FINAL REPORT

Rebuilding Societies Emerging from Conflict: A Shared Responsibility

United Nations, New York 9 to 11 September 2002

Organized by the United Nations Department of Public Information in partnership with the NGO/DPI Executive Committee

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

Introduction*
The Department of Public Information (DPI), in cooperation with the Executive Committee of Non-Governmental Organizations associated with DPI (NGO/DPI Executive Committee), convened its 55th Annual Conference, entitled Rebuilding Societies Emerging from 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 community explored the Conference theme, focusing on contemporary examples of post-conflict countries that have been the subject of concerted United Nations involvement. The successful event was highlighted by several noteworthy achievements:

The keynote speakers gave addresses that received widespread media coverage. The speakers included: Vojislav Kostunica, President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia; Mary Robinson, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights; Lakhdar Brahimi, Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for Afghanistan; and Jos Luis Guterres, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of 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 Dining Room that was attended by 850 people. Media outreach included several press conferences that featured speakers from the Conference. The Conference coincided with the commemoration of the anniversary of 11 September 2001, which appeared to have little impact on Conference attendance. The Conference participants were enthusiastic about their participation in the Conference and the information that they received and shared. They often cited the feeling that they were part of a larger community and they were inspired by the accounts of the professional and effective work that NGOs are doing in post-conflict societies throughout the world, especially in partnership with the United Nations and governments. Planning Committee The Conference was organized by a 40-member DPI/NGO Conference Planning Committee, comprising staff of the DPI/NGO Section and representatives of NGOs associated with the Department of Public Information. Ms. Sherrill Kazan Alvarez de Toledo of the World Council of Peoples for the United Nations and Mr. Paul Hoeffel, Chief of the DPI/NGO Section, were Co-Chairs of the Committee, which met weekly for nine months prior 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 NGO Workshops; Jonina Sutton and Elaine Valdov, Reception; and Elly Erickson and Patrick Sciarratta, 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

host country. The Conference counted on the services of some 40 volunteers and interns. In its effort to have as many speakers from developing regions as possible, the Planning Committee and the NGO Section raised funds to cover travel expenses for 14 people from 13 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 United Nations, and Han Seung-soo, President of the fifty-sixth session of the General Assembly. The keynote 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 of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for Afghanistan. At the closing session on 11 September, 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 plenary sessions of the Conference. The globally diverse speakers, representing the United Nations, Governments and civil society, addressed the panel themes: Re-establishing the Rule of Law and Encouraging Good Governance; Resorting Social Services: Identifying Priorities; From Less than Zero: The Challenge of Rebuilding Economies; Against the Odds: The Process 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 held on Wednesday, featuring 179 speakers. These Workshops were orgaized independently by NGOs in consultation with DPI. The Midday NGO Workshop Committee of the Conference Planning Committee prepared the schedule of Workshops. The speakers came from many regions of the world and the workshops explored different aspects and nuances of the Conference theme. One workshop on partnerships with the United Nations featured participation by eight different United Nations offices. Clearly a very popular feature of the Conference, attendance ranged from 15 to 200 at each workshop, with standing room only in most workshops. Prcis of each workshop were prepared by graduate students of Fordham University. [Please see the Midday NGO Workshops Summaries insert for more information on the workshops]. Corporate, NGO and Government Cooperation The NGO/DPI Planning Committee partnered with several outside organizations to support the Conference. Generous support was provided by the Global Family for Peace and Love, a United States-based NGO working for respect for all religions, tolerance for all cultures and love for all life. Wines of South Africa and Flowers on First provided wine and flowers for the Conference Reception. Over 185 associated NGOs and individuals also made financial contributions in support of the Conference. The contributions helped underwrite travel costs for plenary speakers, the production of Conference materials and the Conference reception. Conference Reception The NGO/DPI Executive Committee organized and hosted the Annual DPI/NGO Conference Reception on the first evening of the Conference. The event was held in the Delegates Dining Room at United Nations Headquarters. A record number of 850 people attended the Reception, including the Secretary-General and Mrs. Annan, a number of highlevel United Nations officials, Conference speakers and NGO representatives. Participants had an extended opportunity to interact with UN officials and Permanent Mission representa-

tives on an informal basis as well as network among themselves. Music for the event was provided by the World String Quartet, sponsored by the Crystal Foundation, USA. Media Outreach The Media Committee organized a well-coordinated media outreach. A special preconference 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 Media Committee and the NGO/DPI Executive Committee. Daily press briefings were held during the 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 include them in their organizational and local press. As a result, a diversity of ethnic, national and international press covered the Conference. United Nations publications, radio and television covered the Conference, as did 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 in Washington, D.C., co-sponsored with the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Washington; UNIC Brussels; and United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva. Approximately 200 people participated through the live videoconference. A large number of people participated, either during or subsequent to the opening session via the webcast. Several United Nations Information Centres organized parallel conferences, seminars and other events in conjunction with the Annual Conference. UNIC Tehran, in cooperation with the Iranian Civil Society Organizations Resource Centre (ICSORC), organized a seminar, entitled Rebuilding Iranian Society: A Shared Responsibility, on 31 August 2002. Over 130 representatives from 100 NGOs from across Iran participated in the Conference. The participants issued a final statement, which was distributed informally to Conference participants in New York. [See XXXXX pp. XX-XX]. UNIC Islamabad, in cooperation with the Pakistan Lions Youth Council (PLYC), organized a parallel meeting of the DPI/NGO Conference in Multan, Pakistan, on 10 September 2002. Over 30 people from 22 NGOs took part in the event. There was a concerted effort by the organizers to include several branches of the United Nations system. Representatives focused on development needs in Pakistan. NGOs pledged to enhance their activities and cooperation with the United Nations and called on the United Nations to continue to support and acknowledge the important work of local NGOs, often working in remote areas. United Nations Development Programme, in cooperation with Friendship Ambassadors Foundation, sponsored a pre-conference event in Sofia, Bulgaria, for NGOs in the region. The event, 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 open forum to inform visiting NGOs about its work and to discuss how NGOs could participate more 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.

During the Conference, in the areas adjacent to the conference rooms where the plenary sessions and Midday NGO Workshops were held, various informational materials were displayed. The Exhibits Unit of the Department of Public Information, in cooperation with the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for Children and Armed Conflict, made available the exhibit The Impact of Armed Conflict on Girls. The exhibit highlighted a key issue of the Conference, the impact of conflict on women and girls and their special needs during the rebuilding process. Several United Nations Agencies, Programmes and offices made their informational material available to Conference participants. A special initiative regarding the Olympic Truce for the period of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, was presented to Conference participants in the area. Participants received information on the upcoming Olympic Games and had an opportunity to sign a message in support of the Olympic Truce. More than 1,600 people 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 Planning Committee, in partnership with Friendship Ambassadors Foundation. The event featured a number of youth performers and provided an opportunity for youth attending the Conference to network with each other. Approximately 250 people attended the event. Survey A concerted effort was made to distribute and then gather this years Conference survey and 373 surveys were collected, representing about 19 per cent of the Conference participants. The survey provided valuable feedback on the value of the Conference and recommendations to improve it organizationally and substantively. The survey responses indicated that the Conference was very successful. In addition, the Planning Committee received many helpful comments and suggestions that will be integrated into future conferences. It was recommended that the pre-registration period be extended and better publicized. Though the opening and closing sessions were webcast, it was recommended that this be better publicized and that efforts be made to webcast additional sessions of the Conference. There were a 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 how to address these issues, including a midday workshop devoted to networking and information on different NGOs, extending the daily finishing time to allow for longer breaks and an informal networking reception on the second day of the Conference. Some of the issues raised in the surveys, such as larger rooms, unfortunately cannot be addressed due to constraints within the United Nations conference services. However, these and other issues highlighted by the survey will be taken into account by next years Planning Committee. [See preliminary Survey 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 at United Nations Headquarters in New York. On behalf of the NGO Section of the Department of Public Information and the Conference Planning Committee, I thank all those who contributed to making this a successful Conference, especially our dedicated NGOs, who made it happen.

Paul Hoeffel Chief, Non-Governmental Organizations Section Department of Public Information and Co-chair of the Conference Planning Committee
6

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 for Afghanistan Mary Robinson, High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations

NGO Welcome:
Donald Treimann, Chair, NGO/DPI Executive Committee Renate Bloem, President, Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United 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-establishing confidence in legal and political institutions is crucial to foster stability and a sense of security among traumatized populations. United Nations peace-building support programmes are only a few years old and each works differently. Many societies are committed to indigenous systems of government and law, such as the loya jirga in Afghanistan and the gacaca (justice on the grass, a local legal system) in Rwanda. How is outside involvement able to encourage native solutions 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 interventions in these situations be effective and encourage local populations to reassert control over their economic, 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 reconciliation commissions?

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

Speakers:
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

Conference Programme
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 crisis situations, many United Nations agencies and humanitarian and development NGOs can identify the key components required to successfully establish or re-establish social services in post-conflict environments. Panellists will discuss the importance of consulting with and utilizing the services of local NGOs, community representatives and government officials. They will address the need to stretch limited resources by carefully setting priorities and coordinating efforts in order to restore a sense of normalcy to community life. What needs to be done to get schools, hospitals, clinics and public welfare programmes functioning effectively? What special services are required to help reintegrate internally displaced 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 populations 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 Commission Leticia Toj Umul, Executive Director, Asociacin de Salud y Desarrollo Rxiin Tnamet

Conference Programme
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 infrastructure and transportation leaves countries in a state of economic breakdown and environmental degradation. It is often a deliberate tactic of war, not merely a side effect. When the violence slows, the desire to return to business as usual is a strong impulse. How can this be done when everything has been looted or destroyed? The United Nations, the private sector and international financial institutions, and NGOs have developed expertise in the relief-to-development continuum, which aims to restart development and anti-poverty programmes. Some research suggests that social policy 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-inducing 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 programmes that assist in post-conflict recovery, such as small-scale microfinance programmes or larger 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, Oxfam Evgenii Vassilev, Chief Coordinator, Trails of Peace Project, Friendship Ambassadors Foundation-Bulgaria

Conference Programme
Wednesday, 11 September 2002
Morning Session

Against the Odds: The Process of Reconciliation

Civilian populations in many conflicts have been traumatized by unspeakable violence, cruelty and loss. Women and children, in particular, are victims of the new warfare that targets civilian populations. Racial, ethnic or religious intolerance is often at the root of conflict. Yet the creation of multi-racial, multi-ethnic, multi-religious societies is often the declared aim of United Nations involvement, with the goal of promoting respect for universal human rights and fundamental 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 the terror and destruction overcome? What are the best strategies for racial, ethnic or religious reconciliation 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

Conference Programme
Wednesday, 11 September 2002
Afternoon Session

Demobilizing the War Machines: Making Peace Last

The demobilization of combatants, whether guerrillas or conventional forces, is one of the greatest challenges to societies emerging from conflict. Reintegrating former combatants into society and practical disarmament measures are key to sustaining peace. Some programmes offer food or seed in exchange for weapons. Other projects clear fields of landmines so farming can resume or focus on job training for ex-combatants. This panel addresses the task of disarmament and ways to avoid rearmament and a return to violent conflict. What are best practices for arms collections and destruction and mine clearance? What are the special issues for the demobilization and reintegration of children? What is the role of women in demobilization? What are the obstacles 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

11

Conference Programme
Wednesday, 11 September 2002
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

12

Prcis of Presentations: Rebuilding Societies Emerging from Conflict: A Shared Responsibility 9 September 2002
Opening Addresses*
SHASHI THAROOR, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information of the United Nations (DPI), opened the Conference, noting that it had become the premier NGO event at Headquarters. He said this reflected the ever-deepening involvement of civil society in the work of the United Nations and that the high attendance, representing all regions of the world, underscored the relevance of the various aspects of the NGO partnership with the Organization. Last year, he said, the Conference coincided with the horrific terrorist attacks of 11 September. It was fitting that in the current Conference, leading up to the first anniversary of those tragic events, the subject would be how to move forward and help rebuild those societies around the world that have experienced the trauma of violent conflict. He continued, Our associated NGOs reflect the growing and increasingly well-organized network of civil society organizations, which provided the Organization with needed support in its work towards the goals of the Millennium Declaration. LOUISE FRCHETTE, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, said the United Nations, governments and NGOs were becoming more deeply involved in helping countries to recover from their trauma and address the underlying reasons for their descent into violence. From Afghanistan to East Timor, the United Nations and the NGO community had forged a wide range of indispensable partnerships. The United Nations-NGO relationships figured prominently into the Secretary-Generals efforts to strengthen the United Nations. Whether helping to Post-conflict rebuild societies emerging from situations were conflict, or addressing the other one of the main issues on its agenda, the United crucibles for the Nations could not hope to Organization: achieve its goals without the efforts and expertise of NGOs. proving grounds -Louise Frchette where its contact with people in need was closest and where its achievements or its failures are most plain. Only success in the daily test of self-improvement would enable the United Nations to do its part in rebuilding nations. She noted that the United Nations was better meeting the needs and aspirations of the worlds people, and that the bureaucracy had been streamlined, and opportunities offered by the Internet had been seized. A major overhaul in human resources management had also been undertaken, and the Organization had reached out as never before to new partners, including foundations, parliamentarians, the private sector and NGOs. Despite those gains, there was ample room to do more. She said the Secretary-General would soon set out his vision for further strengthening the United Nations, deepening and building on what had already been accomplished. This new reform exercise aims to align the Organizations work more closely with the priorities of the Millennium Declaration and other major policy frameworks, she said, adding that NGOs occupied a unique place in the constellation. For many decades, they had been the United Nations partner on the ground - delivering humanitarian assistance in places struck by conflict or natural disaster, and in quieter places, helping people build stable communities and effective institutions. She indicated that NGO contributions had enriched and influenced official proceedings. That relationship had been enormously rewarding for the United Nations, and hopefully, for the NGOs too. At the same time, that dramatic evolution had brought some real challenges to the fore. One

