ILO Action Programme on Skills and Entrepreneurship Training for Countries Emerging from Armed Conflict
Training Policies and Systems Branch
Executive Summary
Part I: Towards a framework for ILO Policy and
Action in the Conflict-Affected Context
I. Introduction
II. The problem and Justification for ILO Policy on conflict-affected context
III. Key Concepts
IV. ILO's historical Role and comparative advantage in Post-conflict reconstruction
V. ILO's present response, lessons learnt and constraints encountered
VI Effective ILO response: Areas and approaches
VII. Potential Roles of ILO's Constituents and how to empower them
VIII. ILO's partnerships and collaboration with other UN agencies, regional
and sub-regional bodies, donors and other organizations outside the
UN system for effective action.
IX. Operational and financial implications of the policy framework for
ILO's conflict related work.
X. Conclusion
Part II: Draft of a possible ILO Policy Statement
on Conflict-Affected Countries
XI. Draft Statement : ILO Policy on Conflict-Affected Countries
Annexes
1. A complete list of ILO's publications, working papers and other reports
on conflict and post conflict countries.
2. Recommendation No. 71 concerning transition from war to peace, 1944.
3. A complete list of current ILO technical assistance activities in the
conflict-affected countries.
AcknowledgementsI wish to acknowledge: the valuable comments by colleagues (within the recent ILO Action programme on skills and entrepreneurship training for countries emerging from armed conflict) and of my chief, Maria Ducci, on various drafts of this framework document which facilitated its completion for thorough examination by the ILO interregional seminar on the reintegration of conflict-affected groups through skills training and employment promotion; and important inputs of Peter Brannen, Lejo Sibbel and the ILO's constituents (at the above Interregional seminar) to the elaboration of the concise draft policy statement, found in part II of this document, that was eventually adopted by the Interregional seminar in November 1997.
Eugenia Date-Bah
Coordinator,
ILO Action Programme on Skills and Entrepreneurship Training for Countries Emerging from Armed Conflict,
Training Policies and Systems Branch, ILO, Geneva.
Executive Summary
ILO needs a policy framework to guide and reinforce its action and that of its constituents in conflict-affected contexts. An alarming upsurge in the number of armed conflicts characterises the world today. These conflicts, which are mostly civil, and their extensive social, economic, physical, political and human destruction constitute a major challenge to development and ILO's concerns. Tackling the immense task of reconstruction, reintegration of large numbers of ex-combatants, the internally displaced, returning refugees, women, disabled persons, children, youth and other conflict-affected groups and of promotion of sustainable peace is a mammoth and complex undertaking. It calls for innovative strategies; involving community and national level actors, regional and international bodies; and forging strategic partnerships between them. Skills training and employment promotion, which fall within ILO's mandate, are critical elements in the required processes to rebuild livelihoods, communities, physical infrastructures and socio-economic life. Moreover, they contribute to social healing, reconciliation and long-term peace. ILO's role in this context is thus crucial and needs a comprehensive and visible policy framework for it.
The Organization has a comparative advantage in the conflict-affected context and an imperative responsibility to undertake work in this area. This stems, inter alia, from: its origins at the end of the First World War; the adoption of Recommendation No. 71 concerning Employment Organization in the Transition from War to Peace, and also Recommendation Nos. 68, 72 and 73 concerning Social Security (Armed Forces), Employment Service and Public Works (National Planning) 1944, by the International Labour Conference at the end of the Second World War; the Organization's mandate; as well as the experiences and contributions of the Organization's tripartite members in this area. The ILO, however, has yet to realize its full potential role in the conflict-affected context. The international labour standards on the issue, adopted more than 53 years' ago, do not reflect the changed nature and current reality of civil armed conflicts. They are, therefore, inadequate for providing up-to-date guidance to governments, employers and workers in grappling with the immense demands presented by current conflict-affected crises. While the Organization has in recent years embarked on some short-term technical assistance activities in several of its affected member states, these activities pale against the magnitude and urgency of the problem. Some innovative approaches have been adopted, but more are required in a context plagued, for example, by weak institutional capacity of the relevant labour-related structures, distrust among people, high levels of psychological trauma, extensive population and other changes and distortion of existing data bases. The Organization's role so far has been constrained by the absence of a clear-cut policy framework to underpin coherent and effective action.
