pro-fessional and effective work that NGOs are doing in post-conflict societies throughout theworld, especially in partnership with the United Nations and governments.

Planning Committee

The Conference was organized by a 40-member DPI/NGO Conference PlanningCommittee, comprising staff of the DPI/NGO Section and representatives of NGOs associatedwith the Department of Public Information. Ms. Sherrill Kazan Alvarez de Toledo of theWorld Council of Peoples for the United Nations and Mr. Paul Hoeffel, Chief of theDPI/NGO Section, were Co-Chairs of the Committee, which met weekly for nine months pri-or to the Conference. There were also six sub-committees with 11 sub-committee Chairs:Sherrill Kazan Alvarez de Toledo and Fannie Munlin, Fund-raising; Gloria Landy, Registration;

Margaret Melkonian and Estelle Perry, Media; Joan Kirby and Lester Wilson, Midday NGOWorkshops; Jonina Sutton and Elaine Valdov, Reception; and Elly Erickson and PatrickSciarratta, Youth Liaison.

Registration

While 2,000 people, representing more than 70 countries and 760 organizations,attended the Conference, many others were unable to attend due to visa problems with the

* This Introduction is available in all official languages at: http://www.un.org/dpi/ngosection


4/49

host country. The Conference counted on the services of some 40 volunteers and interns. Inits effort to have as many speakers from developing regions as possible, the PlanningCommittee and the NGO Section raised funds to cover travel expenses for 14 people from13 countries and Palestine.

Plenary Sessions

Shashi Tharoor, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information,

opened the Conference, followed by Louise Frchette, Deputy Secretary-General of the UnitedNations, and Han Seung-soo, President of the fifty-sixth session of the General Assembly. Thekeynote speakers were Mary Robinson, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights,who gave her final public address while in office, and Lakhdar Brahimi, Special Representative ofthe Secretary-General of the United Nations for Afghanistan. At the closing session on 11September, Jos Luis Guterres, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Timor-Leste,and Vojislav Kostunica, President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, gave keynote addresses.

The keynote speakers were joined by a group of distinguished panellists for the five ple-nary sessions of the Conference. The globally diverse speakers, representing the UnitedNations, Governments and civil society, addressed the panel themes: Re-establishing the Ruleof Law and Encouraging Good Governance; Resorting Social Services: Identifying Priorities;From Less than Zero: The Challenge of Rebuilding Economies; Against the Odds: TheProcess of Reconciliation; and Demobilizing the War Machines: Making Peace Last.Midday NGO Workshops

There were 32 Midday NGO Workshops, 10 held on Monday and Tuesday and 12 heldon Wednesday, featuring 179 speakers. These Workshops were orgaized independently byNGOs in consultation with DPI. The Midday NGO Workshop Committee of the ConferencePlanning Committee prepared the schedule of Workshops. The speakers came from manyregions of the world and the workshops explored different aspects and nuances of theConference theme. One workshop on partnerships with the United Nations featured partici-pation by eight different United Nations offices. Clearly a very popular feature of theConference, attendance ranged from 15 to 200 at each workshop, with standing room onlyin most workshops. Prcis of each workshop were prepared by graduate students of

Fordham University. [Please see the Midday NGO Workshops Summaries insert for moreinformation on the workshops].

Corporate, NGO and Government Cooperation

The NGO/DPI Planning Committee partnered with several outside organizations tosupport the Conference. Generous support was provided by the Global Family for Peaceand Love, a United States-based NGO working for respect for all religions, tolerance forall cultures and love for all life. Wines of South Africa and Flowers on First providedwine and flowers for the Conference Reception. Over 185 associated NGOs and individ-uals also made financial contributions in support of the Conference. The contributionshelped underwrite travel costs for plenary speakers, the production of Conference materi-als and the Conference reception.

Conference Reception

The NGO/DPI Executive Committee organized and hosted the Annual DPI/NGOConference Reception on the first evening of the Conference. The event was held in theDelegates Dining Room at United Nations Headquarters. A record number of 850 peopleattended the Reception, including the Secretary-General and Mrs. Annan, a number of high-level United Nations officials, Conference speakers and NGO representatives. Participantshad an extended opportunity to interact with UN officials and Permanent Mission representa-

4


5/49

5

tives on an informal basis as well as network among themselves. Music for the event wasprovided by the World String Quartet, sponsored by the Crystal Foundation, USA.

Media Outreach

The Media Committee organized a well-coordinated media outreach. A special pre-conference press briefing in the United Nations Correspondents Associtation (UNCA) Club,featuring two of the Conference speakers and the Under-Secretary-General for

Communications and Public Information, was hosted by the UNCA Club, the MediaCommittee and the NGO/DPI Executive Committee. Daily press briefings were held duringthe Conference on Monday and Wednesday, featuring plenary speakers from the Conference,including Oxfam, International Rescue Committee and Mdecins Sans Frontires. In addition,NGO representatives were provided with sample press releases and encouraged to includethem in their organizational and local press.

As a result, a diversity of ethnic, national and international press covered theConference. United Nations publications, radio and television covered the Conference, asdid wire services and NGO media outlets. [See Media Report - Annex 1].

Videoconferencing, webcast and Parallel Conferences

The opening and closing sessions of the Conference were carried by UNTV. It was webcast

live on the Internet via a special Conference link and then archived at www.un.org/webcast.The opening was videoconferenced to three remote locations: the Woodrow Wilson Center inWashington, D.C., co-sponsored with the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) inWashington; UNIC Brussels; and United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva.Approximately 200 people participated through the live videoconference. A large number ofpeople participated, either during or subsequent to the opening session via the webcast.

Several United Nations Information Centres organized parallel conferences, seminarsand other events in conjunction with the Annual Conference. UNIC Tehran, in cooperationwith the Iranian Civil Society Organizations Resource Centre (ICSORC), organized a seminar,entitled Rebuilding Iranian Society: A Shared Responsibility, on 31 August 2002. Over 130representatives from 100 NGOs from across Iran participated in the Conference. The partici-pants issued a final statement, which was distributed informally to Conference participants inNew York. [See XXXXX pp. XX-XX].

UNIC Islamabad, in cooperation with the Pakistan Lions Youth Council (PLYC), organ-ized a parallel meeting of the DPI/NGO Conference in Multan, Pakistan, on 10 September2002. Over 30 people from 22 NGOs took part in the event. There was a concerted effortby the organizers to include several branches of the United Nations system. Representativesfocused on development needs in Pakistan. NGOs pledged to enhance their activities andcooperation with the United Nations and called on the United Nations to continue to supportand acknowledge the important work of local NGOs, often working in remote areas.

United Nations Development Programme, in cooperation with Friendship AmbassadorsFoundation, sponsored a pre-conference event in Sofia, Bulgaria, for NGOs in the region. Theevent, held on 8 July 2002, was hosted by New Bulgaria University and featured a series of

panel discussions regarding the Conference topic.Exhibits and Side Events

On the morning of Tuesday, 10 September, the Executive Committee held an openforum to inform visiting NGOs about its work and to discuss how NGOs could participatemore in the information programmes organized by the Committee and the NGO Section.The meeting, held in Conference Room 4, was attended by approximately 100 people.


6/49

During the Conference, in the areas adjacent to the conference rooms where the plena-ry sessions and Midday NGO Workshops were held, various informational materials weredisplayed. The Exhibits Unit of the Department of Public Information, in cooperation withthe Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations forChildren and Armed Conflict, made available the exhibit The Impact of Armed Conflict onGirls. The exhibit highlighted a key issue of the Conference, the impact of conflict onwomen and girls and their special needs during the rebuilding process.

Several United Nations Agencies, Programmes and offices made their informational mate-rial available to Conference participants. A special initiative regarding the Olympic Truce forthe period of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, was presented to Conference par-ticipants in the area. Participants received information on the upcoming Olympic Games andhad an opportunity to sign a message in support of the Olympic Truce. More than 1,600 peo-ple signed the message.

The Youth Committee organized a youth event in Dag Hammarskjld Park on Tuesday,10 September from 6 to 8 p.m., sponsored by the 55th Annual DPI/NGO PlanningCommittee, in partnership with Friendship Ambassadors Foundation. The event featured anumber of youth performers and provided an opportunity for youth attending the Conferenceto network with each other. Approximately 250 people attended the event.

