mediation support annual report - un...

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Mediation Support Annual Report

The purpose of this note is to provide a snapshot of mediation support

activities and initiatives of the Department of Political Affairs Mediation

Support Unit (MSU). It focuses on the work of MSU as a service provider

and does not reflect the full spectrum of the mediation initiatives

supported and led by the regional divisions in DPA. The sensitivity of some

assignments means that not all activities can be reported. The work of

MSU and its focal points is focused on (a) operational support to current

and future peace processes, (b) strengthening institutional mediation

capacity of the United Nations as well as regional and sub-regional

organizations, and (c) knowledge management through a framework of

technical expertise, policy and guidance, lessons learned and mediation

best practices.

2011

ANNUAL REPORT

Policy and Mediation Division www.peacemaker.un.org

Mediation Support Unit

DPA

UNITED NATIONS DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL AFFAIRS

DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL AFFAIRS

2011

MEDIATION SUPPORT ANNUAL REPORT

Policy and Mediation Division www.peacemaker.un.org Mediation Support Unit Policy and Mediation Division www.peacemaker.un.org


This issue includes:

Central African Republic,Bougainville, Central Asia, Côte d’Ivoire,

Georgia,Guinea,Guyana-Venezuela, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya,

Madagascar, Malawi, Somalia, Sudan (Darfur), Sudan (North-South),

Yemen, Western Sahara.

Partnership with the Organization of American States (OAS), Partnership

with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Partnership with

the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Support on Roster Issues,

Mediation Support Network Meeting, United Nations Office in Central

Africa.

Mediation Start-up Kit Project, Mediator in Residence, After Action Review

– Kyrgyzstan, Debriefing of the Senior Reconciliation Advisor in Kyrgyzstan,

Joint CICR-DPA-UNEP Project on Natural Resource Mediation, UN

Peacemaker, Improving International Support to Peace Processes.

Pilot DPA Gender, Women, Peace and Security Training, Training

curriculum on ceasefire mediation, Training on National Dialogues.

Addressing Gender Issues in Mediation Efforts, Enhancing the Number of

Women in Peace Processes, Providing advice on gender issues to UNPOS,

Contributing to the mediation training of West African women.


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INTRODUCTION


The Mediation Support Unit (MSU) in the United Nations Department of

Political Affairs (DPA) was established in 2006. Its establishment was a

response to the need for professional support to good offices of the

Secretary-General, preventive diplomacy, mediation, facilitation and dialogue

processes. Based in DPA, the MSU acts as a multiplier to the peacemaking

efforts of the department and its field missions. As a system-wide asset, the

MSU is available to all United Nations departments, agencies, funds and

programmes; United Nations Special Representatives, Envoys, and Resident

Coordinators; as well as to Member States; regional and sub-regional

organizations, and non-governmental organizations.

Mission Statement

The MSU supports and empowers relevant actors to achieve a just and

sustainable peace through the peaceful settlement of conflict. These actors

also include parties to a conflict and local stakeholders, with a special

emphasis on the participation of women in peace processes.

Services

The MSU provides three major services:

(a) operational support to current and future peace processes;

(b) strengthening of mediation capacity of the United Nations, its

partners, and parties to a conflict; and

(c) development and dissemination of mediation guidance, lessons

learned and best practices.


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Capacities

The capacities of the unit to provide the above services include:

(a) Headquarters-based MSU staff that provide first-line analytical and

operational support to peace processes;

(b) a six-member standby team of mediation experts, jointly managed

by the MSU and the Norwegian Refugee Council, that can be

deployed within 72 hours of a request; and

(c) the MSU roster of mediators and thematic experts. These internal

capacities are complemented with an outreach effort to establish

operational cooperation with mediation (and support) entities

outside of the MSU.