Louise Frchette

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

13

challenge stemmed from the sheer number of NGOs seeking to participate in the work of the United Nations. Simply put, there was only so much space in the building, in New York and elsewhere. Given those physical limits, it was not feasible for the United Nations to accommodate all of the NGOs that wanted to participate. The accreditation process had also become more complex, leading to NGOs encountering uneven standards and, at times, confusing procedures. Also, NGOs often ended up feeling that their involvement was not meaningful enough and that governments gave them only token roles. She continued that it was time to evaluate the United Nations interaction with civil society and change what isnt working and build on what is. She concluded, Whether helping to rebuild societies emerging from conflict, or addressing the other issues on its agenda, the United Nations could not hope to achieve its goals without the efforts and expertise of NGOs. HAN SEUNG-SOO, President of the fifty-sixth session of the General Assembly, noted the expanded cooperation between the United Nations and NGOs and the timeliness of the Conference theme. It is my hope that a culture of prevention will prevail in the 21st Century, he said, even though reaction to conflicts was still necessary in the current environment. If effective ways of addressing post-conflict peace-building could be developed, a more effective synthesis of prevention and reaction could be created. From the perspective of the General Assembly, that effort required the support of many entities, of which NGOs were an important factor. Sustainable societies were the ultimate goal, he said, and that required attention to 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 to play as well, and the two entities should cooperate closely through exchange of information and analysis. In addition to information sharing, the United Nations and non-governmental organizations could closely cooperate in determining better ways to mobilize the political will and resources of the international community to work seriously towards effective conflict prevention and rebuilding of societies emerging from conflict. He suggested cooperation between the United Nations and NGOs by using the concept of comparative advantage, developing an integrated operational response to peace-building, joint monitoring and mobilization of resources. MARY ROBINSON, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the theme of the session - rebuilding societies emerging from conflict - could not be more relevant. She placed emphasis on partnership and, in particular, the role of civil society. Building modern, democratic and accountable institutions of government could not be done without its full It would be far better participation. While if we could learn how to that seemed obvious, it prevent large-scale deadly created a major chalconflict rather than pick lenge for many societies up the pieces afterwards, emerging from conflict. - Mary Robinson During conflict, countries were often drained of their brainpower. After it ended, societies often remained divided along ethnic and political lines; moreover, countries that underwent protracted conflicts frequently lacked the tradition of ensuring the participation of all members of society in decision-making. She said that, in those societies, human rights NGOs have played an indispensable role in the following areas: identifying the most vulnerable persons and groups; monitoring the human rights situation; pinpointing the weakness in the previous system of government; showing how those weaknesses could be overcome; and supporting, encouraging and nourishing local human rights initiatives. She had been privileged to see how vital womens groups had been in peace-building. She paraphrased Eavan Boland, an Irish poet, saying, women who had been outside history needed to be written back into historyfinding a voice where they found a vision. Humanitarian and development NGOs also played a crucial role in the return of refugees and income generation. She noted an effective partnership between the United Nations human rights programme and the NGO community had occurred in Sierra Leone, where NGOs had taken a courageous lead in 1998 in monitoring and reporting on the human rights situation

Han Seung-Soo

14

there. It would be far better if we could learn how to prevent large-scale deadly conflict rather than pick up the pieces afterwards, she acknowledged. The Secretary-General had pledged to move the United Nations from a culture of reaction to a culture of prevention. It was estimated that at least half of ongoing conflicts today were relapsed old conflicts. That sobering figure emphasized the direct link between building peace and preventing future conflict. Given the link between conflicts and rights abuses, effective rebuilding of societies must pay serious attention to the establishment of strong systems for national human rights protection. Also necessary was confronting the injustices of the past in order to provide a basis for a future built on justice and reconciliation. She said that protection, including enhancement of national capacity, could mean the presence of an international security force. Such a presence could deter violence, especially as warring factions became increasingly keen to establish their legitimacy after the conflicts end. But, international forces were not present in many postconflict situations. Often, the humanitarian and development agencies are the only international presence. In Afghanistan, human security remained the most pressing issue today. The presence of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) provided relative security in Kabul; the rest of the country, however, remained unsafe. She welcomed indications that the Force might now be extended beyond Kabul and urged that. The hunger for justice was another thorny issue

in a post-conflict situation. Any society emerging from conflict must face the issue of how to address the human rights violations committed in the recent past. Ignoring those ran the risk of repetition as impunity continued to reign. Accountability for these [human rights] abuses is not only a question of seeking justice for past events, but also a forward-looking strategy for the future. In that context, it was sad to see some current undermining of the legitimacy of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which had a central role to play. She believed that was a short-term problem, which would not impede the vital work of the first international institution to tackle impunity for gross violations of human rights. She indicated that Truth and Reconciliation Commissions, in any form, were helpful for bringing about reconciliation, but said that they cannot work in a vacuum. She also paid tribute to the international NGOs for providing valuable information and insights. Noting that in three days she would rejoin the human rights struggle as a private citizen, she said she would bring the experience gained in the past five years to two particular issues. First, I want to re-enforce the point that human rights is not about words and rhetoric, but rather that it is a system of legally binding rules. Second, she wanted to help fill the gap in human rights at the international level. Not enough emphasis had been placed on helping developing countries build their own national protection systems for human rights. That required resources, both financial and intellectual. Also, the building of a

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

15

national protection system must be country-led, requiring both the political will of the government and the involvement of civil society. Working in those two areas was likely to keep her busy for the foreseeable future, she said. LAKHDAR BRAHIMI, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan, said policymaking in todays world was a multi-faceted process, and through their hard work, effective advocacy and measurable results on the ground, NGOs and civil society generally, had come to play a crucial role alongside governments and multilateral organizations in that process. In Afghanistan, that partnership dated back many years. During the worst, when the country was virtually forgotten by the international community at large, NGOs - both Afghan and international - and the United Nations, had worked together to keep at least a trickle of humanitarian assistance coming to the Afghan people. We must not forget their hard work and sacrifices during this period, he said. In the absence of governmental institutions, he said, NGOs in Afghanistan filled the void as well as they could, providing services that a government would normally provide. It was not surprising, therefore, that several prominent Afghan NGO members had now been appointed to ministerial posts. Two points should be borne in mind in post-conflict situations. First, the respective roles of the United Nations and NGOs are complementary, not identical. He continued that while they frequently shared the same objectives, they generally had different mandates, rules and procedures. Second, we must all recognize that the international communitys role is often dramatically transformed in the And if there is one lesson post-conflict that year of experience have stage, and this taught us, it is that a peace and requires that we reconstruction process stands a far better chance of success when change the manner in which we it is nationally owned, rather than led by external factors. do business. In -Lakhdar Brahimi Afghanistan, for instance, a government was now in place, and the international community no longer needed to fill that void. Its role now should be to assist and support the Government, not seek to govern in its place, or impose upon it its own goals and aspirations. In the recovery and reconstruction context, for example, the Government had set out a National Development Framework, and he was working hard to ensure that all of the United Nations activities and those of its NGO implementing partners were consistent with the Governments strategic direction. Tied to that was a simple philosophy that had become a defining principle of the United Nations

Lakhdar Brahimi

Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA): the goal of a light expatriate footprint. In every sector in which the UN or NGOs get involved and in every project that we initiate, we need to ask ourselves hard questions about why we are really there, he said. First, it must be ensured that an activity was really needed and that the country could not do it on its own. Second, it must be certain that particular NGOs had a comparative advantage over other institutions or organizations, especially ones in the region, which might offer linguistic, cost or other advantages. Providing effective assistance required not only an understanding of the local needs and context, but also a recognition of ones own limitations. Assuming that all of those conditions had been met, then the international community should strive from day one to do everything possible to enable nationals to take over. He said his impression was that neither the United Nations nor NGOs had a light footprint thus far in Afghanistan. Whether or not they would succeed in implementing those principles remained to be seen, but he was optimistic. And if there is one lesson that year of experience have taught us, it is that a peace and reconstruction process stands a far better chance of success when it is nationally owned, rather than led by external factors. The issue was not whether the United Nations and NGOs had a current role in Afghanistan, but the importance of defining and implementing it with care. If the United Nations and NGOs exercised their responsibility wisely, then their partnership could bring untold benefits to the people of Afghanistan and help them back on the road to a peaceful, stable and prosperous future. DONALD TREIMANN, Chair, NGO/DPI Executive Committee, said that DPI was one of the most active parts of the United Nations system when it came to partnership with NGOs. Thanking all those

16

involved with the Conference, he noted that the Executive Committee was financially stable and functioning smoothly. He outlined some of the Committees accomplishments and described the programme of weekly briefings organized by the NGO section of DPI in close cooperation with the NGO/DPI Executive Committee. He also described the NGO Resource Centre and its future plans. Regarding the Conference theme, he emphasized the factor of shared responsibility. It applied to everything with which the United Nations and NGOs were involved. NGOs should work hand in hand with UN, with governments, with private sector, and with each other to achieve our common goals. The current event was a perfect opportunity for starting new partnerships. Last years Conference, disrupted by the terrorist attacks, had as its theme volunteerism. After the attacks, the volunteer spirit proved indestructible. That was evident when many NGO representatives got together on 13 September to show that nothing could stop the valuable work they were engaged in. Saluting that spirit, he hoped for a successful and productive conference. RENATE BLOEM, President, Conference of NGOs in Consultative Status with the United Nations (CONGO), said she was extremely pleased with the theme of this years Conference. All actions in peace-building need to be complementary, she said, adding that once peace was reached in a conflict, NGOs were guarantors of its sustainability. Being on the ground, NGOs were valuable in working on the

root cause of conflict. Their cooperation with United Nations activity could be further developed. The tasks assigned to civil society by papers leading up to the Millennium Declaration, including assistance to victims of conflict situations and protection of the integrity of humanitarian assistance, should be viewed afresh and reaffirmed. She noted that though many NGOs were disappointed by the recently concluded Johannesburg Summit, they had pledged to work unceasingly towards the goals of sustainable development that were outlined there. She hoped that the Conference, in the interest of shared responsibility and leaving the shadows of 11 September behind, would be able to work to give peace a chance. SHERRILL KAZAN ALVAREZ DE TOLEDO, Chair, 55th Annual DPI/NGO Conference, noted that more than 2,700 people had registered for the Conference, representing more than 650 organizations in 85 countries from all regions of the world. Those figures demonstrated the remarkable international representation that had been collectively achieved over the past decade. When the theme for the Conference was first established, one topic was on everyones mind: how could the NGO community in partnership with governments, the United Nations and the private sector work towards lasting peace in a tumultuous world. With that question in mind, the theme had emerged. She said the Planning Committee then identified the main issues important for post-conflict development: rule of law and good governance; social services; economic rebuilding; reconciliation; and demobilization, disarmament and reintegration. The NGOs were at the heart of the processes of those action items. In war-torn regions, they were often there before and after the international communitys involvement. Noting the importance of the Conference, she said, we stand on the shoulders of those of all faiths, religions, races and persuasions who believed that there is a better way to reconcile our differences than resorting to death and destruction. She said the NGOs were here to share their collective knowledge in devising new strategies to rebuild societies. The information gains and the partnerships reinforced over the next three days would better prepare everyone to build peaceful societies and prevent the re-emergence of conflict.