Survey

A concerted effort was made to distribute and then gather this years Conference surveyand 373 surveys were collected, representing about 19 per cent of the Conference partici-pants. The survey provided valuable feedback on the value of the Conference and recom-mendations to improve it organizationally and substantively. The survey responses indicatedthat the Conference was very successful. In addition, the Planning Committee received manyhelpful comments and suggestions that will be integrated into future conferences. It was rec-ommended that the pre-registration period be extended and better publicized. Though theopening and closing sessions were webcast, it was recommended that this be better publi-cized and that efforts be made to webcast additional sessions of the Conference. There werea number of comments on time pressures and desire for more time to network. Though the

Conference has a lot to accomplish in a very short time, several ideas have emerged on howto address these issues, including a midday workshop devoted to networking and informationon different NGOs, extending the daily finishing time to allow for longer breaks and an infor-mal networking reception on the second day of the Conference. Some of the issues raised inthe surveys, such as larger rooms, unfortunately cannot be addressed due to constraints with-in the United Nations conference services. However, these and other issues highlighted bythe survey will be taken into account by next years Planning Committee. [See preliminarySurvey results - Annex 2].

Further information, including the Conference programme, available texts of speeches,photos and press releases may be obtained at the web site of the DPI/NGO Section(www.un.org/dpi/ngosection) or from the DPI/NGO Resource Centre, Room L-1B-31 atUnited Nations Headquarters in New York.

On behalf of the NGO Section of the Department of Public Information and theConference Planning Committee, I thank all those who contributed to making this a success-ful Conference, especially our dedicated NGOs, who made it happen.

Paul HoeffelChief, Non-Governmental Organizations SectionDepartment of Public Information and Co-chair of the Conference Planning Committee

6


7/49

7

Conference Programme

Monday, 9 September 2002

Monday, 9 September 2001

Opening Session:

General Assembly Hall

Welcome:

Shashi Tharoor, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information,United Nations

Addresses:

Han Seung-soo, President of the fifty-sixth session of the United Nations General Assembly

Louise Frchette, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations

Keynote Addresses:

Lakhdar Brahimi, Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations forAfghanistan

Mary Robinson, High Commissioner for Human Rights, United NationsNGO Welcome:

Donald Treimann, Chair, NGO/DPI Executive Committee

Renate Bloem, President, Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with theUnited Nations (CONGO)

Sherrill Kazan Alvarez de Toledo, Conference Chair

Afternoon Session

Re-establishing the Rule of Law and Encouraging Good Governance

Setting priorities in a post-conflict environment is a major challenge. It is clear that re-estab-lishing confidence in legal and political institutions is crucial to foster stability and a sense ofsecurity among traumatized populations. United Nations peace-building support programmes areonly a few years old and each works differently. Many societies are committed to indigenous sys-tems of government and law, such as the loya jirga in Afghanistan and the gacaca (justice on thegrass, a local legal system) in Rwanda. How is outside involvement able to encourage nativesolutions to conflicts and empower local civil societies? What steps can be taken to restore the

justice system and respect for human rights? How can the international communitys interven-tions in these situations be effective and encourage local populations to reassert control over theireconomic, political and social lives? How extensive should those international interventions be?Are democratic elections a realistic or viable goal? What is the role of truth and reconciliationcommissions?

Moderator:

Hans Corell, Under-Secretary-General, The Legal Counsel, United NationsSpeakers:

Franoise Bouchet-Saulnier, Law and Research Director, Mdecins Sans Frontires

Gerald Gahima, Prosecutor General, Rwandan Supreme Court

Priscilla Hayner, Program Director, International Center for Transitional Justice

Danilo Trk, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, United Nations


8/49

8


Tuesday, 10 September 2002

Morning Session

Restoring Social Services:Identifying Priorities

Drawing on their long experience in setting up both life-saving and life-sustaining systems in crisissituations, many United Nations agencies and humanitarian and development NGOs can identify thekey components required to successfully establish or re-establish social services in post-conflict environ-ments. Panellists will discuss the importance of consulting with and utilizing the services of localNGOs, community representatives and government officials. They will address the need to stretch limit-ed resources by carefully setting priorities and coordinating efforts in order to restore a sense of normal-cy to community life. What needs to be done to get schools, hospitals, clinics and public welfare pro-grammes functioning effectively? What special services are required to help reintegrate internally dis-placed persons (IDPs) and returning refugees? What are the different approaches to restoring social

services in urban versus rural areas? How are the special psychosocial needs of traumatized popula-tions best addressed?

Moderator:

Kul Gautam, Deputy Executive Director, United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF)

Speakers:

Gerald Martone, Director of Emergency Response, International Rescue Committee

Thoraya Obaid, Executive Director, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

Janina Ochojska, President, Polish Humanitarian Organization

Sima Samar, Chair, Independent Afghan Human Rights CommissionLeticia Toj Umul, Executive Director, Asociacin de Salud y Desarrollo Rxiin Tnamet


9/49

9


Tuesday, 10 September 2002

Afternoon Session

From Less than Zero:

The Challenge of Rebuilding Economies

The destruction of economic life homes, factories, livestock, crops, market infrastructureand transportation leaves countries in a state of economic breakdown and environmental degra-dation. It is often a deliberate tactic of war, not merely a side effect. When the violence slows, thedesire to return to business as usual is a strong impulse. How can this be done when everythinghas been looted or destroyed? The United Nations, the private sector and international financialinstitutions, and NGOs have developed expertise in the relief-to-development continuum, whichaims to restart development and anti-poverty programmes. Some research suggests that social pol-icy is more important than structural policy for economic development in post-conflict societies.What are the strategies to return to sustainable economies and reduce reliance on conflict-induc-ing activities such as illicit drug production and human trafficking or the trade in blood diamonds

and weapons? What is the role of Food-for-Work programmes? How effective are the diverse pro-grammes that assist in post-conflict recovery, such as small-scale microfinance programmes orlarger infrastructure projects?

Moderator:

Julia Taft, Assistant Administrator and Director, Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery,United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Speakers:

Kazuhide Kuroda, Conflict Prevention and Reconstruction Unit, World Bank Group

Vincent Lelei, Regional Director for the Horn, East and Central Africa, OxfamEvgenii Vassilev, Chief Coordinator, Trails of Peace Project, Friendship Ambassadors

Foundation-Bulgaria


10/49


Wednesday, 11 September 2002

Morning Session

Against the Odds: The Process of Reconciliation

Civilian populations in many conflicts have been traumatized by unspeakable violence, cru-elty and loss. Women and children, in particular, are victims of the new warfare that targets civil-ian populations. Racial, ethnic or religious intolerance is often at the root of conflict. Yet the cre-ation of multi-racial, multi-ethnic, multi-religious societies is often the declared aim of UnitedNations involvement, with the goal of promoting respect for universal human rights and funda-mental values. This panel will focus on the social issues facing societies emerging from conflict,including the role of women in peace-building, child soldiers and children traumatized by war,and psycho-social disorders. How are therapies devised to treat entire communities? How is theterror and destruction overcome? What are the best strategies for racial, ethnic or religious recon-ciliation after violent conflict? What are the limitations and best practices of peace education?How can young people be empowered to break the cycle of violence?

Moderator:

Carol Rittner, Professor, Stockton College

Speakers:

Ghassan Abdullah, Co-director, Middle East Children's Association

Prosper Bani, Programme Specialist, United Nations Volunteer Programme

Daniel Ntoni-Nzinga, Quaker International Affairs Representative,Angolan Reflection Group for Peace

Bertan Selim, Youth Counsellor, Friendship Ambassadors Foundation

Adina Shapiro, Co-director, Middle East Children's Association

10


11/49

11



Afternoon Session

Demobilizing the War Machines: Making Peace LastThe demobilization of combatants, whether guerrillas or conventional forces, is one of the

greatest challenges to societies emerging from conflict. Reintegrating former combatants intosociety and practical disarmament measures are key to sustaining peace. Some programmes offerfood or seed in exchange for weapons. Other projects clear fields of landmines so farming canresume or focus on job training for ex-combatants. This panel addresses the task of disarmamentand ways to avoid rearmament and a return to violent conflict. What are best practices for armscollections and destruction and mine clearance? What are the special issues for the demobiliza-tion and reintegration of children? What is the role of women in demobilization? What are theobstacles to disarmament? What role does United Nations peacekeeping have in reconciliation?How can the media contribute to the process of demobilization?