OPERATIONAL SUPPORT

Central African Republic

A MSU Team composed of a Standby team expert and a MSU staff member

conducted a mission to Bangui from 5 to 15 October 2011 to reinforce the

support provided by the UN Integrated Office in CAR (BINUCA) to national

mediation efforts. These efforts focused on achieving a ceasefire between

the two armed groups fighting in Haute-Kotto and Vakaga, the “Convention

des Patriotes pour la Justice et la Paix” (CPJP) and the “Union des Forces

Democratiques pour le Rassemblement” (UFDR). On 8 October 2011, the two

parties signed a ceasefire agreement, which provided for full cessation of

armed engagements, lifting of all checkpoints, respect for human rights,

withdrawal of all forces from the town of Bria, cantonment of troops at

established sites and the establishment of Ceasefire Joint Verification

mechanism composed of Government officials, BINUCA, the AU and

representatives of both parts.


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Bougainville

From 8 to 27 August 2011, MSU deployed a standby team expert on

constitutions and a staff member to Papua New Guinea (PNG) to prepare for,

and conduct a workshop in Buka, Bougainville, on the occasion of the 10th

Anniversary of the Bougainville Peace Agreement (BPA). The team consulted

with the PNG Government, the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG)

and other local stakeholders to assess the interests, needs and sensitivities of

all concerned. The workshop, which was attended by PNG and ABG officials

as well as Bougainville civil society and members of diplomatic community,

provided a forum for the participants to reflect on the achievement and

challenges of the implementation of the BPA.

Central Asia

In continuation of its support to the United Nations Regional Centre for

Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA) in 2010, MSU deployed its

standby team expert on natural resources to Central Asia twice to address

trans-boundary water issues in the region, as well as to involve the countries

in developing an early warning system for trans-boundary water conflicts. In

September, the expert prepared and facilitated a regional workshop on

“Early Warning of Potential Trans-boundary Water Problem Situations in

Central Asia”. Attended by representatives from all five Central Asian states

and Afghanistan, the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS) and

several international agencies, the workshop brought a crucial contribution

to the implementation of the proposed system.

Côte d’Ivoire

On 11 April 2011, forces loyal to the internationally recognized winner of the

presidential elections, AlassaneOuattara, stormed the residence of the

incumbent, Laurent Gbagbo, and arrested him. This ended the violent

conflict in the country that had followed the disputed elections of 28

November 2010. In support of the Technical Assessment Mission, led by the


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Department for Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), MSU drafted three

analytical studies on key concepts, lessons learned and questions relating to

truth and reconciliation commissions, national dialogue, and inclusive

governance.

Georgia

MSU provided support to the Geneva-based talks on Georgia, Abkhazia, and

South Ossetia, in response to a request from the United Nations

Representative for Georgia, Mr. AnttiTurunen. With the Standby team expert

on security arrangements, MSU prepared a presentation on different

approaches to the monitoring and verification of security arrangements.

Guyana-Venezuela border issue

On 25 August, PRSG Norman Girvan held a round of talks with

representatives of Guyana and Venezuela in New York. This was the first time

the parties have been brought together since Mr. Girvan was appointed in

April 2010. MSU provided assistance with regard to obtaining an off-site

venue, the development of a proposal for a technical workshop forthe

parties on border issues, and general process design advice.

Guinea

On 16 November 2010, Mr. Alpha Condé was officially declared the victor in

Guinea's first free and fair presidential elections since independence in 1958.

As part of his government’s agenda, he declared Security Sector Reform (SSR)

as a key priority. Following a request by the United Nations Office for West

Africa (UNOWA), in its capacity as main coordinator of international support

to the SSR process in Guinea, MSU facilitated the deployment of two SSR

experts to Guinea from 15 March to 1 April 2011. The experts, members of

the International Security Sector Advisory Team (ISSAT), helped prepare and

conduct a National Seminar to launch the SSR process.


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Iraq

At the request of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI),

MSU deployed its standby team expert on natural resources to assist the

United Nations Integrated Task Force with the development of a White Paper

on the future of the marshlands to help inform discussions with the

Government of Iraq. The expert also provided an analysis of different

scenarios for managing the marshlands and the impact and feasibility of

different responses.

Kyrgyzstan

In response to a request made by the Office of the President of Kyrgyzstan,

MSU deployed a standby team expert and a staff member to Bishkek in July

2011 to assist the government in building the national mediation capacity.