Renate Bloem

17

Afternoon Session, Panel 1: Re-establishing the Rule of Law and Encouraging Good Governance
HANS CORELL, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and United Nations Legal Counsel, introduced the panellists and said that peace-building was a new experience for the Organization, including building governance in certain operations. International standards of good governance, as included in the Charter, formed the basis for those activities. The title of the panel may not be appropriate because there might be, in many situations, no rule of law to re-establish. But that The local community did not mean that the should be involved in the highest standards of the activity as early as possiCharter should not be ble, even if they are not in adhered to. In situaa position to make formal tions of building goverdecisions. Hans Corell nance, he said, there were numerous components. Civil Police must be established for law and order and a working judicial system must be applied. In both areas, there might be complete vacuums, and international assistance might, therefore, be required. Civil services might also have to be created from scratch, as well as a military, which might have to perform functions related to the maintenance of law and order. Many other systems must be created, he said, including ways of registering private property, the concept of which might vary according to the culture. Irrespective of which procedures were developed in all those areas, the local community should be involved in the activity as early as possible, even if they are not in a position to make formal decisions, and the development of an independent media was crucial. All that formed the complex background against which the panel discussion was taking place. FRANOISE BOUCHET-SAULNIER, Law and Research Director, Mdicins sans Frontires, said that emergence from conflict could last for years, and conflicts could likely resume after the international communitys involvement had disappeared. Consequently, it was imperative to look at countries in a historical and political context that bore in mind that the forces of war remained during periods of emergence from crises. Mdicins sans Frontires remained in countries even where peace had been established, such as in Afghanistan. Return of a society to peace is a slow and evolving process that does not happen the moment a peace agreement is signed. She highlighted some key lessons, beginning with the marginalization of victims of war. Following a conflict and a change in power, a civilian population that had been politically and economically isolated was often left traumatized. After the agreements were signed, certain euphoria and political opening prevailed, which, while positive, often ignored civilians plight. In Rwanda, for example, the recent victims of genocide had suffered severe physical, psychological and financial loss. In Angola, inadequate attention had been given to the civilians now emerging from the zones controlled by the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA). Of equal importance was the issue of impunity and a return to the rule of law, she said. In the current framework, impunity remained a driving force of peace, but The authority of justice lies that would change in its independence the with the establishcreation of an independent ment of the and strong judicial power is International almost never the foremost priCriminal Court (ICC). ority of a new government. The lack of a criminal -Franoise Bouchet-Saulnier court had been justified by financial inadequacies, which underscored the need to establish priorities, especially since a country emerging from war did not usually have the re-establishment of the judicial system as a priority. Often, there was no budget to do so. Thus, the victims remained in a very difficult situation, with their attackers free to engage in acts of vengeance. Impunity could only be rolled back once a population saw what it could lose. She added,

Franoise Bouchet-Saulnier

18

the authority of justice lies in its independence. One can easily notice that the creation of an independent and strong judicial power is almost never the foremost priority of a new government. So, societies were rebuilt on minimal control. Fighting impunity meant highlighting the human and social costs. GERALD GAHIMA, Prosecutor General, Rwandan Supreme Court, said the expression reestablishing the rule of law was actually misleading as far as his country and some others were concerned, because there could not be an establishment of such rule where none had existed. He recounted his coun-

Gerald Gahima

trys history leading up to the 1994 genocide as a case in point. That genocide was made possible by a culture of impunity for gross violations that had gone unpunished and were even rewarded by the successive Governments. The post-genocide Governments, therefore, decided to make the rule of law the cornerstone of administration, as it was the real foundation on which post-conflict reconstruction efforts rested. By dealing with the issue of impunity and facilitating national reconciliation, the rule of law makes other efforts at nation building in post-conflict societies possible, he said. But at the same time, justice was a prerequisite for reconciliation; the starting point for addressing impunity was bringing perpetrators to justice. That justice, in Rwanda, could come about neither through amnesty nor strict application of the law as it existed before 1994, and specialized chambers within existing courts were created to deal exclusively with genocide and related cases. For that, the justice system, which had been decimated by the genocide, had to be rebuilt. As there were over 150,000 people arrested for crimes in the genocide and they were languishing in prison for long periods without trial, he

Justice does not merely said, another system denote mechanisms for had to be developed. accountability for past abusNo justice system was es, it guarantees the rule of ever designed or law and respect for human intended to deal with rights in the future. mass violence. Therefore, so-called - Gerald Gahima 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 good governance in post-conflict situations, he said. Decentralization, human rights support, a transformation of policing and constitutional work were among the many national efforts needed. The international community had recently endeavoured to go beyond humanitarian assistance in post-conflict situations towards human rights and international criminal justice. However, in those endeavours international mechanisms should not be pursued at the expense of national programmes that held out better potential for promoting the rule of law, respect for human rights and good governance. The $100 million annual budget for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda would be better spent in the wider efforts towards national reconciliation, good governance and justice that he had described. He said, the fact that states of the societies which have victims of such gross [human rights] abuses are excluded from any role in the ad hoc [international] tribunals, perpetuates an unhealthy sense of powerlessness and exclusion. In further recommendations, he urged a holistic approach to justice and post-conflict rebuilding, with an emphasis on national consensus and the concerns of victims. The international community, he said, needed to reassess a wide range of issues relating to its response to the aftermath of grave abuses. PRISCILLA HAYNER, Programme Director, International Center for Transitional Justice, said that a look at the specific circumstances of a country emerging from conflict had made clear the task of establishing or re-establishing the rule of law following a nations dark period. Many wrongdoers still went unpunished. As the human rights field had been strengthened, however, the particular question of what to do during transition had gained increasing attention. A wide range of impressive initiatives had been put in place around the world that reflected the diversity of those challenges. The growing field of how to confront justice and accountability challenges at the point of transition was generically referred to as justice in transition. She said a number of mechanisms were avail-

19

able to respond to those challenges, which were often nationally driven and grounded in comparative national experiences. As the issues gained increasing attention, new challenges were being confronted and ideas were emerging about how to confront them. There was a clear link between efforts to establish accountability and establish or re-establish the rule of law for the future. When courts functioned under fear or intimidation, or lack of resources and know-how, a weakened judiciary resulted. A weakened judiciary often accompanied rights abuses, she said, and that, in turn, destroyed trust. Despite the overwhelming tasks at hand during transitional periods, efforts to address crimes through the courts should be vigorously pursued. The newly established International Criminal Court 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 the victims of crimes, especially those who had suffered physical or economic loss. Justice for communities that had suffered or been destroyed should also be determined. There are many different initiatives possible for addressing these issues, but the first challenge to implementing a package of reforms is to understand the existing systems weaknesses and prescribe the right solutions. A truth commission has as its fundamental goal recognition of the nature and breadth of violations and shaping ways to prevent them, she said. Reforms were critical, but without a national capacity, an independent commission could address that. Truth commissions were gaining currency around the world,

as their role was becoming better understood. Commissions took statements from victims and researched the causes and consequences of abuses. By undertaking those and other tasks, such a commission was in a position to recommend future actions, and perhaps more importantly, in the simple unsilencing and giving respect to the suffering of the past, a truth commission can help to make a break between a countrys past and a more hopeful future. It was also in a position to inform the public and help define other kinds of justice mechanisms, such as reparations or trials. But, she warned, truth commissions should be seen as only one element of a much broader accountability package. National actors should always lead in shaping the transitional justice agenda. She said there is no one right model and it should not be suggested that any country utilize the exact mechanisms used elsewhere. DANILO TRK, Assistant-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, said that it was perplexing when political and legal issues were mixed together in peace-building discussions. There were conceptual, practical and political issues in which that confluence occurred. For example, ad hoc tribunals could seem like judicial instruments, but for political analysts often seemed like late substitutes for preventing atrocities. He said, there was often a false dilemma made between retributive justice and restorative justice. There was also an overly automatic connection between peace-building and nation-building. Efforts

Priscilla Hayner, Gerald Gahima, Hans Corell and Danilo Trk

20

towards nation-building have to be critically assessed to assure local ownership and manageability, he said. Security was a practical problem for post-conflict justice. Often such practical problems could determine the conceptual issues. To achieve the goal of good governance, it was necessary to stimulate new forms of political dialogue within the society, he said, pointing to experience in Tajikistan. Laws also had to allow inter-ethnic balance. In that area as in others, there were no clear principles; everything had to be negotiated, and so it went beyond a pure legal situation to a political one. The art of success in governance was stimulating local capacity in all areas.

Discussion Segment
GERALD GAHIMA, in response to several questions on the effectiveness of local courts in post-conflict countries, referred to the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, which had conducted five trials and handed down three guilty verdicts since being established in 1994. He said it was the domestic institutions that really held the prospects for promoting the rule of law. Thus, that was where the bulk of resources should be directed. He supported United Nations mechanisms, but said, ultimately, national institutions mattered more. Responding to whether a truth and reconciliation commission such as in South Africa had been considered for Rwanda, he responded affirmatively, but stated that in Rwanda, where 1 million people had died and where entire families -- three and four generations - had been wiped out, to talk of amnesty outright had been unacceptable to many. In such a situation, a government could only proceed on a path on which there was consensus. It would never have been possible to reach consensus about giving amnesty to the perpetrators of the genocide. He later re-emphasized that the earlier handling of genocide cases was not acceptable in terms of percentage of cases tried in the time that had passed since the crimes. That was why the gacaca system had been developed. However, one could never be successful in dealing with genocide; it should be, rather, prevented. In response to another question, he said that a large percentage of women had been elected as both gacaca judges and local representatives in Rwanda. FRANOISE BOUCHET-SAULNIER, replying to a question on what role a relief organization has in legal issues, said that in Kosovo, after the conflict, Mdecins sans Frontires had quickly withdrawn its teams because an enormous amount of aid investment was flowing into the country into illegitimate hands, and there were a lot of needs not being addressed. Its contribution involved documenting the deportation

process and identifying crimes being committed. There was no guarantee during the conflict, however, that anybody would be brought to justice. The view had been that population movements had been triggered by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) strikes and not the result of deportation policy, she added. So, her organization had tried to document movements of refugees and displaced persons. She explained that the goal of her organization was the provision of medical support to the victims of conflicts and natural disasters. Within its scope, it only worked in open conflicts and in situations of epidemics or problems of social fragility. Its work had been based on the law of war; NGOs were not all-powerful gods or arbitrators. At times, her organization's help had been used to rally populations that would then be displaced, deported or even assassinated. She added that the organization regularly published reports on such situations and decried situations where humanitarian aid was used for goals that would not enable the survival of a population. It had withdrawn from refugee camps in Zaire because it had thought that those had represented a military threat. At times, her organization had denounced crimes and ended its humanitarian action. In 1994, it had called for an armed intervention to put an end to the genocide in Rwanda; it had said it was not possible to stop genocide with physicians. As the legal director of that organization, she said she was supervising training amid an ongoing debate about at what point it should speak out or provide care. NGOs could become accomplices or passive witnesses, so all physicians in her organization had a practical guide where the law of war had been translated into direct action for those on the ground. Since 1991, it had called for the creation of international tribunals and compiled reports and heard testimony on ethnic cleansing. PRISCILLA HAYNER, answering a question on the role of international versus local organizations, said it was important to look to local and national actors to design and think through the responses to those very difficult issues. Clearly, accountability must be addressed. There certainly was a risk of vigilante justice in places where the anger had been intense, but street justice was more likely in societies that had not grappled with accountability issues formally. She had not tried to suggest in her remarks that any particular form of dealing with past anger was most appropriate. The international and national communities should always carefully consider which mechanisms should be put in place to respond to the opportunities at hand. In response to another question, she said that the issue of children as victims or perpetrators of violence

21

 or both was beginning to get more attention, and that would increase with new developments in Sierra Leone. Standards had been proposed in many areas, such as how to handle children's testimony. In answering a question about women's roles on truth commissions, she said that the record of truth commissions in redressing gender crimes was not very good, but lessons were beginning to be learned about how to incorporate the experiences of women in telling the complete truth of a conflict. DANILO TRK, addressing a question about the perception of freedom fighters as terrorists, said that the panel was focused on re-establishing the rule of law and encouraging good governance. That had gone beyond the panels scope and related to a variety of situations in which there was continued military occupation and resistance, which might take the form of terror acts, to situations where the question of re-establishing the rule of law or encouraging good governance nationwide was not the main concern. Answers to that question should be put in concrete parameters of concrete situations. It was impossible, for example to put the Palestinian situation in the same question as events in Chechnya, he added. Current United Nations efforts in the context of the Quartet were largely focused on diplomatic activity. Efforts were also being made to design a strategy to address all aspects of the problem, including humanitarian issues for the Palestinians, and security questions for the Israelis. In Chechnya, the possibilities of the international community were much more limited, as those were reduced to 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, he said. Satisfactory, immediate solutions were not always possible. What was possible were small steps, with the understanding that those were not always satisfactory. He later added that the more complex involvement of the United Nations in post-conflict peacebuilding and justice had only come about recently. The question of the use of international professionals in such situations was under discussion, as was training in those issues for a wider range of international professionals. The critical question, though, related to local ownership. HANS CORELL, in response to a question on the International Criminal Court, said that he had just come from a meeting of the first Assembly of States Parties to the International Criminal Court. The Court would be a turning point in the history of mankind. Its very presence would send a strong signal that those who acted against mankind in the future would be held accountable. He was looking forward to a different direction from the past. If the road to the future was not changed, the world was doomed to repeat its past mistakes, he warned. Asked at what point crimes of war should be considered just plain crimes, he said that the distinction, regardless of the stage of conflict, was always there and need not become a conceptual problem. The importance of re-establishing the rule of law as part of peace-building was increasing, and individuals should use any contacts they had to promote international assistance in that area.

