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Monitoring Peace Consolidation
Although they addressed directly progress against the benchmarks, Security Council resolutions on Sierra Leone did not make explicit reference to them until July 2003, when the Council decided “to monitor closely the key benchmarks for drawdown” and requested the Secretary-General to report “on the progress made with respect to the benchmarks”.44 The benchmarks were subsequently included in resolutions renewing the mission’s mandate and remained at the centre of the Secretary-General’s reporting to the Council. The benchmarks were specific to UNAMSIL CDW and were not reflected in the resolution establishing the United Nations Integrated Office in Sierra Leone (UNIOSIL), adopted by the Security Council in August 2005. The precedent they set was, however, recognized by the Security Council. In December 2005, the Council “noted with satisfaction the innovations in UNAMSIL’s methods of operation that may prove useful best practice in making other United Nations peacekeeping operations more effective and efficient, including an exit strategy based on specific benchmarks for drawdown”.45 UNAMSIL’s pioneering use of benchmarking also extended to its advice to the Government and international partners. The December 2002 Report of the Secretary-General encouraged the Government to define and work toward benchmarks relating to security, poverty reduction, governance, economic performance and management. The Consultative Group, meeting in the context of Sierra Leone’s PRSP, subsequently identified a number of key benchmarks that would “serve as a frame of reference in evaluating the overall progress Sierra Leone is making towards the achievement of sustainable peace and development”.46
II. A holistic approach to peace consolidation and benchmarking The United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone (UNIPSIL) was established in October 2008 as the first integrated peacebuilding mission to be led by the Department of Political Affairs. UNIPSIL was to build upon six years of robust United Nations peacekeeping presence in Sierra Leone. Its mandate focuses on strengthening national institutions, containing emerging threats to peace and security, and coordinating strategy and programmes among the United Nations agencies, funds and programmes in Sierra Leone. During its first consultation on the work of UNIPSIL in February 2009, the Security Council requested that the mission develop clear benchmarks to measure progress in the implementation of its mandate. In accordance with the Security Council’s request to establish a fully integrated office with an effective peacebuilding strategy, UNIPSIL and the United Nations Country Team developed a United Nations Joint Vision for Sierra Leone. The Joint Vision brings together the peace consolidation efforts of the entire United Nations system around four key priorities that will be implemented through 21 projects, supported by a Multi-Donor Trust Fund. It is also fully aligned with the national peace and development priorities articulated in Sierra Leone’s second PRSP, the Agenda for Change. Both the Joint Vision and the Agenda for Change were endorsed at the Peacebuilding Commission’s Special Session on Sierra Leone on 10 June 2009. The United Nations Joint Vision includes benchmarks under each of the priority areas. The seven benchmarks listed under the priority area of peace consolidation include: (1) the maintenance of a constructive political climate that allows for free, fair and non-violent presidential and parliamentary elections in 2012; (2) professional and respected national 44 Security Council Resolution 1492 (2003), 18 July 2003, S/RES/1492 (2003), paras. 1-2, http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/ N03/433/05/PDF/N0343305.pdf. 45 Statement by the President of the Security Council, 20 December 2005, http://www.securitycouncilreport.org/atf/cf/%7B65BFCF9B-6D27- 4E9C-8CD3-CF6E4FF96FF9%7D/SL%20SPRST200563.pdf. 46 See The World Bank, Third Consultative Group for Sierra Leone: Report of Proceedings (Washington, D.C., The World Bank, 13 April 2004), p. 111, http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTSIERRALEONE/Resources/WB_Chairmans_Report_of_Proceedings_2002.pdf.