The team had a series of meetings with representatives of the Presidential

Office, the UN country team, international/regional organizations and key

NGOs. In addition, the team organized and facilitated three workshops in

Bishkek. The mission helped establish a national framework for collaboration

among key international donors and local NGOs involved in the design and

implementation of mediation projects. The team also provided advice on

establishing a national mediation team and helped the Presidential Office

obtain lists of local mediators and peacemakers. The team also developed a

set of recommendations to further support the UNRCCA and the Resident

Coordinator (RC) in Kyrgyzstan.

Lebanon

The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has been undertaking a project to

visibly mark the Line of Withdrawal (Blue Line) with the Lebanese and Israeli

armed forces. This is being done in order to improve security on the ground

and to prevent inadvertent violations. However, progress had become mired

in a number of contentious points, particularly following the exchange of fire

between the Lebanese and Israeli armies in August 2010. At the request of

UNIFIL, MSU deployed a staff member to Lebanon. She assisted with the


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intensive bilateral negotiations aimed at finding common ground and

identifying alternative strategies to inject new momentum into the process.

MSU assisted in opening discussions with the parties on potential maritime

security mechanisms to prevent incidents in the area of the line of buoys.

Libya

The armed conflict between the opposition forces organized under the

National Transitional Council (NTC) and the Government of Libya (GoL) was

one of the marking events in 2011. MSU provided extensive support to the

work of both the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General(SESG), to engage in

indirect negotiations between the parties, and of the Special Adviser

coordinating UN post-conflict planning in Libya. At the onset of the crisis,

MSU established a Mediation Planning Team for Libya, using both its staff

capacities and its Standby Team of Mediation Experts, notably the experts on

power-sharing, mediation process design and gender issues, to provide

material support to the Under-Secretary-General (USG) Lynn Pascoe, conduct

in-person briefing in New York for the SESG on ceasefire mediation, draft in-

depth research for the SESG to prepare for his missions to Tripoli and

Bengazi in May 2011, and provide specific support to the post-conflict

planning process. The standby team expert on mediation process design was

deployed twice to Benghazi to support the mediation efforts. The gender

focal point provided specific Women, Peace and Security advice to the seven

pre-planning working groups to bring the planning process in line with the

Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) commitments.

Madagascar

Following the presentation of a draft “roadmap” for a transition back to

constitutional order by the Southern African Development Community

(SADC)-mandated Mediation Team in February 2011, Malagasy parties met

for a summit in Gaborone in early June 2011 to discuss the contents of the

proposal with Namibian President HifikepunyePohamba, Chairperson of

SADC, Zambian President Rupiah Bwezani Banda, Chairperson of the SADC


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Organ on Politics, Defence and Security, and JoaquimChissano, Chief

Mediator. MSU supported this process through the deployment of a

mediation support officer. MSU also contributed to a mediation strategy

review workshop, which was organised in Maputo from 10 to 11 May 2011

on behalf of the SADC-mandated Mediation Team by DPA’s Africa I Division

as part of the United Nations’ support activities for mediation processes led

by regional organisations.

Malawi

Following violent protests that led to the killing of some 20 demonstrators in

July 2011, the Government of Malawi and several Civil Society Organizations

(CSOs) agreed to a dialogue process facilitated by the UN. The parties

consented to resolve tensions and collectively chart a way forward through a

number of political, governance-related, and socio-economic challenges

confronting the country. At the request of the UN Facilitator, a standby team

process design expert was deployed to assist her in designing a sound

facilitation strategy, unpacking the demands and concerns from the CSOs,

and managing direct talks between the delegations representing the CSOs

and the Government.

Somalia

MSU contributed to the design and planning of the Mogadishu meeting (4-6

September), which offered the Somali leadership an opportunity to reassert

their commitment to completing key transitional tasks through the adoption

of an “End of Transition Roadmap”. MSU played a significant role in outlining

a “stake-holder consultative process”, a mechanism to collect the input of

the Somali civil society, to follow the meeting in order to ensure broad

grassroots endorsement of the roadmap, through deployments of MSU

standby team members. MSU also deployed a standby team expert to

support the efforts of the transitional authorities to draft a new constitution.

From 29 May to 3 June, a joint DPA-UN Women mission visited the UN

Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS). The mission developed a plan of action


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to better include women in the mediation and reconciliation processes in

Somalia, as well as to integrate gender perspectives into the work of UNPOS.