The insights gathered by the ILO in recent years, especially from its Action Programme on Skills and Entrepreneurship Training for Countries Emerging from Armed Conflict, emphatically point to the urgent need for such a policy to spell out the Organization's specific roles as well as those of its constituents in this context. This policy framework should provide conceptual clarity and direction in order to facilitate the Organization's timely response. It should delineate the range of factors and issues to be considered in preparing such response. It should provide an overarching frame of reference and scope for engaging ILO's full competence, for promoting the Organization's institutional capacity in this field and for marshalling the contributions of its various technical and other departments in an integrated manner to tackle the multifaceted needs. It should provide guidance on the strategic partnerships needed to be developed between the Organization, its tripartite constituents, other relevant civil actors as well as other bodies. Such a policy framework will contribute greatly to enhancing ILO's role and action in this field. It will herald the Organization's commitment to tackling the grave plight of the conflict-affected member states. Finally, it will augment the Organization's relevance in the current turbulent world.
The adoption of a policy on the conflict-affected context by the Organization must be accompanied by operational support and a major programme of technical assistance to ensure its effective implementation. Such a measure will further add credibility to ILO's pertinence in this area.
The document that follows is divided into two parts. Part I provides the arguments and the elements for a possible policy framework by the ILO for effective action in the conflict-affected context. Part II reflects the succinct draft policy statement adopted by the Interregional Tripartite ILO Seminar on the subject in November 1997.
Part I:
Towards a Framework for ILO's Policy and Action in the Conflict-Affected Context: Training and Employment Promotion for Sustainable Peace
I. Introduction
1. This paper is intended to elaborate a framework for an ILO policy that informs member states, the social partners and other relevant stakeholders about ILO's role in peace-building; in the reintegration of conflict-affected groups; and in the reconstruction of the conflict-affected countries. The framework takes into account: the major challenge of armed conflicts and the devastation they produce in the current world; ILO's historical role and other elements of the Organization's comparative advantage in the conflict and post-conflict context; and the Organization's present activities in this area. It builds on lessons from diverse ILO and other technical assistance work in some of the affected countries and on insights gained from investigations carried out by the ILO Action Programme on Skills and Entrepreneurship Training for Countries Emerging from Armed Conflict (1996-97) and from earlier research work on ex-combatants. It indicates how to strengthen ILO's role in this context and in conflict prevention. It identifies areas and approaches for an effective ILO response and the potential roles of its constituents. It points to the need for ILO's partnerships with other relevant bodies also operating in the conflict-affected areas. Finally, it highlights the implications of this policy framework in terms of the needed resources and operational support. Such a policy framework and the support for its implementation are indispensable to the ILO's potent action in the current conflict-ridden world.
2. Just as developments during the Second World War called for serious discussion in the International Labour Conference, the Governing Body and the Office to review the issue of post-conflict reintegration and reconstruction and ILO's role in this sphere, so the current exponential growth in conflicts around the world should receive a similar response and other reactions in order to enhance ILO's role and relevance in this field.
II. The problem and justification for ILO Policy on the conflict-affected context (1)
3. Armed conflicts constitute a major feature of the current global environment. In 1994 alone, there were 45 open conflicts in different regions. Currently, about a third of ILO's member states are in conflict, emerging from conflict, re-entering into conflict or affected by
conflict in a neighbouring country. (2) This alarming rate of conflicts around the world, their nature and grave impact threaten development and jeopardise ILO's concerns: employment promotion, poverty alleviation, elimination of social, economic and gender inequities, promotion of democracy, protection of workers' rights and observance of international labour standards. Such conflicts and their impact, therefore, require serious reflection in current development and other strategies in order to make post-conflict rebuilding and the reintegration process just as important as conflict prevention, resolution and peace negotiation to ensure long-term peace. They demand an urgent response at the national, regional and international levels. Increasingly, therefore, the issue of post-conflict reconstruction has become an integral part of the work of development and other agencies to contribute to mitigate the impact of the crisis and to rebuild livelihoods of the war-affected people. Such a contribution is part of these bodies' needed adaptation in order to enhance their pertinence to the changing global environment in which they operate.