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

22

Panel 2 Restoring Social Services: Identifying Priorities

KUL GAUTAM, Deputy Executive Director, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), said there must be a joint strategy including the international community and the local population towards re-establishing services in post-conflict areas. Failure to act decisively in the imme[Any post-conflict prodiate post-conflict situagramme] should aim at tion often has tragic consimultaneously directing sequences for the most assistance to those most vulnerable groups, in affected by the war and particular children, paving the way for the women and elderly. transition to sustainable The first priority was development. health care, as conflict -Kul Gautam areas were often the worst affected by health problems. The second was education, to get children engaged in constructive ways with their community and to promote peacebuilding. The third was disarmament, demobilization and reintegration, particularly for former child combatants. Those priorities were the obligation of the international community as set out by Security Council res-

Gerald Martone

Kul Gautam and Sherrill Kazan Alvarez de Toledo

olutions, and were essential elements to create the conditions for sustainable peace. He said that any post-conflict transition should aim at simultaneously directing assistance to those most affected by the war and paving the way for the transition to sustainable development. GERALD MARTONE, Director of Emergency Response, International Rescue Committee, said the current 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 addition there had been an increase in horrific warfare tactics,

including mass starvation and rape. The word postconflict was often a misnomer, he pointed out, since conflict was defined as incompatible interests or views, not merely fighting as It takes a tremendous such. Under that defiamount of cooperation to nition, 1.8 billion peostart a war, and that kind of ple currently lived in cooperative effort could be conflict zones. Often mined for improvement in more people are dying post-conflict situations. in post-conflict coun- Gerald Martone tries than in countries with active fighting, due to disruptions of vital activities. He said the manner of restoration of vital services had often been criticized as paternalism and as a "handout" approach. Because of that, restoring livelihoods, not just saving lives had become the priority. Mutual dependencies of parties in conflict could be used to both re-establish commerce and services as well as to reduce tension. It was important to look for such connectors. 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. Finally, he pointed out that much current warfare was not political but, rather, about the control of wealth by a small group of people. It was more like organized crime. It was necessary, in consequence, to see who would be harmed by peace and to involve them in assistance in the post-conflict situation. Concerning the need to prioritize education in post-conflict situations, he said the monotony and dreary existence of children in those situations should be as much of a concern as mortality figures. Local solutions to providing education should be sought as frequently as possible; it was important to prevent the "brain drain" from affected areas -- to keep teachers, intellectuals and other educated persons from leaving.

23

Thoraya Obaid

THORAYA OBAID, Executive Director, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), said that three weeks ago, a baby boy was born in a 72-bed Danish Emergency Mobile Hospital in Kabul on the day that hospital opened with UNFPA support. He was the first baby born there. For Afghan women and children, that hospital was a lifesaver and a life-sustainer. Afghanistan had the second highest rate of maternal and child mortality in the world. One in four Afghan children died before reaching the age of 5 and one in Women are not only vic- 17 Afghan women died from complications of tims in times of conflict, pregnancy and childbirth. they are peace-makers Most medical facilities and peace-builders. - Thoraya Obaid were run down and in dire need of trained personnel, she continued. Establishing quality reproductive health services was an urgent priority to save womens and babies lives. As part of the United Nations assistance mission in Afghanistan, UNFPA had been an active participant in the countrys reconstruction. Many local and international NGOs who contributed to priority areas, such as strengthening maternal health services and girls education, received UNFPA support. In war-torn countries, the participation of civil society was essential to restoring social services, she said. Education and health care, including reproductive health care, could not be restored in a warshattered country without a great deal of hard work, investment and partnership. Nation building was not a quick job but one that started with humanitarian relief when the news cameras were rolling and long after they left. Overall, there were three challenges to restoring basic social services: reaching the most vulnerable; ensuring a smooth transition from emergency relief to long-term development; and fostering the active participation of local men and women to build local capacity, so that efforts were long-lasting and self-sustaining. She said women have a particularly important role to play, noting that women are not

only victims in times of conflict, they are peace-makers and peace-builders. UNFPAs Humanitarian Response Unit coordinates with the United Nations system and other vital partners, including many NGOs that worked at both local and international levels. She noted that attention to maternal health and HIV/AIDS education and prevention should be priorities in crisis-affected communities. Since 1994, the Fund had greatly increased its ability to respond rapidly and address reproductive health needs in crisis situations. UNFPA was one of the first United Nations agencies to cooperate widely and on the global level with NGOs. It remained convinced that it was only through effective partnerships that it could meet the goal of ensuring that people enjoyed the full extent of their human rights. JANINA OCHOJSKA, Founder and President, Polish Humanitarian Organization, said that the organization started its operations in 1992 with an aid convoy to Sarajevo. At that time, Poland was going through political and economic changes and had its own problems. But even back then, she believed that a natural step leading to a fully democratic society was to switch from a foreign aid recipient to an active aid provider. Now, 10 years later, it was the biggest and most dynamic Polish non-governmental humanitarian Assistance means soliorganization providing darity with those in need aid abroad. Often, it and helps to build a civil learned from the experisociety in both donor ences of its western coland recipient countries. leagues, but its opera- Janina Ochojska tions were unique in many respects. She said the tragedy that had besieged Sarajevo had provoked in Poland a spontaneous willingness to help. Providing aid for the victims of war in Bosnia was natural and came directly from Polish citizens. The experience taught several basic principles. First, assistance means solidarity with those in need and helps to build a civil society in both donor and recipient countries. Second, assistance should unite people and not divide them.

Janina Ochojska

24

Third, humanitarian aid must respect human dignity, support it, and not destroy it. A solid civil society was required for the efficient functioning of any social services in post-conflict areas. Foreign NGOs must reconstruct such a society by supporting the activities of local NGOs. From the first day of emergency assistance, attempts must be made to empower local social structures, she urged. Aid recipients must be active in the entire assistance process, from planning to implementation. She said, by entrusting serious tasks only to expatriates, rather than the locals, foreign NGOs kill any local initiative, and impeded self-sustainable development. In Albania in 1999, when 400,000 Kosovars had taken refuge, expatriates put up tents in the camps and as foreigners made gravel paths, jobless refugees stood by and watched. In Ingushetia, 250,000 Chechen refugees were taken care of without the participation of Chechen lawyers, Chechen doctors or Chechen teachers. Only the active participation of refugees increased their independence. She said that some NGOs seemed to view short-term and often short-sighted spectacular actions as more important than the fate of the locals. As a result, well-educated local people became drivers or interpreters with international organizations rather than returning to their prior jobs as dentists, civil servants or lawyers. Moreover, wealth, high salaries and other perks of the international humanitarian organizations contrasted sharply with conditions in post-conflict zones and created distance between the assisting organization and its local beneficiaries. Some distance was understandable, but too big a distance led to the perception that foreign NGOs were some kind of good uncle and not a true partner. She also noted that, Close cooperation between foreign NGOs and local administrations shows the local community that working with the authorities makes sense and that democracy is beneficial for everyone. SIMA SAMAR, Chair, Independent Afghan Human Rights Commission, said that rebuilding the social service sector in Afghanistan required starting from almost nothing. Virtually no development had taken place during 23 years of war, and earlier development had never International NGOs must reached large parts begin to listen to local NGOs of the country. The rather than imposing their coordinated effort of own notions of Afghan all actors was needculture and traditions. ed to meet the chal-Sima Samar lenge and show that peace could improve people's lives. Money, she said, was sorely needed; very little rebuilding had taken place. She said, The unwillingness of donors to fund

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

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

important role, but local government also needed to have responsibilities and resources in order to grow into its future role. It was also important to fund NGOs led by Afghan women, she said, and, in general, international NGOs must begin to listen to local NGOs rather than imposing their own notions of Afghan culture and traditions. For instance, that culture had not been the main factor in blocking girls' education, rather it had been the lack of schools. He said that income generation projects were another priority for families, particularly those led by widows, to survive and achieve self-sufficiency. Assistance for housing was needed. Other kinds of social services that needed special attention were reproductive health centres, severely restricted by the Taliban, and other health facilities, which were in horrible shape. Any rebuilding of social services in Afghanistan required security, which meant the expansion of peacekeeping troops beyond Kabul. She hoped that some day the country would not have to depend on assistance from other countries and could actually help others. However, to reach that goal, assistance must strengthen 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 in her country 16 per cent of the population lived in rural areas, and 60 per cent was indigenous. Seventy-five per cent of the population lived in poverty, and 42 per cent was illiterate. For those reasons, her organization had to develop appropriate strategies. Moreover, the armed struggle had persisted for 36 years, and its causes were still alive today. She said her NGO had tackled the problems associated with delivering basic serv-

25

ever. All reproductive services, in addition, had to be free of coercion. Safe sex, she said, had to be part of any modern health education and should be taught in appropriate ways for various age groups and cultures. It included teaching how to say no to sex. Abstinence, monogamy and condoms were centrepieces of such teaching. She said that it was not possible to work on those subjects with individuals who had absolute opinions and could not accept other viewpoints. SIMA SAMAR, responding to questions about NGOs in Afghanistan, said that most local NGOs there were not connected to warlords. If local government was supported to provide social services, the support for warlords would lessen. Regarding the manner in which the culture of Afghanistan had been misinterpreted, she said that political parties had misused Islam to control people, and the international community had gone along with that misuse by supporting the religious schools as a weapon against the Soviet Union. Pre-war Islam, in Afghanistan, had respect for women and their education and, currently, 100,000 girls wanted to be educated but simply had no schools to attend. GERALD MARTONE, in response to questions about avoiding the monopoly of mega-corporations in post-conflict economies, said that public opinion could be an effective check on even the largest corporations. He pointed to examples concerning conflict diamonds and genetically altered baby foods. He also spoke, in general, about the effectiveness of coordinated lobbying by NGOs. JANINA OCHOJSKA, responding to questions about organized crime in post-conflict situations, said it was important to teach people how to control the results of their work and to understand the mentality of such criminals. LETICIA TOJ UMUL answered questions about her organization's work to counter domestic violence in post-conflict situations, saying that policy development and work with the male population and children were important elements in changing the cycle of family violence. Concerning traditional medicine, she said it existed in many localities alongside modern medicine. The Government had not had programmes to encourage natural medicine, but her group felt it was important, as was improved nutrition, especially for pregnant women and young children. KUL GAUTAM ended the session by speaking about the importance of children's involvement in international assistance in post-conflict situations.

Leticia Toj Umul

ices to the various communities and that the provision of social and health services had required the Governments participation. The Government must recognize that education, health and other basic services, as well as social Experience has shown that participation were fundathe provision of services must mental rights. Also be comprehensive in nature. important was empowerHealth services, for example, ing the local people as must be concerned, not only actors and managers in with physical health but also the various programmes with mental and spiritual in order to maintain a health. democratic and stable - Leticia Toj Umul environment and promote the sustainability of projects. The participation of the community is key to the implementation of programmes for the most vulnerable groups. Critical to success at the community level was identifying its main needs through targeted research and interviews and then designing schemes to meet them. Community organizations in countries like Guatemala, which had emerged from protracted armed conflict and where the rates of poverty and illiteracy were so high, needed the support of international institutions, she said. Experience has shown that the provision of services must be comprehensive in nature. Health services, for example, must be concerned, not only with physical health but also with mental and spiritual health. Access to education was also key to the development of Guatemalan society.

Discussion Segment
THORAYA OBAID, in response to questions about reproductive service and HIV/AIDs, said that abortion, by consensus, was not a form of family planning, and UNFPA did not promote abortion activities. The agency did help entities in dealing with health planning that could result from illegal abortions, how-

26

Panel 3 From Less Than Zero: The Challenge of Rebuilding Economies

JULIA TAFT, Assistant Administrator and Director, Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), said the United Nations was an important partner in assembling many of the needed building blocks for rebuilding economies. She said, the tasks are daunting, but as the diverse conference programme illustrates, a rich tapestry of issues weaves together the opportunities for collective action. UNDP was an active partner in those initiatives at all stages of conflicts. However, local citizens were also there at all stages, and they were the true engines of recovery. All others must work with those citizens, who bore the burden of the recovery and must shape it. lessons had been learned by the late 1990s, when a sense emerged within the Bank that there should be a policy inside the Bank to deal with conflict. Formerly, the Bank had not wished to speak either about conflict or corruption; that was not part of its parlance. But, out of those lessons had come a number of recommendations, including that the Bank needed to be more forthcoming in dealing with conflict issues. He noted that the Bank Before proceeding with had a comparative any programmes, it is advantage in a number of important to carefully areas, apart from macroconsider the political realeconomic stability issues. ities of the situation, such Those areas included as weak implementing education, demobilizacapacities of the new tion and even mine government. clearance. He cautioned Kazuhide Kuroda that, before proceeding with any programmes, it is important to carefully consider the political realities of the situation, such as weak implementing capacities of the new government. The Bank was now trying to apply its expertise in countries it was presently dealing with, such as East Timor and Afghanistan. Presently in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, while the Bank was busy sorting out arrears, it had telecommunications specialists and others on the ground working on related issues. That process of interaction had given the Bank enormous knowledge about many development issues. A further example of the Banks new role was the bringing together of people in Sierra Leone, who had successfully demobilized 76,000 soldiers, with their Congolese counterparts. He said that moving peoples mindsets toward the building of a new future rather than toward revenge is an essential aim of com-