A standby team member was also involved in establishing a permanent

structure of elders and clan leaders (Guurti) in southern and central Somalia,

which is set to include 25 percent of women members.

Sudan (Darfur)

The peace negotiations taking place in Doha, Qatar, since the first half of

2010 culminated in the signature of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur

(DDPD) by the Government of Sudan and the Liberation and Justice

Movement (LJM) on 14 July 2011. Involved in the process since its inception,

MSU has organized training seminars for LJM negotiators and deployed

experts to support both the mediation and the parties during the talks

through the deployment of its Standby Team experts on power-sharing,

security arrangements and gender. MSU also facilitated a joint AU-UN

workshop on next steps in the Darfur peace process following the Doha

negotiations. The outcome of this event was an updated strategy for the way

forward, including a common vision among participants on the links between

the Doha outcome document and the local dialogue known as the “Darfur

Political Process”.

Sudan (North-South)

Following a request from the Civil Affairs Division of the United Nations

Missions in Sudan (UNMIS), MSU organized an assessment mission to Sudan

from 1 to 9 March 2011. MSU also provided a list of potential experts to the

AU High Level Implementation Panel (AU-HIP) to support its ongoing

mediation between North and South Sudan on post-independence

arrangements.

Yemen

Since the stand-off between demonstrators criticising the 33-year rule of

President Saleh and security forces loyal to the regime in early February, the


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UN has been actively engaged to overcome the political impasse. Following

the first mission by the UN Special Adviser to Yemen, Jamal Benomar, on 5

April 2011, the Chief of MSU supported him in subsequent deployments,

from 6 to 11 May and from 13 to 17 June 2011. The team met with

government representatives at the highest levels, leaders of opposition

parties, military and security commanders, youth groups, tribal leaders and

the diplomatic corps of Sana’a. As the situation evolved over the following

months, MSU supported several missions by the Special Adviser providing

him technical expertise and advice on mediation strategies. MSU deployed a

staff member and its standby team expert on constitutions for the mission of

18-30 July, and two standby team experts (constitutions and power-sharing)

on a subsequent mission from 19 September to 3 October. The purpose of

these missions was to encourage an inclusive inter-Yemeni dialogue to

provide for a political transition, based on the efforts of the Gulf Cooperation

Council (GCC) and aimed at meeting the legitimate aspirations of the Yemeni

people. Further to discussions with all parties, direct negotiations were held

18-22 November between the Ruling Party and the Parliamentary

Opposition, with UN facilitation including the participation of the standby

team expert on power-sharing. On 23 November, the President of Yemen

signed the GCC initiative and the parties concurrently signed an

implementation mechanism, based on the agreement, as called for in UN

resolution 2014.

Western Sahara

The Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Western Sahara, in

coordination with DPA and DPKO, organized the eighth round of informal

talks from 19 to 21 July 2011 in Manhasset, New York. The parties continued

the discussions on Security Council Resolution 1979 (2011) concerning the

situation concerning Western Sahara, the issues of the electoral corps and

mechanisms for self-determination, and the agreed topics for future

discussions, namely natural resources and demining. A MSU staff member

participated at the talks as a member of the Mediation Team.


2011




STRENGTHENING MEDIATION CAPACITY

Partnership with the Organization of American States (OAS)

In June 2011, DPA’s Policy and Mediation Division (PMD) and the OAS

Department of Democratic Sustainability and Special Missions (DDSSM)

concluded a framework of the Joint Annual OAS-DPA Mediation Partnership

Work Plan. Working under this framework, the OAS organised, in

collaboration with MSU, two rounds of national dialogue training. The

training course, “Design and Implementation of Dialogue Processes”, focused

on utilizing dialogue as a conflict prevention tool, and on constructively

engaging with emerging domestic social tensions. In a separate capacity-

building exercise, the OAS sent representative to participate in an internal

MSU workshop aimed at preparing staff to engage in the Middle East North

Africa Region on the issue of national dialogue. The MSU has also assisted

the OAS to develop an expert roster system, and the OAS decided to utilize

the UN's WIDE system as a platform for managing its mediation expert and

other specialized rosters.

Partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations

(ASEAN)

Cooperation with ASEAN was deepened according to the areas of

collaboration identified in consultations between the two organizations. MSU

contributed to the organization of a joint workshop on lessons learned and

best practices in peacemaking, peacekeeping and peace-building in Jakarta in

December. The PMD Director also participated in a conference on "Regional

Organizations as vectors of peace: building ASEAN's capacities in preventive

diplomacy and international peace mediation", co-hosted by Indonesia as the

ASEAN Chair, the EU Delegation to Indonesia and the Crisis Management

Initiative (CMI). The objective of the conference was for invited regional and

international organizations to exchange best practices in peacemaking. On 26

September 2011, the ASEAN Secretariat, led by the Deputy Secretary-General

(DSG) for ASEAN Political Security Community (APSC), conducted a study visit


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to MSU to explore possible cooperation in the area of mediation. The DSG

expressed the need for UN assistance in capacity-building and the need for

ASEAN and the UN to mobilize resources together.

Partnership with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)

During a familiarization visit conducted on 22 September 2011 by a

delegation of the OIC Secretariat to MSU, future cooperation in the area of

mediation was discussed. The OIC representatives requested MSU assistance

in strengthening the mediation capacity of the OIC Secretariat, particularly in

establishing a preventive action and mediation support unit. In this context,

in November the OIC deployed a staff member from the Cabinet of the

Secretary-General to its mission in New York to work with MSU to develop a

one-year joint work program on mediation. During his stay with MSU, the

staff member also gave a well-received seminar on the OIC. Subsequently,

two MSU staff members visited the OIC Headquarters in Jeddah to (1) meet

with OIC officials to discuss possible areas of cooperation; and (2) conduct a

joint workshop on institutionalizing mediation capacity on 12 December 2011

held at the OIC Headquarters. This workshop highlighted the OIC’s

comparative advantages in peacemaking, and its need in strengthening its

mediation capacity. The OIC also agreed to host the next meeting of regional

organizations on mediation in 2012.

Support on Roster Issues

In 2011, MSU provided further support to the creation of the AU civilian

capacity roster. From 14 to 15 April, the Mediation Roster Manager attended

the "Mediation and Post-Conflict Reconstruction Staffing, Rostering and

Training Workshop", organized by the African Centre for the Constructive

Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD) to support the endeavor of the AU to

develop its own civilian capacity. The workshop was followed by the "African

Union Civilian Standby Roster Implementation Workshop", organized by the

AU in Kampala from 30 to 31 June 2011. This meeting was also attended by

the Mediation Roster Manager to provide input on lessons learnt from her


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experience of managing a civilian capacity roster. In addition, on 15 May

2011, MSU participated in the International Civilian Training and Rostering

Community Meeting organized by the Norwegian Institute of International

Affairs (NUPI) and ACCORD in New York.

Mediation Support Network Meeting

From 6 to 8 June 2011, an MSU staff member attended the fifth meeting of

the Mediation Support Network, which brought together 14 organizations

involved in mediation, hosted by CMI in Finland. Through case studies, the

meeting examined the different roles, approaches and analytical tools of

development and mediation actors and potential areas of collaboration,

including support for peace dividends and ensuring a broad range of local

stake-holders in peaceprocesses.

United Nations Office in Central Africa

In October 2011, an MSU staff member visited the United Nations Office in

Central Africa (UNOCA), the Economic Community of Central African States

(ECCAS) and participated in the seminar organized by UNOCA on “The Work

of the United Nations in Central Africa: strengthening sub-regional efforts for

Peace and Security” in Libreville, Gabon. The objective of the visit was to

conduct a preliminary assessment of the capacity needs for mediation of

UNOCA and ECCAS and to discuss with UNOCA the development of a

mediation strategy for the office and for the sub-region. The SRSG for

UNOCA, SRSGs and Resident Coordinators participating in the seminar and

the Secretary-General of ECCAS concurred on the need to develop an

effective mediation strategy in the Central African sub-region and to build

the capacity for conflict prevention and mediation of their respective

institutions. The SRSG for UNOCA endorsed MSU’s mediation strategy for the

sub-region, which includes a mapping of the existing mediation and conflict

prevention capacities and actors.


