Renewing Hope, Rebuilding Lives
Partnership between the United Nations and the European Commission in Post-Crisis Recovery Introduction
It is vital that countries succeed early on in post-crises situations. No society can thrive when communities are shattered by conflict or lives have been lost in a cyclone. The international community has long accepted the imperative that “prevention is better than cure” and that helping countries address root causes of violence and avoid conflict is an essential moral duty. The international community also accepts its essential responsibility to help countries reduce their exposure and vulnerability to natural hazards.
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he United Nations team in Brussels2 is pleased to present its fourth report on the achievements of its partnership with the European Commission3. Distinctive from the “Improving Lives” annual report series that covers the full range of humanitarian and development cooperation, this report looks at one crucial aspect of the partnership between the United Nations (UN) and the Commission, namely the support to countries recovering from natural crises and conflicts.
In 2008, EU member states provided: • around 40% of the assessed budget of the UN; • over 40% of peacekeeping costs and 12% of troops; • over half of the core funding of the UN funds and programmes.
Taking a three year time horizon 2006-2008, the report looks at what the European Commission and the United Nations delivered together, but also what makes this partnership distinctive and why the European Commission is vital to the work of the UN. By working together the UN and the Commission helped countries break out of cycles of crisis, poverty and instability and increase their resilience to future shocks by tackling the root causes of vulnerability.
The partnership in post-crisis recovery
The report is intended for UN and Commission stakeholders including European decision-makers as well as the governments and societies supported by this important partnership.
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ountry situations vary considerably and hence so do the needs of communities. That said, experience suggests a number of common themes of the UN-Commission partnership in post-crisis environments. Working hand in hand with national governments, local authorities and civil society, or in some cases delivering directly through the UN, the United Nations and the European Commission supported countries in achieving the following results:
The context
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n the aftermath of crises, the challenges can be vast. Particularly after violent conflict, continuing physical insecurity often prevents people from addressing even their most basic needs of food and shelter. Both natural disasters and conflict can affect access to food, education or health services, and institutional vacuums mean that state authorities have insufficient capacity to meet needs and hence lack legitimacy in the eyes of citizens. In such situations, needs almost invariably exceed capacities on the ground. Many countries thus require strong support from the international community to return as swiftly as possible to the path of peace, dignity and human development.
• Restored safety and security to communities: removed unexploded mines and helped control the circulation of small arms; demobilised ex-combatants and helped them reintegrate into peaceful societies; facilitated safe return of refugees and internally-displaced people to their place of origin or a new destination; and protected people, notably women threatened by sexual violence;
Humanitarian and recovery efforts occur in parallel but their objectives are different. While humanitarian assistance focuses on saving lives and immediate needs, recovery focuses on restoring the capacity of institutions and communities in the country so they can once again provide basic social services and infrastructure and ensure people have opportunities to make a living. The recovery process can provide important opportunities to “build back better”, going beyond restoring what existed prior to the crisis to rebuild improved infrastructure or institutions, ensuring the needs of the most vulnerable are heard, and correcting inequalities that existed before the crisis. The human rights based approach that underlies all UN work can be a strong component of “building back better”.
• Restored social services: secured access to adequate food and nutrition, particularly of vulnerable groups such as children; sustained health, water and sanitation, and education services whilst strengthening state and community capacities to take back the responsibility for their efficient and sustainable delivery; • Jumpstarted livelihoods: reconstructed infrastructure, revived economies, recovered agricultural productivity and restored environmental assets; generated opportunities for decent work and broadened the scope for people to rebuild their livelihoods;
2. The United Nations team in Belgium comprises 22 specialised agencies, funds and programmes covering a wide range of UN humanitarian and development mandates, the regional information centre and the UN university in Bruges. It is coordinated by the UN Director who is the representative of the UN Secretary General to the European Union institutions. The team constitutes a substantial pool of expertise that is frequently drawn upon by decision-makers, officials and civil society to support their work. 3. References in the text to the Commission refer to the European Commission. 9