Moderator:

Ali Jalali, Chief, Pashto Service, Voice of America

Speakers:

Jayantha Dhanapala, Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs, United Nations

Jean-Marie Guhenno, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations,United Nations

Vandy Kanyako, former child soldier in Sierra Leone

Cora Weiss, President, Hague Appeal for Peace


12/49

12



Closing Session

Chair:

Shashi Tharoor, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information,United Nations

Speakers:

Vojislav Kostunica, President, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

Jos Luis Guterres, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Timor-Leste

Closing Remarks:

Sherrill Kazan Alvarez de Toledo, Conference Chair


13/49

Opening Addresses*

SHASHI THAROOR, Under-Secretary-Generalfor Communications and Public Information of theUnited Nations (DPI), opened the Conference, notingthat it had become the premier NGO event atHeadquarters. He said this reflected the ever-deepen-ing involvement of civil society in the work of theUnited Nations and that the high attendance, repre-senting all regions of the world, underscored the rele-vance of the various aspects of the NGO partnershipwith the Organization. Last year, he said, the

Conference coincided with the horrific terrorist attacksof 11 September. It was fitting that in the currentConference, leading up to the first anniversary of thosetragic events, the subject would be how to move for-ward and help rebuild those societies around theworld that have experienced the trauma of violent con-flict. He continued, Our associated NGOs reflect thegrowing and increasingly well-organized network ofcivil society organizations, which provided theOrganization with needed support in its work towardsthe goals of the Millennium Declaration.

LOUISE FRCHETTE, Deputy Secretary-Generalof the United Nations, said the United Nations, govern-ments and NGOs were becoming more deeplyinvolved in helping countries to recover from their trau-

ma and address the underlying reasons for theirdescent into violence. From Afghanistan to East Timor,the United Nations and the NGO community hadforged a wide range of indispensable partnerships. TheUnited Nations-NGO relationships figured prominentlyinto the Secretary-Generals efforts to strengthen theUnited Nations.Post-conflictsituations wereone of the maincrucibles for theOrganization:proving groundswhere its contactwith people inneed was closest and where its achievements or its fail-ures are most plain. Only success in the daily test ofself-improvement would enable the United Nations todo its part in rebuilding nations. She noted that theUnited Nations was better meeting the needs and aspi-rations of the worlds people, and that the bureaucracyhad been streamlined, and opportunities offered by theInternet had been seized. A major overhaul in humanresources management had also been undertaken, and

the Organization had reached out as never before tonew partners, including foundations, parliamentarians,the private sector and NGOs. Despite those gains,there was ample room to do more. She said theSecretary-General would soon set out his vision for fur-ther strengthening the United Nations, deepening andbuilding on what had already been accomplished.This new reform exercise aims to align theOrganizations work more closely with the priorities ofthe Millennium Declaration and other major policyframeworks, she said, adding that NGOs occupied aunique place in the constellation. For many decades,they had been the United Nations partner on the

ground - delivering humanitarian assistance in placesstruck by conflict or natural disaster, and in quieterplaces, helping people build stable communities andeffective institutions. She indicated that NGO contri-butions had enriched and influenced official proceed-ings. That relationship had been enormously reward-ing for the United Nations, and hopefully, for theNGOs too. At the same time, that dramatic evolutionhad brought some real challenges to the fore. One

13

Prcis of Presentations:

Rebuilding Societies Emerging from Conflict:

A Shared Responsibility

9 September 2002

* Complete text of presentations is available at: http://www.un.org/dpi/ngosection

Whether helping torebuild societies emerging fromconflict, or addressing the otherissues on its agenda, the United

Nations could not hope toachieve its goals without the

efforts and expertise of NGOs.

-Louise Frchette

Louise Frchette


14/49

challenge stemmed from the sheer number of NGOsseeking to participate in the work of the UnitedNations. Simply put, there was only so much space inthe building, in New York and elsewhere. Given thosephysical limits, it was not feasible for the UnitedNations to accommodate all of the NGOs that wantedto participate. The accreditation process had also

become more complex, leading to NGOs encounter-ing uneven standards and, at times, confusing proce-dures. Also, NGOs often ended up feeling that theirinvolvement was not meaningful enough and that gov-ernments gave them only token roles. She continuedthat it was time to evaluate the United Nations inter-action with civil society and change what isnt workingand build on what is. She concluded, Whether help-ing to rebuild societies emerging from conflict, oraddressing the other issues on its agenda, the UnitedNations could not hope to achieve its goals withoutthe efforts and expertise of NGOs.

HAN SEUNG-SOO, President of the fifty-sixthsession of the General Assembly, noted the expandedcooperation between the United Nations and NGOsand the timeliness of the Conference theme. It is myhope that a culture of prevention will prevail in the21st Century, he said, even though reaction to con-flicts was still necessary in the current environment. Ifeffective ways of addressing post-conflict peace-build-ing could be developed, a more effective synthesis ofprevention and reaction could be created. From theperspective of the General Assembly, that effortrequired the support of many entities, of which NGOswere an important factor. Sustainable societies were

the ultimate goal, he said, and that required attentionto a multitude of factors. The governments concerned

had the ultimate responsibility for reaching that goal,but the United Nations and NGOs had a great role toplay as well, and the two entities should cooperateclosely through exchange of information and analysis.In addition to information sharing, the United Nationsand non-governmental organizations could closelycooperate in determining better ways to mobilize the

political will and resources of the international com-munity to work seriously towards effective conflict pre-vention and rebuilding of societies emerging from con-flict. He suggested cooperation between the UnitedNations and NGOs by using the concept of compara-tive advantage, developing an integrated operationalresponse to peace-building, joint monitoring andmobilization of resources.

MARY ROBINSON, United Nations HighCommissioner for Human Rights, said the theme ofthe session - rebuilding societies emerging from con-flict - could not be more relevant. She placedemphasis on partnership and, in particular, the role ofcivil society. Building modern, democratic andaccountable institutions of government could not bedone without its fullparticipation. Whilethat seemed obvious, itcreated a major chal-lenge for many societiesemerging from conflict.During conflict, coun-tries were often drained of their brainpower. After itended, societies often remained divided along ethnicand political lines; moreover, countries that underwent

protracted conflicts frequently lacked the tradition ofensuring the participation of all members of society indecision-making. She said that, in those societies,human rights NGOs have played an indispensablerole in the following areas: identifying the most vul-nerable persons and groups; monitoring the humanrights situation; pinpointing the weakness in the previ-ous system of government; showing how those weak-nesses could be overcome; and supporting, encourag-ing and nourishing local human rights initiatives. Shehad been privileged to see how vital womens groupshad been in peace-building. She paraphrased EavanBoland, an Irish poet, saying, women who had been

outside history needed to be written back into histo-ryfinding a voice where they found a vision.Humanitarian and development NGOs also played acrucial role in the return of refugees and income gen-eration. She noted an effective partnership betweenthe United Nations human rights programme and theNGO community had occurred in Sierra Leone, whereNGOs had taken a courageous lead in 1998 in moni-toring and reporting on the human rights situation

14

It would be far betterif we could learn how to

prevent large-scale deadlyconflict rather than pickup the pieces afterwards,

- Mary Robinson

Han Seung-Soo


15/49

there. It would be far better if we could learn how toprevent large-scale deadly conflict rather than pick upthe pieces afterwards, she acknowledged. TheSecretary-General had pledged to move the UnitedNations from a culture of reaction to a culture of pre-vention. It was estimated that at least half of ongoingconflicts today were relapsed old conflicts. That sober-

ing figure emphasized the direct link between buildingpeace and preventing future conflict. Given the linkbetween conflicts and rights abuses, effective rebuild-ing of societies must pay serious attention to the estab-lishment of strong systems for national human rightsprotection. Also necessary was confronting the injus-tices of the past in order to provide a basis for a futurebuilt on justice and reconciliation. She said that pro-tection, including enhancement of national capacity,could mean the presence of an international securityforce. Such a presence could deter violence, especial-ly as warring factions became increasingly keen toestablish their legitimacy after the conflicts end. But,

international forces were not present in many post-conflict situations. Often, the humanitarian and devel-opment agencies are the only international presence.In Afghanistan, human security remained the mostpressing issue today. The presence of the InternationalSecurity Assistance Force (ISAF) provided relative secu-rity in Kabul; the rest of the country, however,remained unsafe. She welcomed indications that theForce might now be extended beyond Kabul and urgedthat. The hunger for justice was another thorny issue

in a post-conflict situation. Any society emerging fromconflict must face the issue of how to address thehuman rights violations committed in the recent past.Ignoring those ran the risk of repetition as impunitycontinued to reign. Accountability for these [humanrights] abuses is not only a question of seeking justicefor past events, but also a forward-looking strategy for

the future. In that context, it was sad to see some cur-rent undermining of the legitimacy of the InternationalCriminal Court (ICC), which had a central role to play.She believed that was a short-term problem, whichwould not impede the vital work of the first interna-tional institution to tackle impunity for gross violationsof human rights. She indicated that Truth andReconciliation Commissions, in any form, were helpfulfor bringing about reconciliation, but said that theycannot work in a vacuum. She also paid tribute tothe international NGOs for providing valuable infor-mation and insights. Noting that in three days shewould rejoin the human rights struggle as a private citi-

zen, she said she would bring the experience gained inthe past five years to two particular issues. First, Iwant to re-enforce the point that human rights is notabout words and rhetoric, but rather that it is a systemof legally binding rules. Second, she wanted to helpfill the gap in human rights at the international level.Not enough emphasis had been placed on helpingdeveloping countries build their own national protec-tion systems for human rights. That required resources,both financial and intellectual. Also, the building of a