Julia Taft

KAZUHIDE KURODA, Knowledge Management Officer, Conflict Prevention and Reconstruction Unit, World Bank Group, highlighted three bottom lines in dealing with post-conflict situations: each situation was different; local ownership of reconstruction was imperative; and partnerships could best face the challenges. The World Bank formerly had not gotten involved in conflict issues. Indeed, it took the first plane out of a country until the United Nations said it was time to return. In Cambodia in the 1970s and 1980s, for example, the Bank had been completely absent for some 16 years. Similar situations had occurred in Liberia and other countries in conflict or emerging from it. He said the aftermath of the Balkans crisis had changed that approach in the early 1990s, when the United Nations was asked to take the lead in coordinating assistance to Bosnia and Herzegovina. So, the Bank decided it was about time to take a more systematic approach to those countries, rather than treat them just like other client nations. A lot of

Kazuhide Kuroda

27

munity-based social and economic reintegration activities. The Bank had several preliminary findings in research related to post-conflict growth, including the need for aid to approximately double from a pre-conflict level, with disbursement probably rising for four years and then returning to normal levels. VINCENT LELEI, Oxfam Regional Director for the Horn, East and Central Africa, said it was important to ask what to do with those who were still living so that they did not die, and so that they could lead lives of dignity. Before conflicts took their devastating toll on lives, they killed livelihoods either instantaneously or slowly. Such conflicts, he said, resulted from a loss of trust between individuals, communities or countries, which then caused a loss of assets. Trees were cut and animals were The costs of not displaced, killed for food or addressing the causes died from other causes. and consequences of Environmental destruction conflict can only be accelerates the loss of capacgreater than the ity for socio-economic recovtragedy itself. ery in many parts of the Vincent Lelei world, he said. The cultural impacts of those losses were even greater than if those losses were caused by natural calamities. But the loss of intangible assets relationships based on trust actually erodes livelihoods in the most systematic and pervasive way. Belying the title of the afternoon, "Less Than Zero", he said the capacity of Africa's communities to survive, recover and go on to develop, was enormous. The local people should, as a consequence, be placed firmly at the centre of planning and delivery. The challenge then was not rebuilding economies but livelihoods, families and communities. For that purpose, a review of Oxfam's programme in Rwanda had concluded that poverty reduction was severely impeded without a minimal level of coexistence, which he defined as the capacity to resist resorting to violence and to decide among alternatives to violence and destruction. In addition, grass-roots pop-

ulations also needed to have some measure of control over decisions that impact them and their livelihoods. As a consequence, he said, Oxfam had developed a programme in Rwanda called "Imagine Coexistence" that addressed both coexistence, through conflict management training, and community, to allow communities to make decisions on provision of basic services and the development of livelihood-related initiatives. In the process of making those decisions in a community setting, trust could be rebuilt. If you can change the way people negotiate a space for themselves in their community, they can then take control, using the same skills and capacities to change their lives in many ways. But he advocated that global policies, in trade and other areas, be looked at critically, so that grass-roots populations could build relationships in a wider and more sustainable way. EVGENII VASSILEV, Chief Coordinator, Trails of Peace Project, Friendship Ambassadors FoundationBulgaria, said the project concerned the restructuring of economic development in the post-war Balkans region. The idea had great potential to spur economic motivation underlying the peace efforts of many stakeholders in the Balkan crises. Recent historical evidence showed that no matter what the ideological camouflage, contemporary conflicts are largely due to economic resource inequality. Above all, combatants fought for control, distribution and consumption of the sparse available economic resources. He said that some might classify the series of Balkans crises as being ethnic, religious or ideological in nature. He was convinced that economics was at the heart of the conflict. Agreeing that economic motives underpinned those crises meant looking for economic remedies. If only 1 per cent of the billions of dollars spent by the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance (NATO) on bombing Yugoslavia had been invested in business projects in the region after the onset of change in Eastern Europe, maybe the war would never have happened. Poverty remained the reason for war. Trails of Peace was created to replace the path of war across the previously warring territories of the Balkans, he said. Those trails were tourist itineraries aimed at illuminating the natural and manmade beauty of the neighbouring countries, highlighting both their differences and similarities. He undertook that project by first compiling a comprehensive questionnaire covering all aspects of a destination in the region. After reviewing a number of issues, he made a kind of passport for each destination. Destinations were linked by category, such as geographical, historical, religious, gastronomical, and architectural. But, more funds were needed to advance the project.

Vincent Lelei

28

EVGENII VASSILEV, replying to a question about reconciling the differences between the history taught in the various countries of the Balkans region, said that problem had been addressed at a reconciliation seminar series held in Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania. Young people and university students attended from the various countries. As a result, reconciliation had already been achieved with a small group of young people in the region. He believed that youth, some of whom had experienced atrocities, would overcome the problems. JULIA TAFT, acknowledging the absence of Viloyat Mirzoeva, Director, Gender and Development Organization, added that in any number of post-conflict issues -reconciliation, economic revitalization, changing attitudes and values - womens participation was key. In post-conflict situations, the bad news was that many women had lost husbands, family members and children, and were now heads of households with no particular skills. The good news was that they were the ones who, if the world invested in them, were more willing to talk with the neighbour across the street from another ethnic group. VINCENT LELEI reiterated the value of dialogue. In Rwanda, when different tribes had come together, certain issues had been resolved, starting with what kind of stalls should be built to sell potatoes. In response to another question, he said education tended to top the list of priorities, including in sub-Saharan Africa. That was deemed an entry point into other areas of development. Health, food production and diversification came next, but education tended to come first, once true security had been attained. Contributing to the discussion, EUGENIA DATEBAH, Director, Crisis Response and Reconstruction Programme of the International Labour Organization (ILO), said the ILO was doing enormous work around the world to help rebuild institutions in the labour market, which could promote employment. Income generation was essential to improving the material welfare of a people, giving them dignity, and empowering them for the enormous reconstruction tasks that lay ahead. Noting that ILO assistance was both financial and technical, she said that assistance could be channelled through any of its 80 offices on the ground in the various regions, as well as through headquarters in Geneva. She added that ILO was not a donor or funding organization, so it often lacked resources, but it did have enormous expertise and accumulated insights into handling the employment aspects of reconstruction.

Evgenii Vassilev

Discussion Segment
KAZUHIDE KURODA, responding to a series of questions about who could shop at the World Bank and how an NGO could gain the Banks support, said that any institution was organic, and the Bank was changing, just as the United Nations was changing. Since last September, the Bank had changed even more. In terms of funding, its counterparts, or clients, were governments. But, in the context of post-conflict situations, when government machineries were not fully functional, the Bank was exploring ways to reach out to the people. Through its new parlance called community-driven development (CDD), the Bank was trying to see at what level it could enter countries. Often, at that point, NGOs were very functional. To fund such involvement and support projects on the ground, the Bank had created a post-conflict fund of approximately $8 million per year. Corruption was another agenda inside the Bank. All staff members were required to attend a session on anti-corruption practices, so education in that regard was seen as very important. In cases where the Bank thought its advice could be useful, it offered strict comments on ways of allocating revenues, and it conducted public expenditure reviews. To a further question, he said the impact of NGOs was much bigger than just on the World Bank or International Monetary Fund (IMF). NGOs were becoming more noticeable and more appreciated, and their sphere of influence was much greater than they realized. More and more, they were becoming an integral part of whole discussions from the beginning. Responding to a question about debt, he said the Banks Heavily Indebted Poor Country Initiative (HIPC) was a way to write off some debt by having a newly formed government live up to certain commitments, such as transparency and inclusion in decision-making.

29

Panel 4 Against the Odds: The Process of Reconciliation

CAROL RITTNER, Professor, Stockton College, said that reconciliation requires people of different ethnicities, political persuasions and economic standing to move toward one another in a common commitment to a future characterized by inclusivity, tolerance and cooperation. If peace after conflict is More than the coexistough, reconciliation is tence of formerly hosmore than tough - it goes tile groups, it meant against the odds. coming to accept one Carol Rittner another and developing mutual trust. She said that reconciliation required victims and perpetrators come to accept the past and each other. If peace after conflict is tough, reconciliaBecause of his organizations belief in the role of education, it was committed to helping teachers and students find the other face of the coin. MECA was established in 1996 to promote understanding, cooperation and mutual acceptance with the aim of making it clear that everyone had a right to live in peace and that everyone was different but equal. The organization believes there are four distinct types of peace education: human rights, conflict resolution, international and environmental. One theme that the Association was addressing was the gap between textbooks and the study of history in schools, he said. What was learned in the textbooks was totally different from what they learned from daily life. While Palestinian textbooks stressed a combination of national identity, cultural pluralism, pan-Arabism and Islamic studies, more pluralistic elements were beginning to appear, including images showing Islamic and Jewish leaders together. Deteriorating economic and psychological conditions was another area of focus, he said. Financial support for the Association came from international donors, including the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the Konrad Adenaeur Foundation. He asked the participants to join MECA in its prayer that our leaders will not waste more time to reach peace. ADINA SHAPIRO, Co-Director, Middle East Childrens Association (MECA), said that this time of year between the Jewish New Year and the day of atonement, referred to by Jews around the world as

Carol Rittner

tion is more than tough - it goes against the odds, she said. While most would agree with the ideal outcome of that quest, the pertinent question was how to get there. GHASSAN ABDULLAH, Co-Director and Founder, Middle East Children Association (MECA), expressed his condolences to the families of the victims of the 11 September 2001 attacks, and said that despite the most difficult and deteriorating situation in Palestine - the daily killing, injuring, demolition of homes, restrictions on movement and humiliation the teachers had not given up because education had much to contribute in areas of conflict and bloodshed. Cultural background, daily sufferings and the spread of violence and terror had motivated the teachers in the region to create an alternative. Unfortunately, he said, the Palestinians and the Israelis had missed the train for decades. Neither had dared faced the question of who was on the other side. Stereotyping was still the dominant aspect in Palestinian/Israeli communications.

Ghassan Abdulla and Adina Shapiro at the reception

30

the days of awe, was a time of reflection and of raising questions and not on giving answers. That was the role of education and its significance to any peace process. The real task of an educator is to raise the sensitivity in the minds of students, the future generation, towards the questions, moral dilemmas and constant complexity of the world. She said that in a region of conflict, such as the Middle East, education geared towards the sanctity of life, human rights, national pride and I believe that we cannot basic tolerance and afford to despair, but rather respect could, ironiwe are obligated to hear a cally, contribute to soul stirring sound of the hatred and demoshofarraising questions nization. and listening to the different Reconciliation was voices, and providing our only possible if stuchildren with the tools to do dents were given the the same. tools to balance val Adina Shapiro ues and always recognized the conflict in values and the complexity that came with difficult choices, with a combination of humility and decisiveness. An educator should provide students with the ability to recognize that while defending oneself and ones country against a series of suicide bombings and terrorist attacks, one should not ignore the human rights of the society perceived to be harbouring the perpetrators. The lives of many innocent children had been lost, she said, asking the Conference to join the Association in promoting the balancing act of peace education as a critical part of any future political negotiations. She said there is nothing like the loss of hope to avoid rebuilding a better future to promote desperate and intolerable acts. Experience in the Middle East had taught that a peace process without a significant educational component could not last. Any future peace negotiation required several factors, among them: a commitment by each government to set up an educational task force similar to a security or economic task force; the support of education ministries for mandatory teacher training infused with the ideas of understanding and tolerance; and a periodic assessment of textbooks, which must continuously be revised. She also suggested that every school should require the direct exposure to the human face of the former enemy through at least one type of programme. BERTAN SELIM, Youth Counsellor, Friendship Ambassadors Foundation, said conflict continued to be the reality of many children and families throughout the world. He had experienced conflict throughout his life in his native Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and in Kosovo. To achieve reconciliation,

one must initially work on rebuilding trustsomething that can be achieved with great effort, communication and patience, he said, since people felt threatened

Bertan Selim

and unsafe when they were exposed to diversity. Traumatized people had no choice, opportunity or resolution to change and they "ghettoized" in order to protect themselves from the unknown. Regarding educational systems, he said outdated and obsolete curricula taught in schools in Kosovo and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia emphasized patriotism, which turned into radical nationalism. Knowledge was served without a chance of introspection or question and abuse was at a very high level. Children thus thought victory was achieved through the use of physical power. Traumatized people often lost touch with reality and resistance to reconciliation was omnipresent in the world. Only through programmes that gave a sense of control back to traumatized victims could they see themselves as individuals and not objects. He cautioned that, One must always bear in mind that there is a difference between personal healing and reconciliation. The best way to mitigate and reconcile was by employing reforms in the educational system, he said. Teachers should be trained to stop violence and discrimination and eradicate physical punishment. Reconciliation was a slow process achieved solely through empirical techniques and long-lasting change could only start at the level of the individual. The international community, governments and NGOs should make a robust commitment in that direction by using today's most powerful industry--the media. Military intervention had neither improved societies nor achieved peace and the new generation did not deserve to grow up in an environment of conflict. PROSPER BANI, Programme Specialist, United Nations Volunteer Programme, addressed volunteerism and peace-building, saying that some 5,000

