Publications
Road rehabilitation and reconstruction
Photo: Eric Kanalstein - UNMIL
OVERVIEW
UNMIL’s Reintegration, Rehabilitation and Recovery Section (RRR) is supporting the efforts of the mission in all matters relating to the reintegration of war-affected populations, employment creation and rehabilitation of vital infrastructure, and in furthering Liberia's economic and social recovery.
The RRR Section is engaged in monitoring remaining chains of command and outstanding reintegration challenges (“hotspots”), and in addressing identified challenges. RRR also assists the Government in designing and managing employment creation projects to aid local reintegration and recovery. In addition, RRR supports the Government in the recovery of occupied rubber plantations and in the rubber sector reform process. RRR also manages the mission’s Quick Impact Projects (QIPs), and supports the coordination of Small Arms initiatives. Before the closure of the Disarmament, Demobilization, Rehabilitation and Reintegration (DDRR) programme in April 2009, RRR, in close collaboration with UNDP, supported the Government through the National Commission for DDRR in implementing reintegration activities (vocational training, formal education etc.) for the residual caseload of demobilized ex-combatants.
RRR field staff that used to be present in all counties has recently been redeployed to only three field locations - Greenville, Zwedru and Gbarnga. In addition, all RRR staff frequently moves across the country. RRR also liaises with other UN Offices in neighbouring countries to monitor cross-border ex-combatants and reintegration issues.
RRR areas of work
Reintegration of ex-combatants
Employment creation and recovery
Rubber Plantations Task Force
Quick Impact Projects
Small Arms
Mandate of the RRR Section
Security Council Resolution 1509 mandates UNMIL to organize the “implementation of a disarmament, demobilization, reintegration, and repatriation (DDRR) programme for all armed parties”, and “encourages UNMIL, within its capabilities and areas of deployment, to support the voluntary return of refugees and internally displaced persons.”
The disarmament and demobilization of ex-combatants was completed by the end of 2004, including the collection of weapons and ammunition. Subsequently, UNMIL merged its DDRR Unit into the ‘RRR Section’ under the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Recovery and Governance, which (together with the Government of Liberia, the UN Country Team, NGOs and other partners) launched a comprehensive reintegration, rehabilitation and recovery programme for the demobilized and other war-affected populations.
Target Population
Efforts with regard to reintegration, rehabilitation and recovery in Liberia focus on war-affected populations, a target group that includes ex-combatants, returned refugees, returned IDPs, and the communities that receive these groups.
RRR ACTIVITIES
Concluding the Reintegration and Rehabilitation programme for ex-combatants
RRR, together with UNDP, supported the National Commission for Disarmament, Demobilization, Rehabilitation and Reintegration in planning and implementing the Disarmament, Demobilization, Rehabilitation and Reintegration (DDRR) programme for ex-combatants. A total of 101,000 persons, among them 22,000 women and 11,000 children, were disarmed and demobilized in 2003 and 2004, exceeding by far the initial estimate of 38,000. The number of foreign ex-combatants disarmed and demobilized in Liberia stands at 612.
The reintegration programme funded by the Multidonor Trust Fund administered by UNDP and parallel programmes run by the USAID and the European Commission provided reintegration assistance to over 92,000 beneficiaries between 2004 and 2007. The reintegration programme offered vocational skills training, formal education, apprenticeship, or employment opportunities. Reintegration efforts also included targeted interventions for Children Associated with the Fighting Forces (CAFFs), which were coordinated by UNICEF.
The final phase of the reintegration programme, which was launched in January 2008 and concluded in April 2009, was intended to address an estimated residual caseload of 9,000 ex-combatants. Following a public information campaign in the beginning of the programme, 7,000 eligible beneficiaries identified themselves, but only 5,000 showed interest and participated in the programme. This brought the total number of reintegration beneficiaries to over 97,000.
Monitoring and addressing reintegration challenges through the hotspots assessment
UNMIL RRR together with the Joint Mission Analysis Cell (JMAC) is monitoring remaining ex-combatants chains-of-command, cross-border reintegration issues and other reintegration challenges. The monitoring mechanism designed by UNMIL, the bi-annual “hotspots assessment”, shows that there is no national network of ex-combatants in Liberia. However, local groups of ex-combatants continue to exist in all counties engaged in legal and illegal activities, often mixed with other youth.
UNMIL RRR is promoting the design and implementation of projects to address these hotspots. One such project is the Agricultural Training Centre constructed by NGO Landmine Action in Bong County, with funding from the Peacebuilding Fund through UNDP. The Peacebuilding Fund through UNDP is also funding a project to promote community integration of motorcycle taxi drivers which will be implemented by YMCA, the LNP and the Ministry of Transport as a pilot initiative to address these issues.
