Summary
Events of the past year have confirmed my view that developing civilian capacity is crucial for the global journey away from conflict. Without nationally owned transformation of the institutions that provide citizens with political representation, security, justice and economic opportunities, there can be no sustained recovery from conflict.
The present report describes progress in the civilian capacity initiative since my previous report (A/66/311-S/2011/527). At the country level, the United Nations system organizations have been working together to support national ownership of priorities in post-conflict and post-crisis transitions. For example, in North Africa, they have supported national planning and the exchange of relevant experiences with other countries on such crucial issues as broad political dialogue and electoral processes. In Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire, United Nations missions and country teams have worked together to support the development of nationally driven security and justice institution-building programmes.
Such country-level work underlines that civilian capacities and institutionbuilding pathways cannot be imposed from outside but work best when programmes are designed to support a strong process of national decision-making. From these examples, it is evident that planning for United Nations support to national capacitybuilding also needs to adapt more systematically to national decision-making cycles.
While the civilian capacity initiative is ultimately focused on delivering stronger support in the field, the right systemic arrangements are needed to allow this to happen. In accordance with resolution 66/255, in which the General Assembly encouraged the United Nations to broaden and deepen the pool of civilian expertise, the United Nations has worked closely with Member States and civil society organizations to develop a new online platform, CAPMATCH, which provides a simple mechanism to connect those seeking experience and capacity with potential providers. It offers the prospect of real innovation in technical cooperation by prioritizing real-life experiences of institutional transformation, in particular from the global South. It also offers the potential for strengthened global partnership in which South-South cooperation complements but does not substitute North-South technical and financial support.
Country-level work and partnerships over the past year have offered useful insights that can inform our future priorities. Country engagements have demonstrated the continuing capacity gaps identified by the Senior Advisory Group in the areas of safety and security, justice, inclusive political processes, core Government functionality and economic revitalization. Initial consultations regarding the online platform have revealed the value and variety of new sources of experience and expertise in those areas, but further targeted work will be needed to access those sources, particularly the capacities from the global South that are currently insufficiently documented and disseminated. Drawing on stronger expertise will work only when accompanied by adequate and sustained financing, including innovative models of voluntary funding, which can more systematically support South-South and triangular cooperation in the aftermath of conflict or crisis.
Complementing stronger national prioritization of needs and broader networks of expertise, the internal arrangements of the United Nations need to be coherent and sufficiently nimble to respond in volatile post-crisis circumstances. Working within the current regulatory framework, we are demonstrating how this can be done. In Libya, for example, in order to better support evolving national needs, we have used a phased approach to planning and budgeting for the mission. In Timor-Leste, we have drawn on the capacities of funds and programmes to help in ensuring the implementation of mandated capacity-building activities during the current transitional period. Organizational arrangements in the rule of law sector, specifically police, justice and corrections, have been strengthened through the assumption of a joint global focal point responsibility by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with co-located staff from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women).
Work over the past year has also underlined the importance of responsiveness to evolving national and operational requirements and of the scope for further enhancing nimbleness within the current regulatory framework. Relevant measures include supporting mission leadership in assessing evolving civilian capacity needs and redeploying resources to change the mix of civilian capacity, when required, further developing the use of Government-provided personnel for specialized, timelimited expertise and planning carefully with agencies, funds and programmes to take full account of the capacity-building aspects of mandates. Work is also under way to develop more effective arrangements for the deployment of Secretariat staff to respond to emergency requirements.
Since my previous report, the civilian capacity initiative has benefited from close consultations with Member States through regional meetings, thematic exchanges and discussions in the Peacebuilding Commission. From such consultations have emerged many useful ideas — for example, a more widespread understanding that the experience of countries from the global South which had successfully built institutions that prevented conflict from escalating may be of help to countries in post-crisis situations. Such close collaboration will remain crucial as we continue towards our shared goal of providing stronger, more effective support to countries emerging from conflict.