31

Prosper Bani

volunteers were working for the United Nations. All those who struggled for peace were volunteering in one way or the other; the main value of volunteerism was free will. Volunteers felt a sense of solidarity. They served in numerous countries and had contributed to peace processes globally. I take this singular opportunity to salute all volunteers who sacrifice their time and energy away from their high salaries and the comfort of their homes and contribute to promoting peace all over the world. There had been some 800 volunteers working in Timor-Leste, and 160 in Sierra Leone. Established in 1971 and administered by the United Nations Volunteers bring with Development them a sense of commitProgramme (UNDP), the ment and dedication that United Nations provides an environment Volunteers (UNV) supfor building trust in the ported sustainable communities where they human development work. globally through the - Prosper Bani promotion of volunteerism, he said. It operated against a background of growing recognition that volunteerism genuinely served the cause of peace. The programme made important economic and social contributions and was universal as well as inclusive. It embraced all types of volunteer action while holding to the values of free will, commitment, engagement and solidarity the foundations of volunteerism. UNV had served in almost all post-conflict situations, either by supporting peacekeeping missions or designing projects to support peace processes at the grassroots level, he said. The programme focused on specific conflict resolution and confidence-building measures. It included training, grant-giving and the promotion of reconciliation and dialogue. The programme's activities went beyond the United Nations framework in post-conflict situations with most volunteers working in their own way. Their enthusiasm crossed boundaries that the United Nations could not. The programme supported both big mis-

sions and specific activities at the grassroots level, and in some cases, its facilitators identified partners in the remotest areas of conflict zones. Volunteers were often able to penetrate formerly impenetrable groups, he said. That "icebreaking" role was central to the programme's activities. But no matter what the programme did, if the affected people did not regain confidence, no investment would enable them to overcome the trauma of conflict. Youth were the main partners of the volunteer programme. In conflict situations they were affected on many levels, including in education and health. They were the soldiers, the unemployed and the maimed. He emphasized that though the situation for youth was terrible, post-conflict situations provided enormous opportunities to engage with youth and empower them to release their creative potential in the search for peace and development. Volunteers also bring with them a sense of commitment and dedication that provides an environment for building trust in the communities where they work. The use of national volunteers in programme activities has enhanced the opportunity of nationals to gain experience working with international volunteers, increase their capacities and serve their communities. DANIEL NTONI-NZINGA, Quaker International Affairs Representative, Angolan Reflection Group for Peace, a coalition of churches in the peace movement there, said southern Africa was well known for two extremes. On the one hand, South Africa was a model of reconciliation and peaceful transition while Angola epitomized the Conference theme of shared responsibility for rebuilding societies emerging from conflict. Recalling that the Angolan Government and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) had signed a Memorandum of Understanding four months ago, he noted that the guns were still silent. There had been a regrouping, quartering, disarmament and demobilization of some 85,000 men and women of UNITA scattered around the country. They

Daniel Ntoni-Nzinga

32

no longer posed a physical threat to the countrys stability, but that did not mean peace had arrived. More than the silencing of guns, peace means living together in harmony and that process requires everyones engagement, he said. Attempts at reconciliation had been made in 1991, and again in 1994, but real reconciliation was never present, he said. For example, the commission in charge of the peace process had been put in place again last month, but reconciliation as outlined in the agreed document was mainly about the allocation of posts, specifically the appointment of former rebels to ministerial and ambassadorial posts. Civil society members and churches were saying that dividing the cake and giving each party a slice was not reconciliation; living together but not agreeing was not reconciliation. First, Angolans had to agree who we are, who we want to be, in order to move forward together.

issues. It was important to look at the underprivileged and those who had experienced conflict. In response to another question, she said that coping with trauma was part of the reality in the Middle East. Trauma was sometimes used by leaders, but the people themselves sometimes got stuck inside a trauma that was not addressed. Doing so occurred on two levels: restoring the framework and addressing the trauma by legitimizing it; and creating an emotionally safe environment in which to speak about it and then moving to the second stage about lessons learned in dealing with the trauma. Responding to a question about education, she said it would be a dangerous precedent to outlaw any school. The question should be reframed to reflect how governments could influence education and ensure that schools were not promoting hate or violence. BERTAN SELIM said it was very difficult for children who had not suffered to shift realities and understand the other side. The only way to achieve that was to tailor information in a child-friendly way. PROSPER BANI, responding to questions on how to participate with his organization, referred participants to the United Nations web site to access procedures for becoming a United Nations volunteer. He also noted that interventions should be guided by the sensitivities of the particular conflict and the ability to intercede in remote areas where such activities were needed most. DANIEL NTONI-NZINGA, in response to a question about prospects for reconciliation in Zimbabwe, said the Government of that country and all others should take a different lead in the process of resolving the conflict there. He had heard that chances for dialogue had dimmed, but he saw no other way to solve the problem. The parties must sit down sooner or later to address the issues. The international community should help find new ways to deal with Zimbabwe, he said, adding that the primitive approach would not get proper results but only antagonize the parties further. Also, expulsions would not solve the problem, but only delay their resolution, leading to a resurgence of conflict in another form. Referring to the implications of reconciliation, he said that truly putting an end to the past required some reparations, even if only as a symbolic gesture.

Discussion Segment
GHASSAN ABDULLAH, responding to a question about involving children in the reconciliation process, said that his Association's position was not to impose on children what they should do. They had been given ownership of a musical programme in which both Palestinian refugees and Israeli children from a disadvantaged town had participated and that the children, themselves, had decided the importance of working together. In response to a question about minimizing trauma, he said the Palestinians and Israelis dealt with trauma in order to minimize its effects and teach ways to avoid violence. That approach was used to motivate people towards non-violence and more cooperation and understanding of the needs and conditions of the other side. He added that a prevailing political situation sometimes embarrassed a government and made it difficult to take a step towards peace education. For example, it was difficult for the Palestinian Authority to talk about peace education formally in the textbooks while killing, reoccupation and imprisonment were going on. In developing countries, those who designed textbooks and curricula were the same ones who carried and kept the keys to the prisons, he said. ADINA SHAPIRO added that the important thing was to focus on the needs of ones own society and to seek examples from other societies to help resolve

33

Panel 5 Demobillizing the War Machines: Making Peace Last

ALI JALALI, Chief, Pashto Service, Voice of America, and moderator of the afternoon panel, noted that today's discussion coincided with the anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the United States. That vicious act of terrorism was planned and organized half way around the world where terrorists had turned a war-torn country into a training ground and base of operations for worldwide ventures. The tragedy was a reminder that conventional and unconventional threats emanating from conflicts and instability in one corner of the world could spread like a bushfire to a much wider region. Consolidation of peace in societies emerging from conflict was a complex process of "breaking" and "making", he continued. Breaking the war machine in the post-conflict period was a prerequisite for sustaining peace. Failure to build attractive alternatives to the life of a warrior, however, would lead to renewal of fightThere is an urgent need to ing and the proliferation foster the emergence of a of criminal activity. free and responsible media Deactivating the war in the post-conflict period. machines is not limited Ali Jalali to dismantling the military structures of the warring parties. It should make the war machines obsolete and their use irrelevant. That would be achieved by creating a national capacity to transform war-instigated structures into peace-building institutions. The process could not be implemented in a vacuum, he added. The strategy for demobilization was shaped by diverse political, social and economic conditions under which civil strife developed. A major step in post-conflict demobilization was disarming the ex-combatants. Effective demobilization was possible only through voluntary disarmament. The strategy should eliminate the desire to use weapons rather than merely collect weapons. Although the warring parties were primarily responsible for executing demobilization programmes, the process could not succeed without the serious involvement of the international community. Emphasizing the media's crucial role in demobilization, he said that in the immediate aftermath of war, the domestic media were either dysfunctional or polarized and biased. One of the controversial issues facing the press was the conflicting need for objective reporting and security in a fragile peace environment. There is an urgent need to foster the emergence of a free and responsible media in the post-conflict period, he said. Demobilization was a multifaceted process in which no aspect of the post-conflict condition stood alone. Measures dealing with individual aspects of the situation could not be effective unless they complemented each other. Complete disarmament was impossible without the commitment of all parties to demobilize the war machine. JAYANTHA DHANAPALA, Under-SecretaryGeneral for Disarmament Affairs, United Nations, said that demobilizing war machines was another name for the well-established field of defence conversion. Whether undertaken after the end of specific armed conflicts, implemented as a result of international agreement, or pracThe best way to demobitised as a unilateral lize the war machine is national policy the basic to mobilize public opinideas were the same: to ion to support goals of shift precious human, peace, community and economic and technologprosperity. ical resources away from Jayantha Dhanapala weapons into more peaceful and protective uses. The twin goals were to make better use of people, money, and technology, and irreversibly reduce threats to international peace and security. He said that the benefits of defence conversion were open to all societies that spent vast sums on building up their war-waging capacities - especially those that had acquired vast stockpiles of arms far in excess of what they reasonably needed to defend national frontiers or maintain domestic law and order. A war machine was essentially a cluster of vested interests - industrial, bureaucratic, and legislative in nature - that acted together to control key national policy decisions to increase the production of armaments or to rationalize continued production. That required not just the production of arms, but also their use. The war machine was sustained both by vested organizational interests and the ideas they espoused, including the notion that weapons were the primary or most reliable means of enhancing security, he went on. Across the globe, except for Costa Rica, Iceland and a few other States that had given up their military forces altogether, countries had their own national experiences in dealing with war machines. Some machines directed their weapons at neighbouring States, while, more commonly these days, others focused mainly on internal wars. Unfortunately, even in the decade after the cold war, innocent civilians had remained the victims of various war machines worldwide. He noted that many

34

NGOs now worked in that field, and many more should, given the extraordinary benefits that defence conversion offered all societies, from the richest to the poorest. The goal was not to put people in the defence business out of work, but to give them more productive and meaningful jobs for society, while enabling States to practice their legitimate right of self-defence. The powerful message of defence conversion is this: disarmament pays. Demobilizing the war machine was an especially important topic for the NGO community, he said. He mentioned that landmines were one of the most flagrant examples of the fruits of a war machine that has operated beyond all the constraints of basic humanity. For NGOs, and civil society in general, the best way to demobilize the war machine is to mobilize public opinion to support goals of peace, community and prosperity. When machines were denied lubricants - in the form of generous annual budgets - and when they were not used, they were prone to rust and obsolescence. A similar problem existed with the global disarmament community, which also required funding support and practical application to avoid similar problems. To some extent, enlightened national leaders could tame that monster through their own policies and regulations, yet they were most able to do so when they had the strong, deep and widespread support of their respective publics. JEAN-MARIE GUHENNO, Under-SecretaryGeneral for Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), United Nations, said that if a lay person was asked about the nature of disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) of former combatants, the response might be that it was essentially a military exercise. But, DPKOs experience on the ground has

From the fighters pershown that DDR is, first spective, there is no and foremost, a political logic in disarming exercise. To shut down unless he or she knows a war machine meant there is a future withclosing an option for out the need to keep a reaching ones political weapon. goals. Engaging in DDR meant dealing with the Jean-Marie Guhenn fact that fighting factions would probably be loath to close down their political options. Their willingness to engage in DDR often signalled their willingness to convert from a military to a civilian form of politics, so DDR could set the parameters for the rest of a peace process. He said DDR was one of the necessary links for the transition from conflict to sustainable peace. The Department had been involved in particularly complex DDR operations over the last 10 years, including those in Cambodia, Mozambique, Liberia and Angola. The current peacekeeping missions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sierra Leone had major DDR mandates. Achieving DDR was almost always one of the most sensitive and difficult aspects of a peace process, essentially because the process could not advance without the political will and mutual trust of the parties to the conflict. Both commodities were in short supply during the early phases of a peace process. The parties must gain confidence that the peace process would hold and that pursuing peace would serve their interests better than a return to war. From the fighters perspective, there is no logic in disarming unless he or she knows there is a future without the need to keep a weapon. Disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration could build confidence, but it first required confidence, he said. Conflicts with an international dimension, such as that in the Democratic Republic of

Ali Jalali, Jayantha Dhanapala, Cora Weiss, Vandy Kanyako, Jean-Marie Guhenno

35

the Congo, were complicated by the fact that the domestic combatants would not begin DDR until the external actors and benefactors also committed to the peace process and withdrew their forces. Furthermore, information on the number of combatants and their location was often available only from the parties, yet that was fundamental to any voluntary DDR process. He highlighted a second key lesson for a successful DDR process: where disarmament finished, demobilization began, to be followed by reintegration. Each stage required the participation of local actors and international assistance in a well-sequenced and coordinated effort covering a broad spectrum of activity. Political support for the process must come from the United Nations, key Member States and local leaders and must include pressure on the parties when necessary. Humanitarian assistance for combatants and their families must be available at containment sites, where security must also be ensured. Military expertise was required for the technical aspects of disarmament and verification. The ex-combatants must have economic and social assistance to return to civilian life, and their host communities might also need assistance. Other key aspects of DDR, he said, included the need for: early planning; management authority over the process; public information and confidence-building; and funding. Priority must be given to the special needs of child soldiers, women and other vulnerable groups that might require special services. Those lessons had been learned through the successes and failures of numerous partners in DDR. No organization could do it all and the first priority in planning should be to define the division of labour between the various partners. It is vital that actors on the ground not compete for resources and force donors to pick and choose activities rather than support a cohesive and integrated process, he said. VANDY KANYAKO, a former child soldier from Sierra Leone, said he had also worked with former child soldiers for seven years. The Sierra Leone crisis was one that the United Nations had followed closely,

