Crises Prevention and Recovery
Crises – both man-made and natural – have a destabilizing effect on the societies in which they occur. Unless crises are effectively managed they can have direct immediate consequences as well as long-term ramifications that may adversely affect development, enhance inequalities, bring about political instability and impact human security. That is the reason why The Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery (BCPR) is one of nine major bureaus within the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Crises Prevention and Recovery in Bosnia and Herzegovina is mainstreamed trough the CO Human Security and Justice Cluster activities mainly focused on reduction of the threats posed by natural disasters, landmines, small arms and light weapons and issues of migration. The Human Security and Justice Cluster aligned its priorities with a focus on crisis and conflict prevention, recovery and confidence building measures through higher level policy advocacy and technical assistance.
BACKGROUND
The projects within the cluster are building on past experiences and lessons learned in areas such as, Small Arms Control, Mine Action, Disaster Risk Reduction, Transitional Justice and war crimes. The Human Security programme furthermore builds on UNDP’s global expertise in the area of crisis prevention and recovery. The programme focuses strengthening the national institutional, technical and industrial capacities for weapons control, mine action, disaster risk management and justice. Gender is addressed throughout the programme, including joint efforts with UNFPA to support the implementation of the State, Federation and Republika Srpska Strategies on Domestic Violence, as well as the CEDAW (The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women) Recommendations for BIH 2006, and the UN SC Resolution 1325 through recently launched project on Combat and Prevention of Gender Based and Sexual Violence.
The planned initiatives include policy and technical assistance for control and reduction of Small arms and light weapons, ammunition destruction through energy saving and recycling; and capacity development for demining. Institution building for crisis management and disaster response is reinforced by working sub-regionally with the Regional Cooperation Council, Disaster Preparedness and Prevention Initiative (including seven UNDP country offices in Western Balkans and Turkey. It includes cross-border response and compliance with European Union standards including support to the establishment of a national coordination body and a national strategy for disaster risk management.
Analogue the intention is to further strengthen capacities for better accessibility of legal institutions in the country and services for standard court users and systematically addressing remaining access to justice challenges for victims of the 1992-95 conflict in the country. Although the processing of war crime cases constitutes a key access to justice indicator for BiH, the national strategy for recovery from conflict and wide-spread human rights violations will be developed to address the broader social and economic consequences of such violations by responding to the needs of the society and regaining the trust of citizens in state institutions. This national strategy for dealing with the past (Transitional Justice Strategy) will complement the strategy for processing of war crimes in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The support for countries’ capacities for processing of war crimes cases is also in place whereas the support for the witness support mechanisms is being developed. These activities will be executed in partnership with the Bosnia and Herzegovina Ministry of Justice within the implementation framework of its Justice Sector Reform Strategy completed in 2008 and the Ministry of Human Right and Refugees . The dual approach is mutually reinforcing as the initiatives work in parallel towards restoring public confidence in Bosnia and Herzegovina institutions.
OBJECTIVES AND NATIONAL PRIORITIES
1. Ensure better respect for human rights and achieving set of guaranteed rights, especially for vulnerable segments of society including the development of national strategy for dealing with the past and working on regaining the trust of citizens in state institutions.
2. Support processing of war crimes cases at all levels of judiciary in BiH including initial support for set-up of the witness support mechanisms in the country.
3. Support the establishment of regulatory frameworks to mitigate risk and respond to disasters, including outbreaks of communicable diseases in line with the Hyogo Framework for Action
4. Support to the improved management of Small Arms and Light Weapons, mine action and armed violence prevention in line with the national Strategy for SALW Control and Mine Action; Article VII of SAA and Sarajevo Declaration on Armed Violence Prevention 5. Support to the establishment of national and local mechanisms for combat and prevention of gender based and sexual violence.
RELATED MDGs
1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
3. Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women
7. Ensure environmental sustainability
8. Develop a global partnership for development
OUTCOMES
1. Government and stakeholders develop the Transitional Justice Strategy on dealing with the past, and operationalise related mechanisms; National capacities for implementing TJ mechanisms supported.
2. National capacities for processing war crimes cases strengthened.
3. Strengthened capacity of government to plan and implement mine clearance and collection and destruction of small arms.
4. Strengthened capacity of state to manage local socioeconomic development and to engage key national partners.
5. Strengthened the national and local capacities to combat and prevention of gender based and sexual violence.
Related Projects
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