Metropolitan Model United Nations Conference XLII General Assembly

Post-Conflict Civilian Capacity

The goals of the United Nations are to prevent conflict and to bring conflicts to an end. But the end of conflict brings other risks to nations and peoples. As UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon wrote in August 2011 in his report, Civilian Capacity in the Aftermath of a Conflict, Countries emerging from conflict typically confront a wide rage of urgent demands to build and sustain peace, yet they often face a critical shortage of capacity to meet priority needs quickly and effectively.1 The term civilian capacity refers to the ability of national institutions to meet the economic, political, social, and judicial needs of citizens and the country as a whole. Not only does conflict kill and injure people, but it also damages or destroys the government itself, social service agencies, schools, hospitals and medical systems, judicial systems, businesses, and markets. Developing civilian capacity is essential in order for peoples and nations to fully recover from any sort of conflict. Recent events in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and Egypt, for example, illustrate the vulnerability of nations and their people in the aftermath of conflicts. The collapse of Muammar Gaddafis government in Libya unleashed tribal conflict amongst different factions inside the country. The difficulties Egyptians have faced since the Arab Spring demonstrate how difficult it is to create new governmental structures and protect ethnic and religious minorities at the same time. Rebels in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have recently laid down their arms after a protracted civil war; DRC now must rebuild almost all national institutions or face a return to violence. The Secretary General emphasizes the importance of quick and decisive action during the immediate window of opportunity when conflict ends in these areas: Providing basic security, Reestablishing the rule of law and ensuring justice, Revitalizing the economy, Restoring basic services to the population, and Developing the capacities to make these gains sustainable If these needs are not met during the post-conflict period, the danger of relapse into conflict is high. The goal must be to sustain peace; to do this development must begin promptly when conflict ends. Delegates must collaborate in an effort to ensure civilian capacity is possible for future post-conflict situations. One challenge for this committee to consider is the need to prioritize these interrelated needs. For example, which comes first, providing basic security or revitalizing the economy? How can these needs be best addressed simultaneously? What kind of support can the international community provide while nations develop their own capacities?

The Secretary Generals Reports on post-conflict civilian capacity and peace building have placed their recommendations within a framework call OPEN, for Ownership, Partnerships, Expertise, and Nimbleness. Ownership: National ownership of peace processes will improve with support for core government functions, nurturing of national capacities, and improving the economic impact of international interventions. The General Assembly and the Secretary General support the development of internal national decision-making processes instead of the imposition of specific methods of building institutions from the outside. We must learn from experiences such as Afghanistan, in which billions of dollars were spent on unsustainable initiatives with little input from Afghans, resulting in tremendous waste of resources. Partnerships and Expertise: Civilian partnerships are key. One innovative program is CAPMATCH, a global marketplace for civilian capacities. This platform matches the need expressed by countries emerging from conflict with the supply of services available from governments, inter-government and non-government organizations.3 The General Assembly encourages the United Nations to broaden and deepen the pool of civilian expertise. The UN must look beyond its own staff and draw on the full range of global capacities. In particular, South-South cooperation has a special role. Countries from the global South often have knowledge and expertise from their own experience of conflict, democratic transition or building capacities for conflict prevention. Sharing this can be of great practical value to countries facing similar challenges. 2 The cluster approach to humanitarian aid has proven effective as many different NGOs, national agencies, and UN agencies share their particular expertise. This approach bears further study and development. Nimbleness: The UN and individual nations must find ways to use available resources more effectively and efficiently and thus increase the United Nations responsiveness to changing circumstances in the field. Questions to Consider: Has your country, or neighboring countries, experienced recent conflict and faced the challenges of non-existent or inadequate civilian capacity? Which of the areas of civilian capacity, if any, is lacking in your nation? What, if any, action has your country taken in order to ensure post-conflict civilian capacity?

Notes: 1. Civilian capacity in the aftermath of conflict - Report of the Secretary-General, 2011 http://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/66/311 2. http://www.civcapreview.org/ 3. https://capmatch.dfs.un.org/Capmatch/ Helpful Links: http://www.un.org/en/peacebuilding/doc_sg.shtml http://www.civcap.info/building-civilian-capacity-general-resources.html http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/63/881