[NGOs] can and should be a strong factor of democratic change and an effective partner in the social dialogue that must accompany the process of transition in countries that have gone through deep conflicts.

as the civil war had peaked on the heels of the Rwandan genocide. Because of a lack of support from the international community in Rwanda, there had been some - Vandy Kanyako commitment not to allow Sierra Leone to become another Rwanda. Sierra Leone's civil war had formally ended in January 2002 and children had been on the frontlines from genesis to its end. There had been a misconception that the emergence of the peace process meant an end to the conflict, but that was not the case. Some 800,000 people had been killed in Rwanda after the signing of the Arusha Peace Accords. The signing of a peace agreement was not the end of the conflict but just the beginning of another phase. Youth constituted the majority of the population in Sierra Leone, he said. More than half of its 4.5 million inhabitants were below the age of 15. There was, however, a culture of "gray-haired" decision-making. Issues affecting children were treated as a footnote, but the subject of youth and conflict was nothing new in Sierra Leone. Earlier examples of youth violence had been carried out by young men in their late teens to early 30s. In 1991, the crisis had ushered in the concept of child soldiers. A good foundation for demobilizing the Sierra Leone war machine had been laid in the 1999 Lome Peace Accord, he said. The agreement had made Sierra Leone unique with regard to the treatment of children in post-conflict situations. For the first time ever, children had been written into a peace agreement and a demobilization process. Functional and relevant education, as well as the participation of the wider society and the strengthening of government structures were vital to the process. The availability of functional education provides the children and their communities with an We cannot talk about alternative to the econdemobilizing the war omy of war. Sierra machine and ignore the Leone had a cashdrums beating to start strapped government another war. and peacekeepers Cora Weiss therefore had a vital deterrent role to play. Africa needs less weapons because there is no guarantee that the arms supply will always be in the right hands. CORA WEISS, President, Hague Appeal for Peace, said that on 11 September last year, the Conference had witnessed a horrendous crime, not an act of war. Legitimate patriotism had become almost extreme nationalism. We cannot talk about

Vandy Kanyako

36

demobilizing the war machine and ignore the drums beating to start another war. The campaign to sell an invasion represented an enormous failure of leadership and diplomacy, as well as an erosion of democracy. Making peace last would be made all the more difficult as one analyzed the intended and unintended consequences of the build-up for a war against Iraq in the name of fighting terrorism. The best way to make peace last was to prevent war. She said the recipe for a lasting peace required many ingredients. "No women, no peace", she added, pointing out that they made up over half of the population and were the first teachers of their children. A coalition of international organizations had nurtured and seen the unanimous adoption of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security, which called for the protection of women during armed conflict and for an end to impunity for war crimes, especially those relating to sexual violence against women and girls. She called upon Under-Secretary-General Guhenno to create a gender unit in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and in every peacekeeping operation. When women are part of the solution they become part of the glue that makes the peace agreement stick. The second ingredient for making peace last was education, she said. Peace education must be written into peace agreements, which were part of a participatory method of preparing people to play an active part in democracy. Peace must be learned as it did not come with DNA. Peace education, embracing the values of democracy, human rights, disarmament, gender equality, non-violence and conservation of the environment, could be integrated into everything and did not have to burden teachers as an extra course. It could also be effective in the community, and the informal sector, where former combatants were helped in social rehabilitation and skill development. Postconflict situations had one thing in common: commu-

nities were awash in weapons, domestic violence increased and the potential for resumption of the armed violence remained.

Discussion Segment
JAYANTHA DHANAPALA, replying to a question on weapons accumulation, said that many governments had intended to put the issue of disarmament and development on the agenda of the World Summit on Sustainable Development, but had failed because other countries had not been keen. A number of NGOs had also attempted to do so, but had also failed. He had issued a press release on the eve of the Johannesburg Summit drawing attention to that important subject, which had been sorely ignored. JEAN-MARIE GUHENNO, responding to a question about obstacles faced in the Afghanistan DDR process, reiterated that its success was very much linked to the political environment. If the Afghan people felt there was a national government with a national army and national security that was accountable to all, then the culture of the gun would lose strength. If no such national army or police were in place, there would continue to be some difficulty. The point now was to consolidate a national vision and an overarching concept for security to cover all Afghans and not just certain warlords. VANDY KANYAKO, in response to a question about education, said that it should be directly relevant to the needs of a society at a given moment. There were still subjects being taught in Sierra Leone's school system that had been taught since the colonial days. Regarding peace education, he said there was a growing call for its incorporation into the curriculum so that young people could learn to respect each other and society, and to live in peace together.

A Midday NGO Workshop panel

37

Closing Session
SHASHI THAROOR, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, recalling the horrific terrorist attacks of one year ago, said they had forced many to reflect on their commitment to end violent conflict at home and around the world. Breaking the cycle of violence, one of the greatest challenges facing societies today, required a long-term commitment. He asked the Conference to join him in a moment of silence. JOS LUIS GUTERRES, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Timor-Leste, said the country had been on the United Nations agenda since the 1970s. While four United Nations SecretariesGeneral had tried to find solutions to the question of Timor-Leste, the support of Member States and the Security Council had not always been present and the country had not been an important topic for the mass media. The people of Timor-Leste had faced difficult times and in more than 20 years of suffering, about one-third of them had died from war, hunger and extra-judicial killings. When all hope had appeared to be lost, and extremist ideas had begun to appear, the people of Timor-Leste had kept their faith in God, justice and human rights. More than 200,000 Indonesian civilians were in Timor-Leste, but none had been deliberately targeted by the armed resistance, he said. Many NGOs had helped the East Timorese, giving their time and energy to denounce human rights violations, violations against women and arbitrary arrests. A new era had begun. The United Nations Transitional Administration in Timor-Leste had established a Serious Crimes Unit and the Commission of Reception, Truth and Reconciliation to deal with human rights violations committed in the country since 1975. The establishment of a democratic system in Indonesia had facilitated the relations between the two countries. Today, both Indonesia and Timor-Leste had vibrant civil society institutions to protect human rights, he said. Fundamental values of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights had been incorporated into TimorLeste's Constitution and just three months after its independence, the country had deposited its instruments of accession to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. The Council of Ministers was also considering other international conventions and treaties. Noting that the new United Nations mission faced a difficult task, he said the focus was now on capacity-building, and maintaining security and development. Some 60 per cent of the buildings and houses in Timor-Leste had to be reconstructed and every family had suffered the consequences of war and occupation. However, new investment policies were

President Vojislav Kostunica, Shashi Tharoor, Jos Luis Guterres and Sherrill Kazan Alvarez de Toledo at closing session

38

being considered to facilitate the creation of jobs and to bring sustainable development to the country. While many former combatants had not yet been integrated into the new armed forces or civil administration, the Government was considering better options to recognize their service. Security depended on regional stability, participation in regional organizations and adherence to human rights values, he stressed. In June, Timor-Leste had been admitted as an observer in the Asia, Pacific and Caribbean Group and on 27 September, the country would become a new member of the United Nations. The Government of Timor-Leste had decided that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation would continue to maintain close relations with NGOs. We believe in your capacity to help shape the world to be a better and safer place for this and future generations. VOJISLAV KOSTUNICA, President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, said the civil war in the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the most severe armed conflict in Europe since the Second World War. It had claimed thousands of lives, rendered hundreds of thousands homeless, turning them into refugees or internally displaced persons. The gross national products and national incomes of all successor States had shrunk dramatically, and the territory and market of the former Yugoslavia had been so fragmented that integration of its successors into European and Euro-Atlantic organizations would be severely hampered for years to come. Despite the wars, he said, virtually none of the Balkan States had become ethnically pure. His country remained very much a multi-ethnic, multicultural, and multiconfessional country. Regrettably, some people in both the region and the West still asserted that the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia had not been completed and that the 10-year-long Yugoslav tragedy must continue until it had. Some still believed that a nation-state was the only possible solution to the problems of an ethnically, culturally and religiously diverse region and that war must be prosecuted until the ethnic cleansing was finally achieved. The only reliable indicator of the real goals of the protagonists of ethnic conflicts remained their attitude towards minorities, he said. That was especially important in rebuilding the countries in the western Balkans and should be a concern of both governmental and non-governmental organizations. The starting point must be to recognize that the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia had ended; any further attempts at altering borders or the ethnic make-up of the population would be a call for the continuation of the Balkan tragedy. Ethnic problems and the so-called national questions in the Balkans had always been linked, and a solution applied in one case must be

applied in all similar cases. He said that if the world was not prepared to accept and sanction the results of ethnic cleansing, conditions must be created for the return to Kosovo of about a quarter of a million refugees and displaced persons. That would be the benchmark for success of the international communitys policies in Kosovo, policies upon which the stability of the southern Balkans, as well as South-East Europe as a whole, depended. The priority now was the development of democracy, establishment of the rule of law, good governance, market economies with effective social safety nets and regional stability. The non-governmental sector in Europe and in the United States should concentrate its efforts primarily on the development of institutions needed in a democratic State ruled by law, he continued. Only such a State could guarantee human, ethnic, cultural, religious, political and other rights and liberties. If the Balkan countries had good internal orders and genuine respect for human rights and freedoms, then they would have good international relations and good reason to be optimistic about the future of South-East Europe and the prospect of acceding to European and Euro-Atlantic organizations. A main goal of that transition was the promotion of human rights. He said the efforts of many Western NGOs to maintain dialogue between the warring parties would not go in vain during peacetime. In fact, those efforts would gain importance in the post-conflict renewal of those societies and the re-establishment of the severed ties between ethnic, cultural, political and other communities. Another aspect of the transition was good-neighbourly relations. The Balkan markets and economies were small, and there was no economically predominant country that could be the locomotive of the regions development. The only prospect for a way out of hardship and underdevelopment was the development of South-East Europe with the assistance of the European and Euro-Atlantic organizations. The integration process offered a crucial task for the NGO sector, which should promote civil society and the rule of law in the region and help create a climate conducive to change and development, he said. It should also help to bridge the gap between the developed and underdeveloped parts of Europe and to impress upon the relevant organizations that Europe could not be single and free until it encompassed the countries of SouthEast Europe. [NGOs] can and should be a strong factor of democratic change and an effective partner in the social dialogue that must accompany the process of transition in countries that have gone through deep conflicts. SHASHI THAROOR, in concluding remarks, said the Conference had heard from outstanding speakers

39

who had offered unique insights on the process of establishing the rule of law and good governance. NGOs, the United Nations and government officials had shared views on prioritizing the needs of society and the Conference had learned a great deal, having heard first-hand accounts of rebuilding challenges in two countries that had received assistance from the United Nations. It now falls upon each of us to synthesize and integrate this valuable information into workable solutions to the many challenges facing postconflict societies. He noted two new initiatives that demonstrated the commitment of the NGO community, including a publication called "We the Peoples", prepared by the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA). An NGO conference on peace-building was also planned at United Nations Headquarters for 2004 and there would be a preparatory process for that event. SHERRILL KAZAN ALVAREZ DE TOLEDO, Chair of the Conference, said that the goal of the Conference had been to gain information and reinforce partnerships that would contribute to building better societies and preventing conflicts. The final session had included two leaders who were dedicated to rebuilding their own societies after terrible conflict. The five plenary sessions had featured a remarkable

diversity of experts in the field of post-conflict reconstruction. All the sessions had presented critical aspects of the delicate balance within society, including the important role of women, youth and indigenous people. As a result, the goal of the Conference had been met, she said, adding that it had made a significant contribution to understanding the growing concern over assistance to post-conflict societies. The Conference's success had been the result of a shared responsibility, a concept that must continue to be solidified. Let us walk steadfastly forward, with hope for a better future and a renewed dedication to the men, women and children who are working to overcome the tragic consequences of conflict.

40

55th Annual DPI/NGO Conference Planning Committee

Conference Chair: Sherrill Kazan Alvarez de Toledo
World Council of Peoples for the United Nations

Conference Coordinators:

Thrse Gastaut
Director, Public Affairs Division Department of Public Information (DPI)

Lyutha Al-Mughairy
Chief, Public Liaison Service, DPI

Paul Hoeffel
Chief, NGO Section, DPI

Fund-raising Co-Chairs:

Sherrill Kazan Alvarez de Toledo

World Council of Peoples for the United Nations

Fannie Munlin
National Council of Negro Women, Inc.