UNMIL RRR, JMAC and UNDP are also monitoring cross-border reintegration issues jointly with the United Nations Mission to Cote d’Ivoire (ONUCI). This includes regular missions to Western Cote d’Ivoire to monitor the presence of an estimated 1,500 to 2,000 Liberian ex-combatants and militia elements, as well as remaining refugee communities.
Employment Creation and Recovery
Skills training or education is just one step on the path towards sustainable reintegration. Employment is an essential factor for enabling war-affected populations to establish livelihoods, and to ensure effective and sustainable reintegration. However, the high level of unemployment and slow pace of economic recovery make it difficult for youth and war-affected populations to find legal income-generation opportunities.
Together with the World Bank, UNDP and ILO, UNMIL is using labour-intensive road repairs to create short-term employment and promote stability in the vicinity of rubber plantations and border areas. The programmes are being implemented under three major funding arrangements:
- The labor-intensive road rehabilitation project implemented jointly by UNMIL and UNDP, in close coordination with the Ministry of Public Works, with funding from the World Bank. The primary aim of the joint UNMIL-UNDP-WB programme is to lessen the country’s high level of unemployment, while improving the deplorable conditions of vital roadways.
- The Infrastructure for Employment programme, which is implemented with UNMIL Special Engineering, assists actors on the ground in rehabilitating critical infrastructure such as roads and bridges, focusing particularly on areas of return and/or border areas. By using labor-intensive methods, these initiatives create short-term employment for thousands of community members and war-affected populations. By enhancing accessibilities and facilitating movement and transport, they also help to revitalize local economies and trade.
- The “Food Support for Local Initiatives” (Food for Work) programme is implemented by UNMIL RRR in collaboration with the World Food Programme (WFP). It includes labor-intensive road rehabilitation, as well as agricultural projects which created employment for over 3,000 beneficiaries in 2008/09.
Since the beginning of the RRR employment creation efforts in 2006, 73,000 jobs have been created, equaling over 2.3 million work days; over 20% of beneficiaries were women; and ex-combatants and returnees were included in the work force. All projects were closely coordinated with the Ministry of Public Works. To make employment creation efforts more effective, RRR is advocating with national partners and international agencies for the establishment of an emergency employment programme.
Joint Government-UN Rubber Plantations Task Force
UNMIL RRR supports the Government in its efforts to reform the rubber market. This includes legalizing the operations of Liberia’s rubber plantations, particularly those occupied by ex-combatants and other groups involved in illicit exploitation, and strengthening Government’s management and institutions.
In early 2006, a Task Force was formed by the President of Liberia and the UNMIL SRSG in order to holistically address problems in Liberia’s rubber sector, bringing together a wide array of stakeholders from the Government, UN, and the private sector under the chairmanship of the Minister of Agriculture. The Task Force undertook assessment visits to seven major rubber plantations in Liberia. Based on its findings, the Task Force made a series of recommendations published in its report of 23 May 2006. The President entrusted the Task Force with overseeing the implementation of these recommendations.
As a first priority, the Government and its Task Force partners looked into the situation on those plantations that were still illegally occupied by ex-combatants and other groups, namely Guthrie and Sinoe rubber plantations. A multi-dimensional strategy was developed by the Government in order to ensure a peaceful and smooth ‘repossession’ of the plantations. This strategy focused on restoring state authority and rule of law in the plantations through dialogue, mediation and active enforcement of the rule of law. Efforts aimed at improving the situation of resident communities, preventing the loss of Government revenue, and contributing to peacebuilding by reintegrating ex-combatants.
- With this approach, UNMIL supported the Government in the repossession of Guthrie Rubber Plantation in August 2006. In 2009, a private company signed a US$800 million concession agreement for Guthrie thus concluding the formalization process.
- On 4 August 2009, the Government finally declared Sinoe Rubber Plantation to be under State authority. The Government is now working to establish an interim management team.
- The Rubber Plantation Task Force was also active in the re-establishment of State authority in Cavalla and Cocopa Rubber Plantations.
RRR is also supporting the Rubber Plantation Task Force, in close coordination with the rubber industry, in designing and implementing a “Rubber Market Reform” to curb rubber theft and violence in Liberia. The rubber market reform would include an export ban on unprocessed rubber, as well as the licensing of rubber buying agents, buying stations and ultimately of rubber farmers. The Executive Order #16, issued by President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf in November 2008, is an important step in this regard.
Quick Impact Projects (QIPs)
RRR coordinates UNMIL Quick Impact Projects (QIPs) a series of small-scale, highly visible projects to support the UNMIL mandate for US$ 1 million per year since 2004. Some 30 projects have been completed in 2007/08 and 42 projects have already been approved for 2008/09, most of them in the rule of law sector.
Small Arms
UNMIL RRR and Military collaborate with UNDP, the Liberian National Commission for Small Arms, and NGOs on policies and practices regarding small arms and light weapons, as well as risk education, and the removal of UXOs, landmines, and other ERWs.