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Office of Conflict Management and Mitigation
>> Regional Overview >> Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance Overview
The vast cost in resources and in human suffering caused by violent conflicts requires major efforts in prevention, mitigation and management. THE DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGE: As the terrible tragedy of September 11, 2001, and its aftermath have made clear, violent conflict in a poor, distant country such as Afghanistan can spawn international terrorism that threatens world peace and security. Although understanding the complex causes of violent conflict and formulating potential solutions are challenging tasks, an agency such as USAID whose mandate is to provide development and humanitarian assistance must confront that challenge. Indeed, the Agency has a comparative advantage in tackling the problems of violent conflict in the developing world, given USAID's decentralized field presence and program implementation capacity. The Agency has decided to make addressing the problem of violent conflict in developing countries one of its main objectives. One of the first hurdles in doing so is to formulate a comprehensive policy and strategy for this effort, and that process is currently underway. At the same time, USAID is taking the necessary steps to develop the institutional capacity to carry out effective programs for preventing such conflicts, as well as mitigating and resolving them. Also, the magnitude and complexity of most conflict issues will require a concerted interagency process. USAID wishes to support and, as needed, stimulate a more vigorous interagency process when it is clear USAID's mandate and resources are too limited.
THE USAID PROGRAM:
FY 2002 Estimate: 0 FY 2003 Request: $10,000,000 In FY 2002, the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance (DCHA) will establish an Office of Conflict Management and Mitigation (CMM). CMM will arrange technical assistance and other field support for USAID missions with conflict management and mitigation programs; fund research and development on conflict prevention, mitigation and resolution in developing countries; and organize training on the subject for USAID staff and implementing partners. The Office will develop indefinite quantity contacts and other mechanisms for USAID mission "buy-ins" for access to technical and other services. CMM will also work on problems of violent conflict in countries without a USAID mission presence, and manage and oversee implementation directly in such non-presence countries by mounting teams for in-country assignments of varying duration. The Office will develop various contracting and other mechanisms for staffing such teams. Although the funds for such contracts may come from the development assistance account, the non-presence programs themselves may well receive their funding from economic support funds or other sources.
The types of initiatives to be addressed with FY 2003 funds include:
- development of vulnerability analyses and assessment tools for use in countries showing the potential for conflict, including developing host country capacity to assess and analyze conflict potential;
- focus on natural resources that illicitly generate finances to fuel conflict, such as diamonds, timber and logging, and gold;
- identification of measures for mitigating ethnic and religious conflict, including through media and education programs, focusing on assisting the parties to the conflict resolve their issues peacefully;
- identification of democratic means, governed by the rule of law, for deciding on the allocation of productive resources such as land and for fairly sharing the benefits of exploiting national resources such as oil;
- early identification of triggers that can spark the outbreak or escalation of violence, and development of preventive measures, such as violence around elections;
- analysis of security sector issues as they relate to conflict, including engagement of civil society in improving accountability of authorities charged with security, and monitoring the flow of illegal small arms; and
- establishment of buy-in contracts and other mechanisms for providing USAID missions with technical assistance and other field support.
USAID understands the central role of foreign assistance in conflict prevention. DCHA/CMM will be the office in USAID to cultivate coordination of policy, promote greater information sharing, increase coordination, and avoid duplication of efforts and resources for programs dealing with conflict. The FY 2003 request for DCHA/CMM is part of the broader USAID conflict prevention effort that crosses a number of bureaus and totals $50.6 million. The breakout of FY 2003 funding for conflict by bureau is as follows: Africa, $20 million; Asia and the Near East, $13.2 million; Latin America and the Caribbean, $7 million; Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance, $10 million; and Policy and Program Coordination, $0.4 million.
OTHER PROGRAM ELEMENTS: CMM's main mission will be to improve USAID's ability to respond to crisis both in USAID presence and non-presence countries to prevent the escalation of violent conflict and the consequent need for humanitarian assistance. Examples of concerns the Office will address, which experience over the past decade has shown to be key impediments to sustainable peace and stability, are:
- Effective legal authority and citizen security that are virtually always nonexistent following conflict and that require peacekeeping intervention. An independent judiciary, an efficient police force responsive to the community it serves, properly demobilized and disarmed former combatants, and a military under civilian authority are all key components of providing needed order and security;
- The difficulty of recognizing potential for conflict and ensuring the requisite host country cooperation sufficiently in advance. There is a need to concentrate on preventing and mitigating conflicts rather than simply reacting to them;
- The inadequacy of democratic institutions and processes, which leads to flawed elections and abuses of power; and
- The necessity of performing long-range strategic planning, which USAID's mandate includes. Today's conflicts by nature have root causes that require integrating short-, medium-, and long-term plans and interventions. Much innovative and exploratory effort is needed to develop more cost-effective approaches to conflict management.
OTHER DONORS: Efforts developed and implemented by DCHA/CMM will involve continued close coordination with the U.S. foreign affairs community, particularly the Department of State, and an increased number of alliances with entities such as the U.S. Institute for Peace, the Department of Defense, indigenous religious institutions dedicated to conflict prevention and resolution, and other non-governmental organizations.
Program Data Sheets
- 999-xxx Conflict Prevention, Resolution, and Mitigation
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Last Updated on: May 29, 2002 |
Overview