Registration Chair:

Gloria Landy
World Council of Conservative Masorti Synagogues

Media Co-Chairs:

Margaret Melkonian
Hague Appeal for Peace

Estelle Perry
Center for United Nations Reform Education

Midday NGO Workshops Co-Chairs:

Joan Kirby
Temple of Understanding

Lester Wilson
Long Island University

Reception Co-Chairs

Jonina Sutton
Womens International Zionist Organization

Elaine Valdov
International Fellowship of Reconciliation

Youth Liaison Co-Chairs:

Elly Erickson
Friendship Ambassadors Foundation

Patrick Sciarratta
Friendship Ambassadors Foundation

41

Conference Planning Committee Members

Adrienne Alexanian Valentine Berberian Carol Bialock Marjorie Burns Choon Whe Cho Victor Ciapas Ellen Fawer Gloria Fischel Eileen Gallagher Labiner Anele Heiges Veronica Heino-Franco Patricia Hill Williams Michael Hovey Anie Kalayjian Lynn Karpo-Lantz Pamela Kraft Yee-Ching Lee Joan Levy Deirdre Mullan Diane Paravazian Margaret Pierre Stephanie Rossi Janet Stovin Elzbieta Szczek Narelle Townsend Donald Treimann Zwenyslawa Woroch Diocese of the Armenian Church of America Armenian Relief Society, Inc. Temple of Understanding Church Women United Church Women United Pax Christi International Jewish Women International Womens League for Conservative Judaism International Federation for Home Economics Miramed Institute Friendship Ambassadors Foundation National Coalition of 100 Black Women Pax Christi International World Federation for Mental Health Hadassah, Womens Zionist Organization of America Tribal Link Foundation Art of Living Foundation End Child Prostitution, Pornography and Trafficking of Children, USA Sisters of Mercy Armenian Assembly of America Good Neighbors International World Federation of United Nations Associations Women of Reform Judaism: The Federation of Temple Sisterhood Milano Graduate School, New School University NGO Committee on Human Settlements Rotary International International Association of Educators for World Peace

Members, staff, interns and volunteers of the DPI/NGO Conference Planning Committee

42

Public Liaison Service, Public Affairs Division, United Nations Department of Public Information
Lyutha Al-Mughairy, Chief of the Public Liaison Service

Non-Governmental Organizations Section

Paul Hoeffel, Chief Elizabeth Chomiak Luis Delgadillo Samar Dimes Oleg Dzioubinski Isolda Oca Vincenzo Pugliese Jared Raynor

Interns and Volunteers of the NGO Section

Karen Andrade Cecilia Attefors Laure Augier-Tessier Maria Avramidi Francesco Barbacci Vanni Bombonato Clelia CastroMalaspina Martina Cortesi Alanna Galati Zachary Goldstein Rosie Herman Silvia Ingolfsdottir Tavit Geudelekin James Kennedy Thomas Lillge Sanda Lukic Carol Line Maurin Sofie Sveningsson Sang-dong Tak Martha Thomas Aditya Tiwathia Katarina Tornau Natalia Volkova Michele Wernet-Piper

Rapporterus, Fordham University, Midday NGO Workshops

Anie Kalayjian, Coordinator David Altuzarra Jarrett Blakeley Jennifer Bougher Anastasia Libovich Alison Maschmeyer Virginia Mastromonaco Kenneth Monteith Grace Parasmo Nadya Suliman Elpida Tzilianas Anne Zeitoun

Photographs by DPI/NGO Section

43

ANNEX 1 Media Report

The Media Committee of the Conference Planning Committee organized a well-coordinated media outreach, resulting in a diversity of media coverage for the 55th Annual Conference. Much of the coverage came from international sources stemming from the high-profile speakers who participated in the Conference. A press advisory was sent out in July. A special pre-Conference press briefing, featuring two of the Conference speakers and the Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, was hosted by the UNCA Club, the Media Committee and the NGO/DPI Executive Committee immediately prior to the conference. Press conferences were held during the Conference on Monday and Wednesday, featuring plenary speakers from the Conference, including representatives of Oxfam, International Rescue Committee and Mdecins Sans Frontires. Press coverage on the Conference appeared before, during and after the Conference. The Inter Press Service Terraviva (IPS) had a substantive article that featured an interview with the cochairs of the Conference. Additional pre-Conference publicity appeared in Yugoslav and Armenian newspapers. The Associated Press, Agence France Press and The Herald Sun (Melbourne, Australia) covered remarks of plenary panel speakers. These articles appeared in newspapers in the United States and Europe. As a result of the timeliness and relevance of this years Conference theme, media showed particular interest in covering the opening session of the Conference, notably the addresses of Mary Robinson and Lakhdar Brahimi, the panel Demobilizing the War Machines: Making Peace Last and the closing session of the Conference, which featured President Kostunica of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Mr. Guterres, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Timor-Leste. United Nations Television covered the opening session, which was broadcast at UN Headquarters, the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington D.C, the United Nations Information Centre in Brussels and the United Nations Information Service in Geneva. UNTV also covered the closing session. These televised sessions were also webcast and are archived on the United Nations web site www.un.org/webcast. Post-Conference television coverage was featured on Polish Television in Chicago, which aired a programme "Focus on the United Nations in New York" on Channel 28 WOCH on 23 September. There was substantial UN radio coverage of the Conference. UN Radio covered various aspects of the Conference and broadcast several interviews. The Russian Unit interviewed a representative of the Planning Committee as well as Ms. Ochojska and Mr. Vassilev, both Conference speakers, and several Conference participants. The programme was aired on 26 September, entitled Role of NGOs in Post-conflict Rebuilding of Society. The European Unit conducted nine interviews that were used in three feature programmes. The Chinese Unit aired stories on the Conference on 9, 11 and 17 September, featuring Chinese conference participants. The Pashto Unit of Voice of America broadcast several stories during the three days of the Conference, featuring the speeches of Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi, Mrs. Mary Robinson, Mr. Ali Jalali, President Kostunica and an interview with Ms. Sima Samar. Information about the Conference was also disseminated through various non-governmental organizations through their newsletters and web sites, such as Hague Appeal for Peace, Polish Humanitarian Organization, World Federaton of United Nations Associates and Peace Women. All the plenary sessions of the Conference were covered in press releases in English and French by the DPI Press Section. A list of selected media coverage follows.

44

DPI PRESS RELEASES ISSUED FOR THE CONFERENCE

Serial Number
Note No. 5744:

Title and date of press release

FIFTY-FIFTH ANNUAL DPI/NGO CONFERENCE TO BE HELD 9 TO 11 SEPTEMBER 2002 AT UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS [5 August 2002] ANNUAL DPI/NGO CONFERENCE REBUILDING SOCITIES EMERGING FROM CONFLICT: A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY TO BE HELD 9 TO 11 SEPTEMBER AT HEADQUARTERS [3 September 2002] UN, NGOS HAVE FORGED INDISPENSABLE PARTNERSHIPS, SAYS DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL [9 September 2002]

Note No. 5748:

NGO/475/PI/1437:

DSG/SM/168 and NGO/476PI/1438: ADDRESSING DPI/NGO CONFERENCE, DEPUTY-SECRETARYGENERAL STRESSES SHARED ROLE IN RECONSTRUCTION OF POST-CONFLICT SOCIETIES [9 September 2002] COMPLEXITY OF CREATING LEGAL SYSTEMS AS PART OF PEACE-BUILDING PROCESS STRESSED BY SPEAKERS IN DPI/NGO CONFERENCE PANEL DISCUSSION [9 September 2002] IMPORTANCE OF AID RECIPIENT PARTICIPATION STRESSED, AS DPI/NGO CONFERENCE CONSIDERS PRIORITIES IN RESTORING SERVICES TO CONFLICT AREAS [10 September 2002] ECONOMIC RECOVERY CALLED PRIMARY ELEMENT IN PEACE-BUILDING, AS DPI/NGO CONFERENCE CONTINUES [10 September 2002]

NGO/477/PI/1439:

NGO/478/PI/1441:

NGO/479/PI/1442:

NGO/480/Rev.1/ PI/1443/Rev.1: NGO/DPI CONFERENCE CONCLUDES WITH FOCUS ON REBUILDING SOCIETIES AFTER CONFLICT; YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT AND EAST TIMORESE VICE-MINISTER ADDRESS CLOSING SESSION [11 September 2002]

45

Summary of Press Coverage

International Federation of Social Workers, 16 May Annual NGO Conference in UN focus on rebuilding Societies Emerging from Conflict Kostunica at the UN Conference Called Rebuilding Societies Emerging from Conflict to be held at the UN Headquarters Sept. 9-11 UN Conference on Societies Emerging from Conflict Whos Who at the UN 2002 Global Conference NGO Forum to Focus on Post-Conflict Societies American Aspect in Kostunicas Pre-election Campaign Diocesan Organizes Panel with Baronness Cox for UN Convention Diocesan Organizes Panel with Baronness Cox for UN Convention The 55th DPI/NGO Annual Conference Annual UNDPI/NGO Conference Rebuilding Societies Emerging from Conflict: A Shared Responsibility to be held 9-11 September in New York at UN Headquarters Afghan warlords must be on U.N. agenda, special envoy says Envoy: Afghan Warlords a Threat Yugoslav leader speaks out against "Kosovo" ethnic cleansing at UN meeting

Politika, 2 July The Armenian Reporter International, 27 July

International Federation of Liberal Youth Newsletter, July 2002 UN Connections, August 2002 Humanities AITIA, August 2002 IPS Terraviva: UN Journal, 22 August 2002 Danas, 26 August 2002

The Armenian Mirror-Spectator, 31 August 2002

The Armenian Reporter International, 31 August 2002

Association for Spirituality & Psychotherapy, Fall 2002 Good News Agency, 6 September

The Associated Press Worldstream, 9 September

The Herald Sun, 10 September FoNet News Agency, Belgrade 11 September

46

U.S. Newswire, 11 September Agence France Presse, 12 September

The Fund for Peace Publishes New Report Dealing with Terrorism Dont Ignore Afghanistan Again, Annan to Warn General Assembly President Kostunica Spoke at the 55th Annual Conference of NGOs in New York U.N. Delegates call on nations to tear apart the worlds massive war machine Israels standing at U.N. seems better War Machine Alarm U.N. conference to rebuild the world 55th Annual Conference for Non-Governmental Organizations Children of the Dump

Politika, 12 September

The Associated Press, 12 September

Jewish Community News, 13 September The Herald Sun, 13 September The Brown and White, 15 September The Communication Initiative, September 2002

The World Federation of United Nations Associations Newsletter, September 2002 UN Connections, September 2002

Annual DPI/NGO Conference to Focus on PostConflict Societies Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica at a conference of UN recognised non-governmental organizations (picture) UNs Department of Public Information UN Conference

FoNet News Agency, 12 September

Women of Reform, Judaism Bulletin, Date not available UPDATE, United States Committee the United Nations Development Fund for Women, September 2002 Rotary International Press Release, 5 September

Nicaraguan Children Participate in UN DPI/NGO CONFERENCE 9 to 11 September 2002 Panel Focuses on how to Work towards Reconciliation

The Armenian Reporter International, 21 September

47

Selected web site articles:

Peace Women, Womens International League for Peace and Freedom http://www.peacewomen.org/un/M.%20Robinson.html Mary Robinson, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Pays Tribute to Women's NGOs as Peace Builders Hague Appeal for Peace News http://www.haguepeace.org/index.php?name=pagetool_news&news_id=59 55th Annual DPI/NGO Conference Rebuilding Societies Emerging from Conflict: A Shared Responsibility Polish Humanitarian Organization, 9 September http://pah.weblab.pl/index.php?id=6 Janina Ochojska, PHO President, was speaking at the 55th Annual DPI/NGO Conference

TV Coverage:
Polish Television - Chicago, WOCH (Channel 28), 23 September Serbian Television - Belgrade, RTS, 12 September Focus on United Nations in New York Bushs UNGA address leaving no doubt about Iraq intervention

48

Annex 2 PRELIMINARY SURVEY RESULTS

The DPI/NGO Section in conjunction with the Evaluation and Communications Research Unit of the DPI have analyzed the responses to the random survey conducted for the 55th Annual DPI/NGO Conference, entitled "Rebuilding Societies Emerging from Conflict: A Shared Responsibility", which took place from 9 to 11 September at United Nations Headquarters in New York. Results indicated that 95 per cent of the participants were satisfied with the Conference this year. 373 surveys were collected this year representing 19 per cent of the total Conference participants. This is the largest number of surveys collected from the past five Conferences for which surveys were conducted. Eight-two per cent of the respondents rated the plenary panels of the Conference as very useful or useful. (Very useful is the highest possible rating on the survey). The panel "Demobilizing the War Machine: Making Peace Last" received the highest rating; 66 per cent of the respondents said that it was "very useful" and 26 per cent rated it useful. The respondents indicated that their NGOs disseminate information about the Conference primarily through their newsletters, which is the most popular medium, followed by meetings or conferences, and web sites. The response has not changed significantly from the 53rd DPI/NGO Conference in 2000. The survey points to an increase in the number of people accessing online information. The Conference web site was accessed by 43 per cent of the respondents prior to the Conference. This is an increase from the 53rd DPI/NGO Conference when 38 per cent accessed the web site. Eighty-five per cent of the respondents who attended the Conference Reception organized by the DPI/NGO Executive Committee indicated that it was very useful or useful. The overwhelming majority of respondents indicated that the 55th Annual DPI/NGO Conference was useful. More than 90 per cent of the respondents indicated that the Conference was useful with respect to networking opportunities; identifying common problems; applying best practices; and cooperation opportunities with the United Nations. In their comments, respondents recommended an increase in networking opportunities for NGOs and more information on cooperation opportunities with the United Nations.

49