VZCZCXYZ0022
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #1839 2631333
ZNR UUUUU ZZH

P 201333Z SEP 06
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0245
INFO RUEHJB/AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA PRIORITY 0710
RUEHFN/AMEMBASSY FREETOWN PRIORITY 0687

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 001839 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPKO EAID SOCI BR SL
SUBJECT: CONFERENCE ON UN PEACEBUILDING COMMISSION: NGOS 
DEBATE ROLE 
 
 
¶1. SUMMARY: On September 5, civil society think tanks, NGOs, 
and UN mission representatives discussed next steps for the 
UN Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) during a German 
NGO-sponsored symposium on "Getting the Peacebuilding 
Commission off the Ground - How to Include Civil Society on 
the Ground."  Participants noted that PBC and civil society 
interaction should center on the following areas: 1) civil 
society assistance in identifying gaps in assistance, 
particularly in areas where longer-term international aid is 
needed to secure a sustainable peace; 2) assisting the PBC to 
work with host countries on a bottom-up strategy; 3) the 
civil society role in rebuilding social norms that promote a 
lasting recovery; and 4) civil society input into the PBC's 
compilation of "best practices" in peacebuilding. UN 
Assistant Secretary-General Carolyn McAskie challenged civil 
society participants to organize themselves and provide 
focused, practical input to the PBC that will enable this 
fledging institution to achieve concrete results early on. 
END SUMMARY 
 
¶2.  The September 5 Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) sponsored 
symposium brought together approximately fifty NGO 
representatives, UN mission representatives from Commission 
member countries, and several staff personnel from the 
Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO).  Civil society 
representatives from the two countries selected as the first 
two candidates for PBC consideration (Sierra Leone and 
Burundi) were invited to attend.  A Sierra Leone CS member 
did attend, but a Burundi CS representative was not able to 
attend due to difficulities with timely visa issues. 
 
¶3.  Symposium findings and points emphasized during 
discussion follow: 
 
--  The most important civil society role in PBC activities 
is to build a coalition and political pressure for host 
country identification and ownership of a longer term 
recovery strategy.  Civil society organizations should work 
to ensure that a bottom-up strategy is adopted, preventing 
the misuse of resources by the host government. 
 
--  Civil society's role is to work with the PBC to keep 
attention on longer term recovery issues "when CNN leaves." 
 
--  Civil society can be more effective than host governments 
at identifying gaps in post-conflict assistance.  Civil 
society organizations are often critical to ensuring that 
post-conflict programs effectively function in rural 
communities. 
 
--  Civil society involvement is crucial to a potentially 
critical longer-term post-conflict peacebuilding activity; 
the rebuilding of social norms. 
 
--  NGO participation is not always welcome or fully 
developed in countries where the PBC will be asked to advise. 
 Several participants raised this as a potential problem in 
Burundi, one of two countries selected for evaluation in PBC 
country-specific meetings scheduled for October 12-13. 
 
--  PBC terms of reference outlining how the Commission will 
work with NGOs and Civil society organizations lags behind 
many other UN institutions in opening PBC deliberations to CS 
input.  However a PBSO representative pointed out that this 
ambiguity is appropriate given uncertainty about what 
direction the PBC will take in developing its activities. 
PBSO head McAskie stated that peacebuilding NGO activity is 
"expanding exponentially".  She called on NGOs to organize 
themselves, and provide targeted practical input to the PBC 
as the PBC and its associated fund move forward with 
evaluating needs and programs in post-conflict countries. 
BOLTON