Madame President,

Thank you very much for inviting me to participate in your consultations in my capacity as the Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission’s Country-Specific Meetings on Sierra Leone.

My last statement in this capacity before the Security Council dates back to 14 December 2007. On that occasion, I briefed you on the adoption of the Peacebuilding Cooperation Framework by the Government of Sierra Leone and the Peacebuilding Commission.

Today I would like to brief you on a number of key developments since then, in particular the advocacy and resource mobilization efforts of the PBC and the findings of my recent visit to Sierra Leone.

With the successful adoption of the Peacebuilding Cooperation Framework (Framework), the engagement of the PBC with Sierra Leone has focused on three primary objectives: generating support for the implementation of the commitments contained in the Framework, broadening of the donor base in Sierra Leone, and triggering new activities or up-scaling of existing activities in peacebuilding priority areas.

To that end, the PBC agreed on a work plan outlining a focused resource mobilization, outreach and advocacy strategy. The Framework was transmitted to all relevant stakeholders through a joint letter from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sierra Leone and the Minister for Development Cooperation of the Netherlands. As the Chair of the Sierra Leone CSM, I undertook Ambassadorial-level bilateral meetings and visited key capitals (Washington, London, Brussels, Berlin, and The Hague) to raise awareness about the Framework and garner political and financial support for its implementation. The Government of Sierra Leone did the same and approached various bilateral, regional and multilateral stakeholders for support for the implementation of the Framework. These advocacy and resource mobilization efforts will culminate in a High-Level Stakeholders Consultation on the implementation of the Framework in New York on 19 May, in which – I hope – the members of the Security Council will participate actively.

In preparation for this meeting and in order to obtain first-hand information on the status of the implementation of the Framework, I visited Sierra Leone from April 21-25. The programme for the visit included meetings with the President, the Vice-President, other senior representatives of the government and the majority and minority leaders in parliament as well as the international community and representatives of civil society and the private sector. The visit reinforced the commitment of the stakeholders on the ground for the implementation of the Framework and identified some concrete challenges requiring immediate attention from the GoSL and the international community. Over the last three months, the GoSL, with the support of the UN and other partners, has made significant progress in implementing several commitments contained in the Peacebuilding Framework. Impressive developments have taken place in the areas of justice and security sector reform, anti-corruption, energy sector development, and in the preparation for local council elections. However, there are also a number of challenges which must be addressed in the next few months.

I would like to highlight five challenges here today.

1. The overall economic situation in Sierra Leone remains fragile, especially in light of the rising prices of rice and fuel. President Koroma has stressed that from June 2008 agricultural development and food security will become a new top priority of the government. The UN and other international partners would need to support the government in ensuring that food security issues do not destabilize the country, especially in the lead up to the local council elections. The government of Sierra Leone has set up a Task Force on food security. On the issue of economic recovery, I would also like to note that much of the international assistance to the country continues to be provided through projects in the absence of sector-wide strategies, programmes and funding mechanisms. The PBC May 19 High-Level Stakeholders Consultation on Sierra Leone will explore specific opportunities for sector-wide support through multi-donor funding mechanisms. In this context I should underline the importance of continued budget support by those donors in a position to provide that to the Government of Sierra Leone.

2. The preparations for the local council elections, scheduled for July 5, have been marked by some inter-party and intra-party political tensions. Sierra Leone remains divided along ethnic and geographic lines, requiring intensified efforts for national reconciliation and unity. Isolated violent episodes have also been recorded especially in the southern and eastern parts of the country. These developments underline the importance of continued PBC political engagement with the country. Also, the timely procurement by the UN of supplies necessary for holding the local elections needs urgent attention and action.

3. In the area of youth employment—which is a critical peacebuilding priorty area— differences persist on how to best address this challenge. Currently there is no coherent overall policy framework on youth employment and empowerment, there is no clear focal point in the GoSL addressing the issue, and the international actors are divided in their approaches. The GoSL has the intention to establish a National Youth Commission to address the employment and empowerment of young people. The UN system, in particular UNDP, is also in the process of reviewing its capacity and available technical expertise in this area. The May 19 High-Level Consultation represents a good opportunity to further explore various proposals and to arrive at a common approach.

4. Although Security Council Resolution 1793 mandated UNIOSIL to actively support the work of the Peacebuilding Commission and the implementation of the Framework, this has been difficult due to lack of capacity and a temporary absence of leadership at the highest level. The post of the ERSG of UNIOSIL has not been filled since December of 2007. According to many stakeholders on the ground, this has limited the ability of the UN to take its leadership role and to be the main interlocutor for the government of Sierra Leone at this critical juncture. Absence of an ERSG has limited the capacity of the UN to convene international partners in support of the Framework and more generally in its coordinating role on the ground.

5. A number of stakeholders in Sierra Leone have recognized the need for an informal coordination forum on PBC related issues. This should build on the existing coordination mechanisms such as the Development Partnership Committee (DEPAC) and the PBF steering committee. Both the government of Sierra Leone and the international donors on the ground are determined to improve and strengthen coordination mechanisms in Freetown, including on PBC and PBF matters, also in informal settings.

The challenges outlined above require our collective and timely action. I am confident that given the commitment and the leadership of the GoSL and the continued support of the international community we will be able to address them. In addition, the May 19 High-Level Stakeholders Consultation and the June 19 Biannual Review of the Framework will also offer opportunities for individual and collective action in response to some of these challenges.

In this regard, I would welcome continued support from the Security Council in ensuring constructive engagement of all stakeholders in the work of the Peacebuilding Commission, in particular their active participation in the May 19 High-Level Consultation on Sierra Leone.

I would also like to request that in considering the mandate and the structure of the follow-on integrated peacebuilding mission in Sierra Leone, the Security Council ensures that the office has dedicated staff capacity to actively support the work of the Peacebuilding Commission and the implementation of the Peacebuilding Cooperation Framework. The follow-on mission must also have adequate operational capacity and logistical support to effectively carry-out its mandate.

Finally, the – as I understand – imminent nomination of a new ERSG will ensure the necessary steering in the transition process from UNIOSIL to the follow-on mission and provide the high-level political support needed in the lead up to the local council elections and in our collective peacebuilding efforts in support of the government of Sierra Leone.

Thank you Madame President.