15

Mary Robinson at the opening session of the Conference in the General Assembly Hall. Sherrill Kazan Alvarez de Toledo, Shashi Tharoor andDon Treimann in the background.


16/49

national protection system must be country-led, requir-ing both the political will of the government and theinvolvement of civil society. Working in those twoareas was likely to keep her busy for the foreseeablefuture, she said.

LAKHDAR BRAHIMI, Special Representative ofthe Secretary-General for Afghanistan, said policy-

making in todays world was a multi-faceted process,and through their hard work, effective advocacy andmeasurable results on the ground, NGOs and civilsociety generally, had come to play a crucial rolealongside governments and multilateral organizationsin that process. In Afghanistan, that partnership datedback many years. During the worst, when the countrywas virtually forgotten by the international communityat large, NGOs - both Afghan and international -and the United Nations, had worked together to keepat least a trickle of humanitarian assistance coming tothe Afghan people. We must not forget their hardwork and sacrifices during this period, he said. In theabsence of governmental institutions, he said, NGOsin Afghanistan filled the void as well as they could,providing services that a government would normallyprovide. It was not surprising, therefore, that severalprominent Afghan NGO members had now beenappointed to ministerial posts. Two points should beborne in mind in post-conflict situations. First, therespective roles of the United Nations and NGOs arecomplementary, not identical. He continued thatwhile they frequently shared the same objectives, theygenerally had different mandates, rules and proce-dures. Second, we must all recognize that the inter-

national communitys role is often dramatically trans-formed in thepost-conflictstage, and thisrequires that wechange the man-ner in which wedo business. InAfghanistan, forinstance, a gov-

ernment was now in place, and the international com-munity no longer needed to fill that void. Its role nowshould be to assist and support the Government, not

seek to govern in its place, or impose upon it its owngoals and aspirations. In the recovery and reconstruc-tion context, for example, the Government had set outa National Development Framework, and he wasworking hard to ensure that all of the United Nationsactivities and those of its NGO implementing partnerswere consistent with the Governments strategic direc-tion. Tied to that was a simple philosophy that hadbecome a defining principle of the United Nations

Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA): the goalof a light expatriate footprint. In every sector inwhich the UN or NGOs get involved and in every

project that we initiate, we need to ask ourselves hardquestions about why we are really there, he said.First, it must be ensured that an activity was reallyneeded and that the country could not do it on itsown. Second, it must be certain that particular NGOshad a comparative advantage over other institutions ororganizations, especially ones in the region, whichmight offer linguistic, cost or other advantages.Providing effective assistance required not only anunderstanding of the local needs and context, but alsoa recognition of ones own limitations. Assuming thatall of those conditions had been met, then the interna-tional community should strive from day one to doeverything possible to enable nationals to take over.He said his impression was that neither the UnitedNations nor NGOs had a light footprint thus far inAfghanistan. Whether or not they would succeed inimplementing those principles remained to be seen,but he was optimistic. And if there is one lesson thatyear of experience have taught us, it is that a peaceand reconstruction process stands a far better chanceof success when it is nationally owned, rather than ledby external factors. The issue was not whether theUnited Nations and NGOs had a current role inAfghanistan, but the importance of defining and imple-

menting it with care. If the United Nations and NGOsexercised their responsibility wisely, then their partner-ship could bring untold benefits to the people ofAfghanistan and help them back on the road to apeaceful, stable and prosperous future.

DONALD TREIMANN, Chair, NGO/DPIExecutive Committee, said that DPI was one of themost active parts of the United Nations system when itcame to partnership with NGOs. Thanking all those

16

And if there is one lessonthat year of experience havetaught us, it is that a peace andreconstruction process stands a

far better chance of success whenit is nationally owned, ratherthan led by external factors.

-Lakhdar Brahimi

Lakhdar Brahimi


17/49

involved with the Conference, he noted that theExecutive Committee was financially stable and func-tioning smoothly. He outlined some of theCommittees accomplishments and described the pro-gramme of weekly briefings organized by the NGOsection of DPI in close cooperation with the NGO/DPIExecutive Committee. He also described the NGO

Resource Centre and its future plans. Regarding theConference theme, he emphasized the factor of sharedresponsibility. It applied to everything with which theUnited Nations and NGOs were involved. NGOsshould work hand in hand with UN, with govern-ments, with private sector, and with each other toachieve our common goals. The current event was aperfect opportunity for starting new partnerships. Lastyears Conference, disrupted by the terrorist attacks,had as its theme volunteerism. After the attacks, thevolunteer spirit proved indestructible. That was evidentwhen many NGO representatives got together on 13September to show that nothing could stop the valu-

able work they were engaged in. Saluting that spirit,he hoped for a successful and productive conference.

RENATE BLOEM, President, Conference ofNGOs in Consultative Status with the UnitedNations (CONGO), said she was extremely pleasedwith the theme of this years Conference. All actionsin peace-building need to be complementary, shesaid, adding that once peace was reached in a conflict,NGOs were guarantors of its sustainability. Being onthe ground, NGOs were valuable in working on the

root cause of conflict. Their cooperation with UnitedNations activity could be further developed. The tasksassigned to civil society by papers leading up to theMillennium Declaration, including assistance to vic-tims of conflict situations and protection of the integrityof humanitarian assistance, should be viewed afreshand reaffirmed. She noted that though many NGOs

were disappointed by the recently concludedJohannesburg Summit, they had pledged to workunceasingly towards the goals of sustainable develop-ment that were outlined there. She hoped that theConference, in the interest of shared responsibility andleaving the shadows of 11 September behind, wouldbe able to work to give peace a chance.

SHERRILL KAZAN ALVAREZ DE TOLEDO,Chair, 55th Annual DPI/NGO Conference, notedthat more than 2,700 people had registered for theConference, representing more than 650 organizationsin 85 countries from all regions of the world. Thosefigures demonstrated the remarkable international rep-resentation that had been collectively achieved overthe past decade. When the theme for the Conferencewas first established, one topic was on everyonesmind: how could the NGO community in partnershipwith governments, the United Nations and the privatesector work towards lasting peace in a tumultuousworld. With that question in mind, the theme hademerged. She said the Planning Committee then iden-tified the main issues important for post-conflict devel-opment: rule of law and good governance; socialservices; economic rebuilding; reconciliation; anddemobilization, disarmament and reintegration. The

NGOs were at the heart of the processes of thoseaction items. In war-torn regions, they were oftenthere before and after the international communitysinvolvement. Noting the importance of theConference, she said, we stand on the shoulders ofthose of all faiths, religions, races and persuasions whobelieved that there is a better way to reconcile our dif-ferences than resorting to death and destruction. Shesaid the NGOs were here to share their collectiveknowledge in devising new strategies to rebuild soci-eties. The information gains and the partnerships rein-forced over the next three days would better prepareeveryone to build peaceful societies and prevent the

re-emergence of conflict.