4. Full understanding of the nature, origins and impact of current armed conflicts is necessary if they are to be taken into account in the strategies formulated for reintegration, peace building and reconstruction to avoid refuelling the conflict. Although there are some inter-country conflicts, most violent conflicts in recent decades have taken place within - rather than between - states. Some are country-wide and others localized in specific part/parts of a country. Their origins, often multifaceted, range from ethnic and economic inequities, social exclusion of segments of the population, social injustice, competition for scarce resources, poverty, lack of democracy, ideological issues to religious differences and political tensions. The end of the Cold War contributed to the re-emergence of ethnic hostilities that have led to a number of civil wars, such as in Eastern and Central Europe. Many current wars are of very long duration, such as 35 years in Guatemala, 30+ in the Phillippines and 17 years in Mozambique. Some countries tend to shift from conflict to post-conflict and back again. This casts doubt on the usage of the concept "post-conflict" and supports the more embracing concept of "conflict-affected". Armed conflicts are also no longer waged exclusively by professional armies in formal battle fields with codes of conduct that include, for example, protection of women, children and other civilians. They, therefore, permeate every aspect of society and are characterized by the active involvement of civilians (including young people who carry and make use of arms) and the deliberate targeting of civilians as in ethnic cleansing and mass rape of women.
5. Changes in the technology of conflicts have also had repercussions on how such conflicts are conducted and affect ability to conduct economic and other activities after the conflict has ended. An example is the increased use of anti-personnel mines, scatter bombs and other chemical defoliants. It is estimated that there are as many as 110 million anti-personnel mines scattered in more than 70 countries torn by war in recent decades. Over one million people have been killed or maimed over the last 20 years by land mines. A landmine claims one victim every 22 minutes. In this light, the current efforts which have resulted in the adoption, on 3rd of December 1997, by 120 countries of a treaty that bans production, use and stocking-piling of anti-personel landmines should be perceived as a major positive development for mankind in preventing further landmines' use. Afghanistan, Angola, Cambodia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Mozambique are among the most land-mined countries. Unlike the past, landmines are increasingly difficult to detect as their exact locations are often not recorded. These landmines continue to maim and kill people long after the cessation of conflict and also impede people's capacity to be mobile and to resume their agricultural and other economic activities. The utilization of anti human rights practices has also become widespread, including some gender-specific violence, forced and child labour (particularly for combat) and arbitrary arrests.
6. The above nature of current conflicts, thus, produces wide-ranging consequences, affecting every facet of society: lives and livelihoods, families, communities and economic, social, educational, political, legal, institutional and physical structures, cohesion and political participation of the different population groups, security and development. Large numbers of civilians are displaced internally or externally as refugees and have to be reintegrated together with other war-affected population groups and demobilized combatants after conflict. Migration flows increase. Other major demographic changes occur including transformations in household composition, dependency ratios, and an increase in the number of female headed households. Schools, hospitals and bridges are often targeted for destruction. Social services and the general operations of public services are severely curtailed. Conflict leaves such scars as psychological traumas, weakened community support and social networks and increased physical disability. Social institutions, including those that are labour-related, trade unions and employers' organizations as well as governmental structures are considerably weakened in capacity, resources, members and services they provide. Increased violations of freedom association in conflict-affected member states have been examined in recent sessions of the ILO Committee on Freedom of Association. National authorities sometimes declare "states of emergency" in the conflict-affected context to curtail workers' freedom of association. The labour market is severely affected and opportunities for training provision are disrupted. The country's economic output, exports, foreign exchange resources, raw materials, transportation, labour market conditions and general viability are severely compromised. Levels of unemployment and underemployment soar. For example, the unemployment level in Angola is estimated to be as high as 40-50% after the war. In Bosnia, 45% of industrial and mining enterprises were destroyed during the war, nearly halving the 450, 000 labour force in this sector. 7. There is considerable deterioration in the quality of life and an increase in poverty. Women, the disabled, children and youth tend to suffer disproportionately more than other population groups both during and in the aftermath of war. Protracted conflict has also been observed to produce a culture of violence, potentially fostering tolerance of violence in the general society. The impact of civil conflicts has not always been confined to the actual country involved but has spilled over into neighbouring countries and even into the sub-region. Such was the impact of the war in Rwanda on the Great Lakes region in Africa and, likewise, the war in former Yugoslavia on the subregion around it.