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LESSONS LEARNED AND KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

Mediation Start-up Kit Project

Prepared by MSU, the DPA Mediation Start-up Guidelines were adopted in

mid-2011. Articulating DPA’s strategic and operational approach to the start-

up of mediation initiatives led, co-led or supported by the United Nations;

the purpose of this kit is to engage in mediation initiatives more consistently

and effectively. Along with a resource package and a training module, these

guidelines constitute DPA’s “Mediation Start-up Kit”. Meanwhile, a

partnership was established with Folke Bernadotte Academy in Sandö,

Sweden, for the conversion of the guidelines into a training program for

junior and mid-level DPA staff members on the start-up of mediation

initiatives. A pilot session of the new training course involved 25 DPA staff

members from the field and Headquarters during the annual mediation

course organized by the Academy in November 2011. In 2012, the project

will focus on disseminating the Guidelines through further training and

outreach activities.

Mediator in Residence

In February 2011 Mr. Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, former SRSG for UNPOS and

UNOWA, completed his participation in the Mediator-in-Residence

programme. During his time at Headquarters, he worked on a report on his

mediation experiences in Somalia and contributed to various DPA initiatives,

including the Mediation Start-up Kit validation workshop, a seminar on the

situation in the Sahel and Sahara, and providing feedback on various

guidance notes.

After Action Review – Kyrgyzstan

In March, MSU together with colleagues in DPA’s Policy and Mediation

Division conducted an after-action review (AAR) on the response of DPA and

the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to the crisis in

Kyrgyzstan in 2010. The objective of the AAR was to capture good practices


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and identify lessons from the cooperation between DPA and UNDP, covering

the period from the outbreak of the ethnic violence in Kyrgyzstan in June

2010 to the parliamentary elections in October 2010. The aim of the review

was to identify specific actionable recommendations useful for future

strategic cooperation between DPA and UNDP.

Debriefing of the Senior Reconciliation Advisor in Kyrgyzstan

In April 2011, MSU organized a debriefing in New York with the Kyrgyzstan

Senior Reconciliation Advisor (SRA) upon the end of his mission in the

country. At the request of the UNRCCA, the SRA was deployed to Kyrgyzstan

from July 2010 to April 2011 in support of reconciliation efforts in the

country. While in New York, the SRA shared lessons learned with DPA staff

and other UN entities. He also gave a brownbag seminar on 21 April 2011 on

“Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan: Current Political Developments and Future

Challenges” together with Dr. RafisAbazov, Adjunct Assistant Professor at

Columbia University specialising in Central Asia affairs.

Joint CICR-DPA-UNEP Project on Natural Resource Mediation

In partnership with UNEP and the Centre for International Conflict Resolution

(CICR) of Columbia University, PMD implemented in 2011 a joint research

project on the mediation of natural resource conflicts in order to generate

mediation guidance specific to conflicts where natural resources are a major

conflict driver or a significant obstacle to peace. In November 2011, the

project reached a milestone with the convening of a workshop in Manhasset,

New York. The meeting brought together some 40 participants from diverse

backgrounds and natural resource sectors to discuss guidelines on natural

resource mediation derived from nine case studies.

UN Peacemaker

In 2011, the end-user assessment and analysis of the MSU web mediation

support tool UN Peacemaker was completed. A large majority of respondents

(76%) found the website useful for their work. The review also underscored


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the importance of the peace agreement database and identified a high-level

of interest in access to more information on the operational activities and

services provided by MSU as well as the broader role of the UN in peace

mediation. The findings of the survey will inform the re-design and re-launch

of the site scheduled for the autumn 2012.

Improving International Support to Peace Processes

MSU participated in a meeting hosted by the Swiss Federal Department of

Foreign Affairs (FDFA) and the OECD-DAC International Network on Conflict

and Fragility (INCAF) on improving international support to peace processes.

The meeting included some 60 practitioners, policy makers and researchers

involved in peace processes from the different perspectives of development,

security and mediation and drew on insights from six case studies: Burundi,

Kosovo, Nepal, Lebanon, Libya and Somalia.