17

Renate Bloem


18/49

HANS CORELL, Under-Secretary-General for

Legal Affairs and United Nations Legal Counsel,introduced the panellists and said that peace-buildingwas a new experience for the Organization, includingbuilding governance in certain operations.International standards of good governance, as includ-ed in the Charter, formed the basis for those activities.The title of the panel may not be appropriate becausethere might be, in many situations, no rule of law to

re-establish. But thatdid not mean that thehighest standards of theCharter should not beadhered to. In situa-

tions of building gover-nance, he said, therewere numerous compo-

nents. Civil Police must be established for law andorder and a working judicial system must be applied.In both areas, there might be complete vacuums, andinternational assistance might, therefore, be required.Civil services might also have to be created fromscratch, as well as a military, which might have to per-form functions related to the maintenance of law andorder. Many other systems must be created, he said,including ways of registering private property, the con-cept of which might vary according to the culture.

Irrespective of which procedures were developed in allthose areas, the local community should be involvedin the activity as early as possible, even if they are notin a position to make formal decisions, and the devel-opment of an independent media was crucial. All thatformed the complex background against which thepanel discussion was taking place.

FRANOISE BOUCHET-SAULNIER, Law andResearch Director, Mdicins sans Frontires, saidthat emergence from conflict could last for years, andconflicts could likely resume after the internationalcommunitys involvement had disappeared.

Consequently, it was imperative to look at countries ina historical and political context that bore in mind thatthe forces of war remained during periods of emer-gence from crises. Mdicins sans Frontiresremainedin countries even where peace had been established,such as in Afghanistan. Return of a society to peaceis a slow and evolving process that does not happenthe moment a peace agreement is signed. She high-lighted some key lessons, beginning with the marginal-

ization of victims of war. Following a conflict and a

change in power, a civilian population that had beenpolitically and economically isolated was often lefttraumatized. After the agreements were signed, certaineuphoria and political opening prevailed, which, whilepositive, often ignored civilians plight. In Rwanda, forexample, the recent victims of genocide had sufferedsevere physical, psychological and financial loss. InAngola, inadequate attention had been given to thecivilians now emerging from the zones controlled bythe National Union for the Total Independence ofAngola (UNITA). Of equal importance was the issueof impunity and a return to the rule of law, she said. Inthe current framework, impunity remained a driving

force of peace, butthat would changewith the establish-ment of theInternationalCriminal Court (ICC).The lack of a criminalcourt had been justi-fied by financialinadequacies, which underscored the need to establishpriorities, especially since a country emerging from wardid not usually have the re-establishment of the judicialsystem as a priority. Often, there was no budget to do

so. Thus, the victims remained in a very difficult situa-tion, with their attackers free to engage in acts ofvengeance. Impunity could only be rolled backonce a population saw what it could lose. She added,

18

Afternoon Session, Panel 1:

Re-establishing the Rule of Law andEncouraging Good Governance

The local community

should be involved in the

activity as early as possi-

ble, even if they are not in

a position to make formal

decisions.Hans Corell

The authority of justice lies

in its independence the

creation of an independent

and strong judicial power is

almost never the foremost pri-

ority of a new government.

-Franoise Bouchet-Saulnier

Franoise Bouchet-Saulnier


19/49

the authority of justice lies in its independence. Onecan easily notice that the creation of an independentand strong judicial power is almost never the foremostpriority of a new government. So, societies wererebuilt on minimal control. Fighting impunity meanthighlighting the human and social costs.

GERALD GAHIMA, Prosecutor General,

Rwandan Supreme Court, said the expression re-establishing the rule of law was actually misleading asfar as his country and some others were concerned,because there could not be an establishment of suchrule where none had existed. He recounted his coun-

trys history leading up to the 1994 genocide as a case

in point. That genocide was made possible by a cul-ture of impunity for gross violations that had goneunpunished and were even rewarded by the successiveGovernments. The post-genocide Governments, there-fore, decided to make the rule of law the cornerstoneof administration, as it was the real foundation onwhich post-conflict reconstruction efforts rested. Bydealing with the issue of impunity and facilitatingnational reconciliation, the rule of law makes otherefforts at nation building in post-conflict societies pos-sible, he said. But at the same time, justice was aprerequisite for reconciliation; the starting point foraddressing impunity was bringing perpetrators to jus-

tice. That justice, in Rwanda, could come about nei-ther through amnesty nor strict application of the lawas it existed before 1994, and specialized chamberswithin existing courts were created to deal exclusivelywith genocide and related cases. For that, the justicesystem, which had been decimated by the genocide,had to be rebuilt. As there were over 150,000 peoplearrested for crimes in the genocide and they were lan-guishing in prison for long periods without trial, he

said, another systemhad to be developed.No justice system wasever designed orintended to deal withmass violence.Therefore, so-called

gacaca tribunals inspired by traditional forms of conflict resolution were developed, composed of persons of integrity,elected from communities around Rwanda who would

judge the bulk of the genocide caseload. However,justice was not enough to ensure and sustain goodgovernance in post-conflict situations, he said.Decentralization, human rights support, a transforma-tion of policing and constitutional work were amongthe many national efforts needed. The internationalcommunity had recently endeavoured to go beyondhumanitarian assistance in post-conflict situationstowards human rights and international criminal jus-

tice. However, in those endeavours internationalmechanisms should not be pursued at the expense ofnational programmes that held out better potential forpromoting the rule of law, respect for human rights andgood governance. The $100 million annual budget forthe International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda wouldbe better spent in the wider efforts towards nationalreconciliation, good governance and justice that hehad described. He said, the fact that states of thesocieties which have victims of such gross [humanrights] abuses are excluded from any role in the ad hoc[international] tribunals, perpetuates an unhealthysense of powerlessness and exclusion. In further rec-ommendations, he urged a holistic approach to justiceand post-conflict rebuilding, with an emphasis onnational consensus and the concerns of victims. Theinternational community, he said, needed to reassess awide range of issues relating to its response to theaftermath of grave abuses.

PRISCILLA HAYNER, Programme Director,International Center for Transitional Justice, said thata look at the specific circumstances of a countryemerging from conflict had made clear the task ofestablishing or re-establishing the rule of law followinga nations dark period. Many wrongdoers still went

unpunished. As the human rights field had beenstrengthened, however, the particular question of whatto do during transition had gained increasing attention.A wide range of impressive initiatives had been put inplace around the world that reflected the diversity ofthose challenges. The growing field of how to confront

justice and accountability challenges at the point oftransition was generically referred to as justice in tran-sition. She said a number of mechanisms were avail-

19

Justice does not merely

denote mechanisms for

accountability for past abus-

es, it guarantees the rule of

law and respect for human

rights in the future.

- Gerald Gahima

Gerald Gahima


20/49

able to respond to those challenges, which were oftennationally driven and grounded in comparative nation-al experiences. As the issues gained increasing atten-tion, new challenges were being confronted and ideaswere emerging about how to confront them. Therewas a clear link between efforts to establish accounta-bility and establish or re-establish the rule of law for

the future. When courts functioned under fear orintimidation, or lack of resources and know-how, aweakened judiciary resulted. A weakened judiciaryoften accompanied rights abuses, she said, and that, inturn, destroyed trust. Despite the overwhelming tasksat hand during transitional periods, efforts to addresscrimes through the courts should be vigorously pur-sued. The newly established International CriminalCourt was expected to make a strong contribution to

justice in those situations and serve as a model court.It should be asked what form of justice was due thevictims of crimes, especially those who had sufferedphysical or economic loss. Justice for communities

that had suffered or been destroyed should also bedetermined. There are many different initiatives possi-ble for addressing these issues, but the first challengeto implementing a package of reforms is to understandthe existing systems weaknesses and prescribe theright solutions. A truth commission has as its funda-mental goal recognition of the nature and breadth ofviolations and shaping ways to prevent them, she said.Reforms were critical, but without a national capacity,an independent commission could address that. Truthcommissions were gaining currency around the world,

as their role was becoming better understood.Commissions took statements from victims andresearched the causes and consequences of abuses.By undertaking those and other tasks, such a commis-sion was in a position to recommend future actions,and perhaps more importantly, in the simple un-silencing and giving respect to the suffering of the

past, a truth commission can help to make a breakbetween a countrys past and a more hopeful future. Itwas also in a position to inform the public and helpdefine other kinds of justice mechanisms, such as repa-rations or trials. But, she warned, truth commissionsshould be seen as only one element of a much broaderaccountability package. National actors should alwayslead in shaping the transitional justice agenda. Shesaid there is no one right model and it should not besuggested that any country utilize the exact mecha-nisms used elsewhere.