8. The needs to be met after conflict are, therefore, numerous and complex and they differ in quality and quantity from those of the "normal" society. There is considerable doubt as to the extent to which all these needs are adequately covered in the political negotiation processes of peace accords (3) and even whether these accords can provide an appropriate framework for their tackling. Therefore, the conclusion of peace accords, whilst essential, cannot alone bring about long-term peace. Serious efforts must accompany the accords to address the above material and human destruction ; to improve upon the welfare of the people and their effective reintegration into civil life; and to enhance social inclusiveness and the promotion of democratic processes and non-discrimination which are also critical to peace building. The promotion of sustainable peace, therefore, inevitably requires action on employment promotion (4), human resources development, promotion of equality and also on a number of other areas where ILO has a comparative advantage. The ILO, therefore, has a critical role to play and needs an authoritative policy to guide its action in this area.
9. ILO requires a clear and visible policy on conflict-affected countries in order to demonstrate unequivocally its commitment to this major and urgent concern of the present day and to mobilize its capacity, readiness and means to respond to these challenges. This policy should further articulate clearly ILO's specific roles here. It should define the appropriate strategies the Organization should adopt in the conflict-affected context, the roles of its tripartite constituents and needed partnerships with other actors operating in this area. It should provide a broad-based framework that is flexible and adaptable to the different conflict situations. The policy framework is a necessary component of the enabling environment for effective ILO involvement and proactive action in the conflict and post-conflict contexts.
10. The Organization's lack of a recognizable policy framework, which adequately responds to the nature of current conflicts, the needs of conflict-affected countries and groups and the emerging challenges in this sphere, hampers ILO's potential and resolve to respond coherently to the needs of concerned member States and to mobilize resources for this work. The absence of such a policy also limits ILO's capacity to play its expected role effectively within the current UN system-wide efforts and strategic framework for post-conflict reconstruction and for promoting sustainable peace. Furthermore, it impedes the visibility of the Organization's relevance, capacity and political significance in tackling the needs of the conflict-affected context and constrains the marketing of ILO's activities and contributions in this area.
11. Such a policy will assist the Organization's staff in the field, at headquarters and on projects by clarifying operational modalities for ILO's work in the conflict-affected countries and by providing conceptual guidance to facilitate their appropriate and timely response to the critical needs and emerging challenges of these contexts. It will provide an overarching framework and scope for engaging ILO's full competence in several of the areas under ILO's mandate which are also critical for reinforcing peace building and development in the aftermath of conflict. It is not a prescription for a uniform standard response but delineates the range of factors and issues to be considered to respond effectively to the urgent needs and peculiarities of the post-conflict society. It is geared to promoting a comprehensive institutional capacity and response in this field.
III. Key Concepts
12. Operational clarity in use of the key concepts in the conflict field is necessary in order to avoid confusion and to facilitate planning and action. Providing such clear operational definitions will further promote harmonization of their use throughout the Organization. Among the key concepts are reintegration, reconstruction, peace building, demobilization, ex-combatants, conflict-affected groups and the emergency/relief, rehabilitation and development phases.
13. Reintegration:
Re-absorption of the conflict-affected groups into civil life. Reintegration is a comprehensive process for the individual and the whole society. It takes place within the framework of the reconstruction of the country and the (re)building of national unity. For the conflict-affected people, reintegration might start with the end of the armed conflict. Their reintegration might develop in a more structured and systematic way with a peace accord, the repatriation of refugees and displaced people as well as with reconstruction and rehabilitation plans. The orientation of both individuals and society tends to focus on medium and long-term planning and not only on daily survival. This orientation is for life in peace and for permanent settlement in a community with secure means of livelihood rather than dependence on food aid. Conflict-affected people have to reintegrate themselves into society. The role of other bodies is to assist this process. The displaced and demobilized combatants need reintegration. Other conflict-affected communities,who have not been displaced may help to reintegrate others. The reintegration is often into a system which is itself changing. Reintegration programmes can include such components as food aid, cash compensation, targeted training programmes, income-generation and access to land as well as the rebuilding of institutional capacities to enhance the potential for economic and social integration of the conflict-affected populations.
Reconstruction:
Rebuilding the social fabric and economic, physical and political structures and institutions after conflict. It should not necessarily imply a return to the pre-conflict situation since that very situation may have triggered the conflict. Reconstruction efforts should also aim at bringing about a mentality change towards greater tolerance and equality in society.
Peace building:
" Action to identify and support structures which will tend to strengthen and solidify peace in order to avoid a relapse into conflict" and " the construction of a new environment" that prevents recurrence of violent conflict (UN Secretary-General's Agenda for Peace, 1992). Promoting long-term peace is a complex process. It requires collective effort and the contribution of all the relevant actors of civil society. It should entail comprehensive action encompassing much more than a focus on combatants. It should include tackling the socio-economic and other concerns of ordinary people.
