What is peacebuilding?

In 2009 the Secretary General issued his Report on Peacebuilding in the Immediate Aftermath of Conflict, marking a renewed focus and direction for UN’s work in conflict and post-conflict settings. As described by the SG’s Report, Peacebuilding comprises a range of interventions that aim to solidify peace and prevent the continuation or reoccurrence of conflict. These can take place prior to the outbreak of violence, during conflict, or after hostilities have ended, and must be anchored in international law and UN norms and standards. The SG’s Report offers a new framework to guide the UN’s approach, in which UNICEF is expected to take an active part.

How is peacebuilding situated in the UN system?

The UN’s Peacebuilding Commission, Peacebuilding Support Office and Peacebuilding Fund were established in 2006 by the Security Council and the General Assembly to garner sustained attention towards, and to mobilize resources for, countries undertaking peacebuilding. Together, these bodies work with other UN partners to support coherence and effectiveness in post-conflict peacebuilding.

The Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) is the intergovernmental advisory body that supports peace efforts in countries emerging from conflict. It brings together relevant actors, including international donors, international financial institutions, national governments, and troop contributing countries to promote greater policy and programme coherence. The PBC works with national actors to propose integrated strategies for post-conflict peacebuilding and recovery, and marshals resources in support of these coordinated plans. It PBC reports annually to the General Assembly and is due for a review in 2010. This review comes at an important time and is expected to address some of the issues identified over the years the commission has been functioning, such as the need to expand its agenda and develop innovative working methods, to increase coordination with regional and international actors and continue to promote national ownership.

The Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO) was established to assist and support the Peacebuilding Commission administer the Peacebuilding Fund, and support the Secretary-General’s efforts to coordinate the UN System in their peacebuilding efforts.

The Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) seeks to address immediate needs as countries emerge from conflict,

and bridge the gap between conflict and recovery at a time when other funding mechanisms may not yet be available. Following an intensive review in 2008 and in order the ensure alignment with the SG’s Report, the terms of reference and operational guidelines for the use of the PBF were finalized in late 2009. The most notable change in the PBF is the revision of its structure from three funding windows to two funding facilities: an Immediate Response Facility (IRF) for project-based proposals of an urgent need, and a Peacebuilding Response Facility (PRF) for program-based applications that are linked to longer-term development planning mechanisms. In addition to changes in the PBF structure, its priorities have also been revised to include areas such as those noted above, where UNICEF is likely to have a particular niche. For updated guidelines, please see http://www.unpbf.org

The Senior Peacebuilding Group (SPG) is a high level (USG/ASG) inter-agency coordination structure of which UNICEF has recently become a member. The group focuses on the implementation of the SG’s Report and discusses and revises strategies and proposals for the PBF.

UN-wide guidance and reports on peacebuilding, including the SG’s Report, can be found at: http://www.un.org/peace/peacebuilding

What is the role of UNICEF in Peacebuilding?

Although UNICEF has not issued specific policy or guidance on peacebuilding, UNICEF’s work is fundamental to peacebuilding. The Core Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action (CCCs) speak directly to programming in conflict and post-conflict situations by emphasizing early recovery and a commitment to “Do no harm.” By focusing on early recovery, the CCCs underscore the obligation of states to protect and support their own populations, while the principle “Do no harm” sensitizes UNICEF’s programmes, advocacy and activities to the contexts in which they operate.

With its mandate to improve and protect the lives of children and other vulnerable populations, UNICEF has been involved in conflict and post-conflict programming since the organisation’s inception. Whether working with youth and adolescents, helping to improve educational systems, or supporting the rebuilding of infrastructure and livelihoods, UNICEF’s work has helped consolidate peace by improving the day-to-day lives of war-affected children and communities.

Programmes such as these offer important peace dividends to conflict-weary communities, providing needed social services and infrastructure while building local capacity and ownership for longer-term sustainability. Moreover, by advocating on behalf of the states’ most vulnerable populations, UNICEF works to ensure that the various forms of inequality that sustain fragility and fuel conflicts are addressed at the outset of the state-building process.

Changes in the UN’s peacebuilding architecture as a result of the SG’s Report reflect the importance of these kinds of contributions to peace consolidation. The SG’s Report calls upon existing mechanisms for peacebuilding – such as the PBF – to increasingly consider the high impact of this kind of indirect support to peace consolidation.

What are the main challenges and opportunities for UNICEF?

Threats to peacebuilding are often greatest during the months immediately after the cessation of hostilities. Indeed, post-conflict relapses into renewed violence account for around half of all civil wars globally. Below are some of the key challenges and opportunities regularly faced by UNICEF.

Co-ordination

Disparate interests and the lack of a strategically integrated approach to peacebuilding among agencies can undermine a peace process. Improved mechanisms for coherence and co-ordination are critical in order to clarify roles and responsibilities between agencies, and to maximise the contributions by various actors. Under the CCCs UNICEF is strongly committed to coordination between UN agencies in collaboration with national and other actors.

Integrated presences have become the norm in assisting co-ordination in conflict and post-conflict contexts. They are a strategic partnership to create a coherent and mutually supportive approach among all components of a UN peacekeeping or political mission and a UN Country Team on issues related to peace consolidation. A key element of this integrated approach is the development of an Integrated Strategic Framework (ISF). Here, a role for UNICEF is to ensure the ISF reflects the needs and potential contributions of women and children.

Funding

The SG’s Report stresses the importance of the early phase of peacebuilding, immediately after the cessation of hostilities. This period, however, falls within a funding gap, when humanitarian funding is winding down but development funding is not yet available. Moreover, humanitarian and development needs may coexist for a period of time in post-conflict settings, as parts of a country stabilize quicker than others. For both of these reasons, the crucial early phase for peacebuilding often proves to be the hardest to fund. Mechanisms such as the PBF are evolving to meet these operational needs and offer opportunities to redress this imbalance.

Representing Children and Women

A key role of the UNICEF Country Office is to feed into UN-wide strategies to ensure the role of social services and the interests of women and children are adequately represented.

Peacebuilding has traditionally focused on areas that are over-represented by men, such as combatants and political leaders. More attention must be paid to the role of women and children, especially as they constitute the overwhelming majority of those affected by crises.

The transition from relief to recovery and, similarly, from conflict to peace, also provides a window of opportunity for promoting affirmative action in favor of marginalized groups. The role of women and children in peacebuilding is vital to both address their concerns as victims of conflict as well as empower them as agents of peace.

Advocacy

UNICEF’s global voice for children can play a critical role in ensuring a strong voice for the interests of children and women in post-conflict environments. This includes highlighting the contributions of quick wins and peace dividends, through the provision of social services, to the overall peacebuilding agenda.

Key Contact
James Rogan, Chief, Recovery and Risk Reduction, EMOPS ()