DANILO TRK, Assistant-Secretary-General forPolitical Affairs, said that it was perplexing whenpolitical and legal issues were mixed together inpeace-building discussions. There were conceptual,practical and political issues in which that confluenceoccurred. For example, ad hoc tribunals could seemlike judicial instruments, but for political analysts oftenseemed like late substitutes for preventing atrocities.He said, there was often a false dilemma madebetween retributive justice and restorative justice.There was also an overly automatic connectionbetween peace-building and nation-building. Efforts

20

Priscilla Hayner, Gerald Gahima, Hans Corell and Danilo Trk


21/49

towards nation-building have to be critically assessedto assure local ownership and manageability, he said.Security was a practical problem for post-conflict jus-tice. Often such practical problems could determinethe conceptual issues. To achieve the goal of goodgovernance, it was necessary to stimulate new forms ofpolitical dialogue within the society, he said, pointing

to experience in Tajikistan. Laws also had to allowinter-ethnic balance. In that area as in others, therewere no clear principles; everything had to be negoti-ated, and so it went beyond a pure legal situation to apolitical one. The art of success in governance wasstimulating local capacity in all areas.

Discussion Segment

GERALD GAHIMA, in response to several ques-tions on the effectiveness of local courts in post-con-flict countries, referred to the International CriminalTribunal for Rwanda, which had conducted five trialsand handed down three guilty verdicts since being

established in 1994. He said it was the domestic insti-tutions that really held the prospects for promoting therule of law. Thus, that was where the bulk of resourcesshould be directed. He supported United Nationsmechanisms, but said, ultimately, national institutionsmattered more.

Responding to whether a truth and reconciliationcommission such as in South Africa had been consid-ered for Rwanda, he responded affirmatively, but statedthat in Rwanda, where 1 million people had died andwhere entire families -- three and four generations -had been wiped out, to talk of amnesty outright had

been unacceptable to many. In such a situation, agovernment could only proceed on a path on whichthere was consensus. It would never have been possi-ble to reach consensus about giving amnesty to theperpetrators of the genocide. He later re-emphasizedthat the earlier handling of genocide cases was notacceptable in terms of percentage of cases tried in thetime that had passed since the crimes. That was whythe gacaca system had been developed. However,one could never be successful in dealing with geno-cide; it should be, rather, prevented. In response toanother question, he said that a large percentage ofwomen had been elected as both gacacajudges and

local representatives in Rwanda.FRANOISE BOUCHET-SAULNIER, replying to a

question on what role a relief organization has in legalissues, said that in Kosovo, after the conflict, Mdecinssans Frontireshad quickly withdrawn its teamsbecause an enormous amount of aid investment wasflowing into the country into illegitimate hands, andthere were a lot of needs not being addressed. Its con-tribution involved documenting the deportation

process and identifying crimes being committed. Therewas no guarantee during the conflict, however, thatanybody would be brought to justice. The view hadbeen that population movements had been triggeredby the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)strikes and not the result of deportation policy, sheadded. So, her organization had tried to document

movements of refugees and displaced persons. Sheexplained that the goal of her organization was theprovision of medical support to the victims of conflictsand natural disasters. Within its scope, it only workedin open conflicts and in situations of epidemics orproblems of social fragility. Its work had been basedon the law of war; NGOs were not all-powerful godsor arbitrators. At times, her organization's help hadbeen used to rally populations that would then be dis-placed, deported or even assassinated. She added thatthe organization regularly published reports on suchsituations and decried situations where humanitarianaid was used for goals that would not enable the sur-

vival of a population. It had withdrawn from refugeecamps in Zaire because it had thought that those hadrepresented a military threat. At times, her organiza-tion had denounced crimes and ended its humanitari-an action. In 1994, it had called for an armed inter-vention to put an end to the genocide in Rwanda; ithad said it was not possible to stop genocide withphysicians. As the legal director of that organization,she said she was supervising training amid an ongoingdebate about at what point it should speak out or pro-vide care. NGOs could become accomplices or pas-sive witnesses, so all physicians in her organizationhad a practical guide where the law of war had beentranslated into direct action for those on the ground.Since 1991, it had called for the creation of interna-tional tribunals and compiled reports and heard testi-mony on ethnic cleansing.

PRISCILLA HAYNER, answering a question on therole of international versus local organizations, said itwas important to look to local and national actors todesign and think through the responses to those verydifficult issues. Clearly, accountability must beaddressed. There certainly was a risk of vigilante jus-tice in places where the anger had been intense, butstreet justice was more likely in societies that had

not grappled with accountability issues formally. Shehad not tried to suggest in her remarks that any partic-ular form of dealing with past anger was most appro-priate. The international and national communitiesshould always carefully consider which mechanismsshould be put in place to respond to the opportunitiesat hand.

In response to another question, she said that theissue of children as victims or perpetrators of violence

21


22/49

or both was beginning to get more attention, andthat would increase with new developments in SierraLeone. Standards had been proposed in many areas,such as how to handle children's testimony.

In answering a question about women's roles ontruth commissions, she said that the record of truthcommissions in redressing gender crimes was not very

good, but lessons were beginning to be learned abouthow to incorporate the experiences of women intelling the complete truth of a conflict.

DANILO TRK, addressing a question about theperception of freedom fighters as terrorists, said thatthe panel was focused on re-establishing the rule oflaw and encouraging good governance. That had gonebeyond the panels scope and related to a variety of sit-uations in which there was continued military occupa-tion and resistance, which might take the form of terroracts, to situations where the question of re-establishingthe rule of law or encouraging good governance

nationwide was not the main concern. Answers to thatquestion should be put in concrete parameters of con-crete situations. It was impossible, for example to putthe Palestinian situation in the same question as eventsin Chechnya, he added. Current United Nationsefforts in the context of the Quartet were largelyfocused on diplomatic activity. Efforts were also beingmade to design a strategy to address all aspects of theproblem, including humanitarian issues for thePalestinians, and security questions for the Israelis. InChechnya, the possibilities of the international commu-nity were much more limited, as those were reducedto humanitarian assistance, which had recently

resumed. On the political level, activities were being

pursued by a variety of international actors in Europe,which were trying to assist in building a rule of law, hesaid. Satisfactory, immediate solutions were notalways possible. What was possible were small steps,with the understanding that those were not always sat-isfactory.

He later added that the more complex involve-

ment of the United Nations in post-conflict peace-building and justice had only come about recently.The question of the use of international professionals insuch situations was under discussion, as was trainingin those issues for a wider range of international pro-fessionals. The critical question, though, related tolocal ownership.

HANS CORELL, in response to a question on theInternational Criminal Court, said that he had justcome from a meeting of the first Assembly of StatesParties to the International Criminal Court. The Courtwould be a turning point in the history of mankind. Its

very presence would send a strong signal that thosewho acted against mankind in the future would beheld accountable. He was looking forward to a differ-ent direction from the past. If the road to the futurewas not changed, the world was doomed to repeat itspast mistakes, he warned.

Asked at what point crimes of war should be con-sidered just plain crimes, he said that the distinction,regardless of the stage of conflict, was always thereand need not become a conceptual problem. Theimportance of re-establishing the rule of law as part ofpeace-building was increasing, and individuals shoulduse any contacts they had to promote international

assistance in that area.

22

One of 32 Midday NGO Workshops organized by the NGOs associated with the Department of Public Information


23/49

KUL GAUTAM, Deputy Executive Director,

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), said theremust be a joint strategy including the internationalcommunity and the local population towards re-estab-lishing services in post-conflict areas. Failure to act

decisively in the imme-diate post-conflict situa-tion often has tragic con-sequences for the mostvulnerable groups, inparticular children,women and elderly.The first priority washealth care, as conflict

areas were often theworst affected by health problems. The second waseducation, to get children engaged in constructiveways with their community and to promote peace-building. The third was disarmament, demobilizationand reintegration, particularly for former child combat-ants. Those priorities were the obligation of the inter-national community as set out by Security Council res-

olutions, and were essential elements to create theconditions for sustainable peace. He said that anypost-conflict transition should aim at simultaneouslydirecting assistance to those most affected by the warand paving the way for the transition to sustainabledevelopment.

