V.E: Crisis Prevention and Recovery

Prevent and assist with recovery from crises

Other Information:

88. More than 40 countries have suffered violent conflicts since the turn of the century, resulting in over 25 million internally displaced persons and an estimated additional 12 million refugees. Since 2000, there have been over 2,800 natural disasters affecting Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania1. Compared to violent conflicts, the increasing frequency and scale of natural disasters pose separate but interlinked challenges, both economic and humanitarian. Today, 85 per cent of the people at risk of experiencing natural disasters live in countries with medium to low levels of human development. 89. While violent conflicts and natural disasters affect both developed and developing countries, their effect on countries with high levels of poverty and inequality has been to compound existing problems. This is particularly pronounced in countries suffering repeated disasters or protracted conflicts. Those countries find themselves caught in a vicious cycle of crisis, poverty and risk, which can fuel instability at the national, regional and global levels. The majority of these countries do not have the capacity to deal with these challenges alone, often lacking sufficient resources or being caught in regional or global situations such as cross-border conflict. Global assistance to help prevent and mitigate the effects of these crises and to support government management of the process of recovery can help countries to restore the foundations to attain the MDGs, reduce human suffering and improve living conditions for the poor. 90. UNDP assists countries that are prone to natural disasters or face imminent conflict and have experienced severe disruptions in critical national or local capacities, and countries that have been designated by the Security Council or Peacebuilding Commission as having a priority post-conflict situation2. UNDP fully recognizes the unique challenges in each different country setting and adjusts its assistance to the needs and demands of each country. Some kinds of international support requested by national governments are common to both post-conflict and post-disaster situations, such as developing national and local capacities to manage risks, assess needs, and plan, lead, and coordinate recovery. However, the national capacity to manage and recover from crises varies in post-conflict and post-natural disaster situations and from country to country, with the resulting need to tailor the support offered to each specific situation. Gender empowerment will be given special emphasis throughout all UNDP activities in crisis-affected countries. The UNDP Eight Point Agenda for Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality in Crisis Prevention and Recovery will guide the activities within this area3. 91. UNDP works with the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the rest of the United Nations system to assist national authorities in initiating immediate early recovery and transition activities and to move from a short or medium-term post-crisis recovery strategy into a longer-term national development framework. Specific measures in this area include the establishment of norms and guidelines; provision of assessment and programming tools to support country level recovery processes; and advocacy support to boost funding for recovery efforts. Increased attention will be given to supporting the Humanitarian/Resident Coordinators in (a) initiating the planning process for recovery during the humanitarian phase, based on a common understanding of each situation; (b) enabling better integration of crisis prevention, risk reduction and cross-cutting issues into early recovery and existing programmes, (c) developing alternatives for enhancing resource mobilization for early recovery; and (d) accessing surge capacity. 92. In the increasingly urgent area of disaster risk reduction, UNDP will support implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA), 2005-2015 on behalf of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) system. UNDP will also support national efforts to achieve the goals and objectives of the HFA in high-risk countries and will lead inter-organization thematic programmes and platforms identified as priorities in the HFA in the areas of disaster recovery, risk identification and capacity development. 93. UNDP supports the work of the Peacebuilding Commission in its efforts to address the special needs of `countries emerging from conflict towards sustainable development. The main support is given at the country level by assisting with the development of nationally owned, integrated peacebuilding strategies and implementation of project activities under the peacebuilding fund. In addition, UNDP functions as the administrative agent for the peacebuilding fund. Close cooperation has been established with the Peacebuilding Support Office, including development of best peacebuilding practices. Enhancing conflict prevention and disaster-risk management capabilities 94. In response to country requests for assistance, UNDP will support national partners’ conflict prevention and disaster risk management efforts by assisting with the development of long-term national capabilities and institutions. A key element will be assistance in identifying solutions for disaster-risk and conflict management based on a common understanding of the issues. 95. Disaster risk reduction: UNDP will work with national partners to integrate information derived from disaster risk assessments into national development plans and programmes, and will support the development of appropriate institutional and legislative systems and coordination mechanisms for managing and reducing disaster risks. This will include measures to promote gender equality and focus on the most vulnerable groups. UNDP will support national partner assessments of natural disaster risk with tools such as the global disaster risk index. UNDP programmes include a special focus on managing urban risks and climate-related risks, taking account of urbanization and climate change. 