TRAINING COURSES AND OTHER WORKSHOPS

Pilot DPA Gender, Women, Peace and Security Training

In order to build capacity of DPA staff in addressing gender in mediation and

peace processes, two women, peace and security trainings took place during

the last quarter of 2011 for over 40 DPA staff. Mediation-specific content of

the training addressed women’s roles and contribution to conflict mediation;

peace process design and entry points for women; how mediators address

conflict-related sexual violence in cease-fires and peace agreements; and the

importance of women’s participation in peace processes and gender-specific

provisions in peace agreements. An additional three trainings are envisioned

for 2012 for both headquarters and field staff.


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Training curriculum on ceasefire mediation

In July 2011, the MSU organized together with NODEFIC (the Norwegian

Defense Staff College) an experts’ meeting on developing a training

curriculum on managing and mediating ceasefire agreements in Oslo,

Norway. The meeting brought together political, military and humanitarian

experts to discuss the technical aspects of mediating ceasefire agreements. It

was decided that a 10-day course be designed to train 25 to 30 mid- or senior

advisers, with a condensed version for Special Envoys, conflicting parties and

other peace process actors. The pilot training course will be organized by

NODEFIC in April 2012.

Training on National Dialogues

From 16 to 17 June, MSU, in cooperation with the Folke Bernadotte

Academy, held a seminar on designing and implementing national dialogues.

The seminar, which included the standby team of experts, aimed to prepare

DPA and its standby team to better support UN senior officials involved in

planning or assisting national dialogue initiatives. The session included

valuable reflections from both DPA and external practitioners on dialogue

efforts in Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia. Representatives from the OAS and

the NRC also shared insights from their respective experiences. The seminar

provided an important venue for an exchange of views on different

approaches to national dialogue and consideration of the specific challenges

faced by the United Nations when engaging with such efforts.

GENDER AND MEDIATION

Addressing Gender Issues in Mediation Efforts

The Nobel Committee awarded the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize to three women,

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Peace activist LeymahGbowee of Liberia

and Tawwakul Karman of Yemen in recognition of their contributions to

peace and non-violence. In announcing the prize, the Committee referenced


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UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) that “for the first time made

violence against women in armed conflict an international security issue. It

underlined the need for women to become participants on an equal footing

with men in peace processes and in peace work in general.” As a leading civil

society contributor to resolution 1325 a decade ago, the member of DPA's

standby team expert on Gender and Social Inclusion attended the ceremony

and participated in a panel discussion with Tawwakul Karman as well as

other civil society events related to the award ceremony.

Enhancing the Number of Women in Peace Processes

The participation of women in UN-led peace negotiations was low in 2010 –

only one negotiating party had a woman representative. To address the

gender balance gaps, DPA rolled-out its Joint Gender and Mediation Strategy.

Also, MSU initiated recording the participation of women in peace processes

in 2011, as this had not previously been done. Moreover, MSU conducted a

research on benchmarks for the three indicators in Security Council

Resolution 1325 (2000) on participation of women in peace processes, which

reveals that only two out of a total of nine peace agreements signed in 2010,

involving six African countries, have provisions for women, peace and

security (and only one of four UN mediated ceasefire/peace agreements for

Darfur has gender-relevant provisions).

Providing advice on gender issues to UNPOS

In June, a joint DPA-UN Women mission visited UNPOS. The mission

developed a plan of action to better include women in the mediation and

reconciliation processes in Somalia, as well as to integrate gender

perspectives into the work of the mission. In August, the standby team

experts on power-sharing and gender and inclusion were deployed to

Nairobi, Kenya, at the request of UNPOS to provide the mission’s political

unit providing options/solutions for tackling issues related to representation

and inclusiveness ahead of the Mogadishu meeting held in September.


2011




Contributing to the mediation training of West African women

The standby team expert on Gender and Inclusion was deployed in July to

Abuja, Nigeria to provide input into a joint DPA/UNOWA/UN Women

mediation training initiative for senior West African women. The standby

team expert integrated gender perspectives into the training modules and

provide sessions for in-depth discussion about the experiences of the women

and their contributions to mediation, conflict prevention at local, national

and sub-regional levels.

mediation support annual report - un...

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