Supporting Local Governments to Emerge from Post-conflict Crises

A new UNCDF & UNDP programme in BURUNDI: Support to Reconstruction and Local Development Programme in Rutana Province (PARDC/R)

10 June 2006: Since the end of the cold war, the international community is being increasingly called upon to address post-conflict recovery and reconstruction, both in developed and developing countries. A number of armed conflicts, with a variety of underlying social, economic and ecological causes, have created dramatic situations. In the particular case of Africa, the anomalies which had been created during the colonial period, have given way to intricate ethnic and religiousbased conflicts, often exacerbated by economic declines, demographic constraints and landuse problems. The result is that too often these situations of conflicts have taken tragic proportions.

Although the number of international agencies and organizations operating in conflict and post-conflict situations has multiplied over the last years in a highly challenging environment, the international response has tended to emphasize short-term relief and humanitarian assistance in the immediate aftermath of conflict. Relatively little attention has so far been paid to development dimensions of the peace-building process.

A POLICY FOR POST-CONFLICT SITUATIONS

In line with a new thinking supported by UN agencies, UNCDF policy recognizes that complex emergencies require long term and sustainable solutions, by addressing not only the political, military and humanitarian, but also developmental aspects of the problem all at once. Therefore, there should be no gap between relief assistance and longterm, institutional reconstruction. UNCDF is therefore supporting a new generation of programmes/projects in post-conflict and recovery situations (Burundi, Liberia, Southern Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, and Djibouti, among others). The approach highlights the fact that responses to armed conflict require a multi-faceted approach that combines relief and development assistance at all stages and that development, rehabilitation and reconstruction, reintegration and relief activities may be integrated in a comprehensive approach to local development.

In the light of a new thinking on post-conflict and crises-prevention, the UNCDF approach contributes to:

Revise the political, developmental and strictly humanitarian assistance in post-conflict situations;
Better define the linkages between humanitarian and/or reconstruction in post-conflict situations with reconciliation and the pursuit of political solutions to armed conflict;
Stress the importance the analysis of the underlying causes of civil conflict (related to lack of governance, lack of participation of the poor in decision-making and poor human rights, among others) and the prevention of violent conflicts;
Better establish a new conceptual framework for the management of complex emergencies (a term coined by the United Nations to capture the complex nature of the crises and of the responses required).

This policy is in line with the UN-supported notion of peace-building (as an alternative to the notion of passive peace-keeping), which implies integrated measures spanning political reconciliation, relief, humanitarian and development assistances and democratic institution
building geared to addressing the underlying causes of conflict.

THE BURUNDIAN CONTEXT

Since its independence in 1962, Burundi has faced a situation of severe civil instability, with different waves of violence. Particularly since 1993, a civil conflict, caused by a combination of social, political and economic factors, had a tragic impact on local livelihoods. Hundreds of thousands of people died or were forced to leave their villages, assets and land or to go to exile. The conflict rapidly escalated and led a very large number of people to extreme poverty as well as to the collapse of basic social and economic infrastructure and services.

The country has been caught in a cycle of construction, destruction and re-construction. The recurrence of war has created extreme uncertainty which, in turn, has affected economic activity through an extremely low level of private investment and high credit costs. Furthermore, the country has also been characterized by: a very centralized system of governance; lack of capacities at national, provincial and local level; lack of accountability and transparency of decision-making processes; violation of basic human rights; competition for resources; and extreme dependency of more than 90 percent of the population on low productive agricultural activities.

However, after the Arusha Peace Accord signed in 2002 by the Government and 19 different political movements, the country is embarked on a comprehensive programme of reconstruction, peace and poverty reduction:

Decentralization and good governance constitute the two basic pillars of this effort;
The Constitution has been revised, new electoral procedures have been established and a new ‘communal law’ has defined the status and the roles of subnational political and administrative structures (Commune, Zone, and Hill);
Local elections have been held in June 2005, and legislative and presidential elections took place in July and August 2005.

The situation is however still very fluid and needs action: in Burundi, post-election periods have always been characterized by civil unrest. At present, thousands of people (those who fled the country or joined the armed rebellion) have still to be reintegrated.

Burundi is currently off track to meet the MDGs. Conditions are still too fluid to make savings and long term investment attractive. However, the near term, basic needs of its populations may be met only by creative local solutions, which are the basis for a sustainable system.

STRATEGIC ASPECTS OF the UNCDF – UNDP PROGRAMME

W ithin the context of the objectives and goals of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), the new UNCDF & UNDP ‘Support to Reconstruction and Local Development Programme in Rutana’ (Programme d’Appui à la Reconstruction et au Développement Communal dans la Province de Rutana, PARDC/R) aims at promoting peace and good governance. More particularly, by using UNCDF model of local development programme (LDP), the Programme aims at assisting the Government of Burundi to promote a high quality social and economic growth and to put in place a poverty reduction policy.

The programme, defined and implemented in collaboration with UNDP/Burundi, will combine a range of short, medium and long term initiatives, both at national, district (commune) and sub-district level. It aims at responding to the urgent needs of the population of a Province (Rutana), which is particularly poor and chronically vulnerable to economic and food crises, and at pioneering an innovative approach of institution building.

The Programme stresses the role and functions of the freely and democratically elected local governments in creating a social, economic, administrative and institutional framework conducive to poverty reduction and economic growth;
Job creation, income raising and delivery of key social services will mobilize local resources and actors (community-based organizations, civil society, and the private sector).

The five-year programme, starting in 2006, will directly benefit a total population of about 275,000 people of the six Communes of the Rutana Province. UNCDF has earmarked US$ 1.5 million from its core resources. UNDP has committed an initial contribution of US$ 500,000.
Additional US$ 3.5 million have still to be mobilized from other partners.

The Ministry of the Interior and Decentralization will supervise the implementation of the Programme, with the participation of a number of sectoral ministries and line departments.

UNCDF will also provide specific technical assistance to the Ministry in order to stress the crucial role of sub-national governments in peace-building, conflict analysis and prevention, and local development.

EXPECTED OUTCOMES

The PARDC/R Programme will contribute to define a sustainable approach to poverty reduction and economic growth in Burundi, by pioneering an innovative approach in one pilot Province and by assisting the Government in defining appropriate laws and regulatory frameworks at the national level.

The role of local governments in stimulating rural economies will be highlighted, through a range of initiatives aimed at intensifying agricultural activities, diversifying rural economy, creating rural employment, raising the income of rural households, and reducing households’
vulnerability to food crises.

Achieving the MDGs in a country like Burundi is contingent on building institutions for local development and establishing effective and durable means to provide health care, education and other social services.

In spite of its political commitment, Burundi is still fragile and its political and administrative structures still lack capacity to deliver public safety and security, good governance and poverty reduction to their citizens.

With UNDP, UNCDF is supporting a long-term vision by focusing on institution-building and the capacity of legitimate and accountable local institutions to perform core functions and to provide an enabling environment for economic performance to generate incomes, employment
and revenues.

For more information:

The Government of Burundi: www.burundi-gov.org

UNDP Burundi: www.bi.undp.org/

UNCDF: www.uncdf.org