96. Conflict prevention: UNDP will support national partner assessments of crisis risk with tools such as the conflict-related development analysis methodology. In terms of enhancing social cohesion and managing conflicts before they lead to violent tensions, UNDP will help strengthen national and local capacities to promote conflict-sensitive development and to conduct non-violent management and resolution of disputes, in particular supporting South-South learning exchanges on gender, crisis management and risk reduction, including drawing on lessons learned regarding building the capacities of women’s institutions for crisis prevention. When requested to do so, UNDP will also assist in the building of systemic capacities that address tensions before they lead to violence. Ensuring improved post-crisis governance functions 97. In the immediate aftermath of a crisis, UNDP will provide country-specific support through preparation, planning and implementation of interventions to ensure national management of the development process, including restoring capacity for public service delivery and managing recovery aid coordination. In both natural disaster and post-conflict situations, UNDP support will facilitate an enabling environment conducive to recovery, restoration of administrative and service delivery capacity, and training of national stakeholders to strategize, negotiate and engage in dialogue with the aim of restoring post-crisis governance functions. Collaboration with the World Bank will be intensified, including on the post-conflict needs assessments and post-disaster needs assessment methodologies. As part of the broader partnership efforts between the United Nations and World Bank, UNDP will continue to contribute to the establishment of institutional arrangements to facilitate reliable partnership approaches at the country level. 98. Post disaster: In most post-disaster situations, government systems remain functional (although commonly over-stretched). UNDP will focus on supporting country capacities to resume public service delivery as early as possible. During the humanitarian phase, UNDP will assist national governments as requested with recovery planning, by setting up aid coordination mechanisms and helping expand and strengthen the capacities of local administrations to manage the often overwhelming recovery process effectively. 99. Post conflict: Post-conflict environments tend to be complex and characterized by, inter alia, an erosion of human and institutional capital, economic stagnation and weak rule of law. The nature of assistance requested to restore governance functions tends to be correspondingly wider. Assistance will include programmes contributing to the restoration of security and reconciliation. Based on the UNDP report Fostering post-conflict economic recovery (forthcoming in 2007), practical policy and programming guidelines aimed at catalysing economic recovery by identifying essential state functions to support economic recovery will be developed, including innovative tools, assessment methodologies and best practice guidelines. UNDP will also develop recommendations for policies and capacity-building programmes to support reintegration and livelihood opportunities aimed at avoiding a return to conflict and reducing poverty. Restoring the foundations for local development 100. Sustainable recovery in post-conflict and natural disaster settings requires the restoration of security and a revival of the local economy. This provides the conditions in which livelihoods can be rebuilt and damage to the social fabric repaired. In both post- conflict and natural disaster settings, UNDP will support the revival of sustainable economic activities at the national and sub-national levels, including collaboration with UNCDF to access a broad range of financial products, services and training, assist with the rehabilitation of productive assets and infrastructure, and support measures to strengthen community and other local organizations. Where requested, UNDP will support work on issues such as the reform of property and inheritance laws, land ownership, and regulations governing access to credit, especially as they concern women and other marginalized groups. The collaboration with UNCDF will include measures to strengthen local governments and other local organizations. The private sector has a role to play in economic revival and employment creation and together with civil society organizations they will be important partners in this work. 101. Post disaster: In the aftermath of disasters, there is a crucial window of opportunity in which the risks of future disasters can be reduced. Following disasters, UNDP will use its knowledge of disaster risk globally to engage with governments and other partner institutions on a demand basis, not only in capacity development for recovery but also for reducing the risks of future disasters. UNDP will tailor its recovery assistance to the particular needs of the affected communities. This could include supporting programmes to repair homes and other buildings and minor infrastructure in a risk-resilient manner; removing disaster rubble; and promoting employment opportunities in vulnerable communities, with particular attention to the recovery of women and the poor. 102. Post conflict: Conflict typically undermines human, social, physical and institutional capital at the local level. In addition to restoring livelihoods, assisting local recovery in post-conflict situations often implies a focus on reconciliation, restoring social cohesion, and creating a safe, secure environment in which recovery can take place. UNDP will support specific measures to build local and national capacities to de-mine farms and fields, reduce the availability of small arms and the incidence of armed violence, and support the reintegration of former combatants and other conflict-affected groups in host communities.

Indicator(s):

Indicator:1

Content