GERALD MARTONE, Director of EmergencyResponse, International Rescue Committee, said thecurrent period was one of the most violent in history,particularly since many soldiers were not professionals,and not trained in the conventions of war. In additionthere had been an increase in horrific warfare tactics,

including mass starvation and rape. The word post-conflict was often a misnomer, he pointed out, since

conflict was defined as incompatible interests or views,not merely fighting assuch. Under that defi-nition, 1.8 billion peo-ple currently lived inconflict zones. Oftenmore people are dyingin post-conflict coun-tries than in countrieswith active fighting,due to disruptions of vital activities. He said themanner of restoration of vital services had often been

criticized as paternalism and as a "handout" approach.Because of that, restoring livelihoods, not just savinglives had become the priority. Mutual dependencies ofparties in conflict could be used to both re-establishcommerce and services as well as to reduce tension. Itwas important to look for such connectors. It takes atremendous amount of cooperation to start a war, andthat kind of cooperative effort could be mined forimprovement in post-conflict situations. Finally, he

pointed out that much current warfare was not politicalbut, rather, about the control of wealth by a small groupof people. It was more like organized crime. It was nec-essary, in consequence, to see who would be harmed by

peace and to involve them in assistance in the post-con-flict situation. Concerning the need to prioritize educa-tion in post-conflict situations, he said the monotony anddreary existence of children in those situations should beas much of a concern as mortality figures. Local solu-tions to providing education should be sought as fre-quently as possible; it was important to prevent the "braindrain" from affected areas -- to keep teachers, intellectu-als and other educated persons from leaving.

23

Kul Gautam and Sherrill Kazan Alvarez de Toledo

Panel 2

Restoring Social Services:

Identifying Priorities

[Any post-conflict pro-

gramme] should aim at

simultaneously directing

assistance to those most

affected by the war and

paving the way for the

transition to sustainable

development.-Kul Gautam

It takes a tremendous

amount of cooperation to

start a war, and that kind of

cooperative effort could be

mined for improvement in

post-conflict situations.

- Gerald Martone

Gerald Martone


24/49

THORAYA OBAID, Executive Director, UnitedNations Population Fund (UNFPA), said that threeweeks ago, a baby boy was born in a 72-bed DanishEmergency Mobile Hospital in Kabul on the day thathospital opened with UNFPA support. He was the first

baby born there. For Afghan women and children, thathospital was a lifesaver and a life-sustainer.Afghanistan had the second highest rate of maternaland child mortality in the world. One in four Afghanchildren died before reaching the age of 5 and one in

17 Afghan women diedfrom complications ofpregnancy and childbirth.Most medical facilitieswere run down and indire need of trained per-

sonnel, she continued. Establishing quality reproduc-tive health services was an urgent priority to save

womens and babies lives. As part of the UnitedNations assistance mission in Afghanistan, UNFPA hadbeen an active participant in the countrys reconstruc-tion. Many local and international NGOs who con-tributed to priority areas, such as strengthening mater-nal health services and girls education, received UNF-PA support. In war-torn countries, the participation ofcivil society was essential to restoring social services,she said. Education and health care, including repro-ductive health care, could not be restored in a war-shattered country without a great deal of hard work,investment and partnership. Nation building was not aquick job but one that started with humanitarian relief

when the news cameras were rolling and long afterthey left. Overall, there were three challenges torestoring basic social services: reaching the most vul-nerable; ensuring a smooth transition from emergencyrelief to long-term development; and fostering theactive participation of local men and women to buildlocal capacity, so that efforts were long-lasting andself-sustaining. She said women have a particularlyimportant role to play, noting that women are not

only victims in times of conflict, they are peace-mak-ers and peace-builders. UNFPAs HumanitarianResponse Unit coordinates with the United Nationssystem and other vital partners, including manyNGOs that worked at both local and international lev-els. She noted that attention to maternal health andHIV/AIDS education and prevention should be priori-

ties in crisis-affected communities. Since 1994, theFund had greatly increased its ability to respond rap-idly and address reproductive health needs in crisissituations. UNFPA was one of the first United Nationsagencies to cooperate widely and on the global levelwith NGOs. It remained convinced that it was onlythrough effective partnerships that it could meet the

goal of ensuring that people enjoyed the full extent oftheir human rights.

JANINA OCHOJSKA, Founder and President,Polish Humanitarian Organization, said that theorganization started its operations in 1992 with anaid convoy to Sarajevo. At that time, Poland wasgoing through political and economic changes andhad its own problems. But even back then, shebelieved that a natural step leading to a fully demo-cratic society was to switch from a foreign aid recipi-ent to an active aid provider. Now, 10 years later, itwas the biggest and most dynamic Polish non-govern-mental humanitarianorganization providingaid abroad. Often, itlearned from the experi-ences of its western col-leagues, but its opera-

tions were unique inmany respects. She said the tragedy that hadbesieged Sarajevo had provoked in Poland a sponta-neous willingness to help. Providing aid for the vic-tims of war in Bosnia was natural and came directlyfrom Polish citizens. The experience taught severalbasic principles. First, assistance means solidaritywith those in need and helps to build a civil societyin both donor and recipient countries. Second,assistance should unite people and not divide them.

24

Thoraya Obaid

Assistance means soli-

darity with those in need

and helps to build a civil

society in both donor

and recipient countries.

- Janina Ochojska

Women are not only vic-

tims in times of conflict,

they are peace-makers

and peace-builders.

- Thoraya Obaid

Janina Ochojska


25/49

Third, humanitarian aid must respect human dignity,support it, and not destroy it. A solid civil societywas required for the efficient functioning of anysocial services in post-conflict areas. Foreign NGOsmust reconstruct such a society by supporting theactivities of local NGOs. From the first day of emer-gency assistance, attempts must be made to empower

local social structures, she urged. Aid recipients mustbe active in the entire assistance process, from plan-ning to implementation. She said, by entrusting seri-ous tasks only to expatriates, rather than the locals,foreign NGOs kill any local initiative, and impededself-sustainable development. In Albania in 1999,when 400,000 Kosovars had taken refuge, expatriatesput up tents in the camps and as foreigners madegravel paths, jobless refugees stood by and watched.In Ingushetia, 250,000 Chechen refugees were takencare of without the participation of Chechen lawyers,Chechen doctors or Chechen teachers. Only theactive participation of refugees increased their inde-

pendence. She said that some NGOs seemed toview short-term and often short-sighted spectacularactions as more important than the fate of the locals.As a result, well-educated local people became driv-ers or interpreters with international organizationsrather than returning to their prior jobs as dentists,civil servants or lawyers. Moreover, wealth, highsalaries and other perks of the international humani-tarian organizations contrasted sharply with condi-tions in post-conflict zones and created distancebetween the assisting organization and its local bene-ficiaries. Some distance was understandable, but toobig a distance led to the perception that foreignNGOs were some kind of good uncle and not atrue partner. She also noted that, Close cooperationbetween foreign NGOs and local administrationsshows the local community that working with theauthorities makes sense and that democracy is benefi-cial for everyone.

SIMA SAMAR, Chair, Independent AfghanHuman Rights Commission, said that rebuilding thesocial service sector in Afghanistan required startingfrom almost nothing. Virtually no development hadtaken place during 23 years of war, and earlier devel-

opment had never

reached large partsof the country. Thecoordinated effort ofall actors was need-ed to meet the chal-lenge and show that

peace could improve people's lives. Money, she said,was sorely needed; very little rebuilding had takenplace. She said, The unwillingness of donors to fund

the Afghan government is having bad consequencesfor reconstruction and for the future of NGO work inthe country, and added that the situation was causingthe Government to resent NGOs. The NGOs had an

important role, but local government also needed tohave responsibilities and resources in order to growinto its future role. It was also important to fundNGOs led by Afghan women, she said, and, in gener-al, international NGOs must begin to listen to localNGOs rather than imposing their own notions ofAfghan culture and traditions. For instance, that cul-ture had not been the main factor in blocking girls'education, rather it had been the lack of schools. Hesaid that income generation projects were another pri-ority for families, particularly those led by widows, tosurvive and achieve self-sufficiency. Assistance forhousing was needed. Other kinds of social servicesthat needed special attention were reproductive healthcentres, severely restricted by the Taliban, and otherhealth facilities, which were in horrible shape. Anyrebuilding of social services in Afghanistan requiredsecurity, which meant the expansion of peacekeepingtroops beyond Kabul. She hoped that some day thecountry would not have to depend on assistance fromother countries and could actually help others.However, to reach that goal, assistance must strength-en Afghanistan's social service sector for the long-term.

LETICIA TOJ UMUL, Executive Director,Asociacion de Salud y Desarrollo Rxiin Tnamet, a

27-year old NGO based in Guatemala, noted that inher country 16 per cent of the population lived in ruralareas, and 60 per cent was indigenous. Seventy-fiveper cent of the population lived in poverty, and 42 percent was illiterate. For those reasons, her organizationhad to develop appropriate strategies. Moreover, thearmed struggle had persisted for 36 years, and its caus-es were still alive today. She said her NGO had tack-led the problems associated with delivering basic serv-

25

Sima Samar in an interview with a journalist from Voice of America

International NGOs must

begin to listen to local NGOs

rather than imposing their

own notions of Afghan

culture and traditions.

-Sima Samar


26/49

ices to the various communities and that the provisionof social and health services had required theGovernments participation. The Government mustrecognize that education, health and other basic serv-ices, as well as social

participation were funda-mental rights. Alsoimportant was empower-ing the local people asactors and managers inthe various programmesin order to maintain ademocratic and stableenvironment and pro-mote the sustainability of projects. The participationof the community is key to the implementation of pro-grammes for the most vulnerable groups. Critical tosuccess at the community level was identifying its

main needs through targeted research and interviewsand then designing schemes to meet them.Community organizations in countries like Guatemala,which had emerged from protracted armed conflictand where the rates of poverty and illiteracy were sohigh, needed the support of international institutions,she said. Experience has shown that the provision ofservices must be comprehensive in nature. Healthservices, for example, must be concerned, not onlywith physical health but also with mental and spiritualhealth. Access to education was also key to thedevelopment of Guatemalan society.

Discussion SegmentTHORAYA OBAID, in response to questions

about reproductive service and HIV/AIDs, said thatabortion, by consensus, was not a form of family plan-ning, and UNFPA did not promote abortion activities.The agency did help entities in dealing with healthplanning that could result from illegal abortions, how-

ever. All reproductive services, in addition, had to befree of coercion. Safe sex, she said, had to be part ofany modern health education and should be taught inappropriate ways for various age groups and cultures.It included teaching how to say no to sex. Abstinence,monogamy and condoms were centrepieces of suchteaching. She said that it was not possible to work on

those subjects with individuals who had absolute opin-ions and could not accept other viewpoints.

SIMA SAMAR, responding to questions aboutNGOs in Afghanistan, said that most local NGOs therewere not connected to warlords. If local governmentwas supported to provide social services, the supportfor warlords would lessen.

Regarding the manner in which the culture ofAfghanistan had been misinterpreted, she said thatpolitical parties had misused Islam to control people,and the international community had gone along withthat misuse by supporting the religious schools as a

weapon against the Soviet Union. Pre-war Islam, inAfghanistan, had respect for women and their educa-tion and, currently, 100,000 girls wanted to be edu-cated but simply had no schools to attend.

GERALD MARTONE, in response to questionsabout avoiding the monopoly of mega-corporations inpost-conflict economies, said that public opinioncould be an effective check on even the largest corpo-rations. He pointed to examples concerning conflict

diamonds and genetically altered baby foods. He alsospoke, in general, about the effectiveness of coordinat-ed lobbying by NGOs.

JANINA OCHOJSKA, responding to questionsabout organized crime in post-conflict situations, saidit was important to teach people how to control theresults of their work and to understand the mentality ofsuch criminals.

LETICIA TOJ UMUL answered questions abouther organization's work to counter domestic violencein post-conflict situations, saying that policy develop-ment and work with the male population and childrenwere important elements in changing the cycle of fam-ily violence. Concerning traditional medicine, she saidit existed in many localities alongside modern medi-cine. The Government had not had programmes to

encourage natural medicine, but her group felt it wasimportant, as was improved nutrition, especially forpregnant women and young children.

KUL GAUTAM ended the session by speakingabout the importance of children's involvement ininternational assistance in post-conflict situations.

26

Experience has shown that

the provision of services mustbe comprehensive in nature.

Health services, for example,

must be concerned, not only

with physical health but also

with mental and spiritual

health.- Leticia Toj Umul

Leticia Toj Umul


27/49

JULIA TAFT, Assistant Administrator and Director,

Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery, UnitedNations Development Programme (UNDP), said theUnited Nations was an important partner in assem-bling many of the needed building blocks for rebuild-ing economies. She said, the tasks are daunting, butas the diverse conference programme illustrates, a richtapestry of issues weaves together the opportunities forcollective action. UNDP was an active partner inthose initiatives at all stages of conflicts. However,local citizens were also there at all stages, and theywere the true engines of recovery. All others mustwork with those citizens, who bore the burden of therecovery and must shape it.

KAZUHIDE KURODA, KnowledgeManagement Officer, Conflict Prevention andReconstruction Unit, World Bank Group, highlightedthree bottom lines in dealing with post-conflict situa-tions: each situation was different; local ownership ofreconstruction was imperative; and partnerships couldbest face the challenges. The World Bank formerly hadnot gotten involved in conflict issues. Indeed, it tookthe first plane out of a country until the United Nationssaid it was time to return. In Cambodia in the 1970sand 1980s, for example, the Bank had been complete-

ly absent for some 16 years. Similar situations hadoccurred in Liberia and other countries in conflict oremerging from it. He said the aftermath of the Balkanscrisis had changed that approach in the early 1990s,when the United Nations was asked to take the lead incoordinating assistance to Bosnia and Herzegovina.So, the Bank decided it was about time to take amore systematic approach to those countries, ratherthan treat them just like other client nations. A lot of

lessons had been learned by the late 1990s, when a

sense emerged within the Bank that there should be apolicy inside the Bank to deal with conflict. Formerly,the Bank had not wished to speak either about conflictor corruption; that was not part of its parlance. But,out of those lessons had come a number of recom-mendations, including that the Bank needed to bemore forthcoming in dealing with conflict issues.He noted that the Bankhad a comparativeadvantage in a number ofareas, apart from macro-economic stability issues.Those areas included

education, demobiliza-tion and even mineclearance. He cautionedthat, before proceedingwith any programmes, it is important to carefully con-sider the political realities of the situation, such asweak implementing capacities of the new govern-ment. The Bank was now trying to apply its expertisein countries it was presently dealing with, such as EastTimor and Afghanistan. Presently in the DemocraticRepublic of the Congo, while the Bank was busy sort-ing out arrears, it had telecommunications specialistsand others on the ground working on related issues.That process of interaction had given the Bank enor-mous knowledge about many development issues. Afurther example of the Banks new role was the bring-ing together of people in Sierra Leone, who had suc-cessfully demobilized 76,000 soldiers, with theirCongolese counterparts. He said that moving peo-ples mindsets toward the building of a new futurerather than toward revenge is an essential aim of com-

27

Panel 3

From Less Than Zero:

The Challenge of Rebuilding Economies

Before proceeding with

any programmes, it is

important to carefully

consider the political real-

ities of the situation, such

as weak implementing

capacities of the new

government.

Kazuhide Kuroda

Julia Taft

Kazuhide Kuroda


28/49

munity-based social and economic reintegration activi-ties. The Bank had several preliminary findings inresearch related to post-conflict growth, including theneed for aid to approximately double from a pre-con-flict level, with disbursement probably rising for fouryears and then returning to normal levels.

VINCENT LELEI, Oxfam Regional Director for

the Horn, East and Central Africa, said it was impor-tant to ask what to do with those who were still livingso that they did not die, and so that they could leadlives of dignity. Before conflicts took their devastatingtoll on lives, they killed livelihoods either instanta-neously or slowly. Such conflicts, he said, resultedfrom a loss of trust between individuals, communitiesor countries, which then caused a loss of assets. Trees

were cut and animals weredisplaced, killed for food ordied from other causes.Environmental destructionaccelerates the loss of capac-ity for socio-economic recov-ery in many parts of theworld, he said. The cultural

impacts of those losses were even greater than if thoselosses were caused by natural calamities. But the lossof intangible assets relationships based on trust actually erodes livelihoods in the most systematic andpervasive way. Belying the title of the afternoon, "LessThan Zero", he said the capacity of Africa's communi-ties to survive, recover and go on to develop, wasenormous. The local people should, as a conse-quence, be placed firmly at the centre of planning and

delivery. The challenge then was not rebuildingeconomies but livelihoods, families and communities.For that purpose, a review of Oxfam's programme inRwanda had concluded that poverty reduction wasseverely impeded without a minimal level of coexis-tence, which he defined as the capacity to resist resort-ing to violence and to decide among alternatives toviolence and destruction. In addit

911 disarm finalreport

Documents