Demobilization:
Reorienting soldiers and other combatants from fighting to civilian life. This entails disarming and absorbing them into non-military employment and other activities.
Ex-combatants:
They consist of demobilized combatants not only from formal governmental army but also guerrilla forces and militias. The combatants do not include only men but also child soldiers and women. All these groups should feature in the profiles prepared on combatants and catered for in demobilization packages and programmes.
Conflict-affected groups:
These comprise not only refugees and those who were internally displaced by the conflict but also those who remain in their usual homes during conflict. They include ex-combatants, disabled people, women, children, youth and the aged.
Emergency/relief, Rehabilitation and Development phases:
The assumption is often made that countries after conflict pass through three phases - emergency/relief, rehabilitation and development. The emergency phase covers the period following the immediate signing of the peace accord or partial cessation of hostilities, when the emphasis is on saving lives and, therefore, on provision of food aid, other handouts and relief programmes. In the rehabilitation phase, importance is given to rebuilding infrastructure, schools and other vital facilities. In the development phase, the emphasis is on elaborating the appropriate developmental policies for the country. It has now been found that the phases can co-exist and even overlap in a country. Recent insights have revealed the need in the conflict and post-conflict period to link relief and development. This entails sowing the seeds for rehabilitation and development even during the emergency/relief processes. The need to link relief and development also requires coordination of the activities of the various relief, rehabilitation and development intergovernmental agencies and NGOs to ensure that their activities in the country are mutually reinforcing. Such coordination in a context of weak governmental institutions in the post-conflict context is often problematic. This issue is currently being examined within the UN system, and the proposal made to have a UN system resident coordinator rather than a UNDP or humanitarian resident coordinator.
Working with local authorities in the conflict-affected context:
Governments are often weak in the immediate aftermath of conflict and may also not command wide scale legitimacy. Therefore, the concept of local authorities is operationally defined to include not only the government and the social partners but also community structures and relevant bodies from civil society.
IV. ILO's historical Role and comparative advantage in Post-Conflict Reconstruction
14. ILO's relevance in the reconstruction of conflict-affected countries and improvement of their people's material welfare is closely linked to the Organization's origins at the end of the First World War under the Treaty of Versailles (1919). This Treaty recognized that employment promotion was critical for building sustainable peace. The ILO's Constitution and Declaration of Philadelphia, 1944, also identified this role as an integral part of the Organization's mandate. The Preamble of the former specifically states that "universal and lasting peace can be established only if it is based upon social justice" and the latter reiterates this by stating that "experience has fully demonstrated....that lasting peace can be established only if it based on social justice".
15, During the Second World War, the International Labour Conference, especially at its 25th and 26th sessions in 1941 and 1944, reaffirmed ILO's role in post-conflict reconstruction. In convening the 26th Session of the International Labour Conference in 1941, the Governing Body, observed that:
"the stage had now been reached at which it was imperative that international consideration should be given to the social problems which arise during the last period of the war and after the close of hostilities, and that it was imperative that the International Labour Conference should be able to discuss these problems and to take decisions concerning them at the earliest possible moment."
It further noted that
"the beginning of concerted international action to deal with post-war problems had made it imperative that the International Labour Organization should, without further delay, define its own future policy and programme and its general place in the process of post-war reconstruction..."
It, therefore, authorized the Office to submit proposals to the Conference for discussion.
16. An Office document, The ILO and Reconstruction, submitted to the 25th Session (1941) of the International Labour Conference, emphasized importance of social objectives in post-war reconstruction. It proposed that the ILO should be part of the international machinery for the planning of measures of reconstruction; that "the share of the task of reconstruction assigned to the Organization should be solemnly formulated in a social mandate......The scale and rapidity of the economic and social changes which constitute the background of the problem of reconstruction have made it necessary to envisage the role of the International Labour Organization in a new perspective..." The relevance of the experience of organized labour and management was also recognized.
17. A resolution on post-war emergency, adopted by the Conference in 1941, pointed inter alia to the Organization's tripartite structure as making it "peculiarly fitted" to be involved in reconstruction work "in such a way as to minimize misunderstanding and unrest and to promote a stable and enduring peace". It called on the Governing Body to draw governments' attention to the desirability of associating the ILO with planning and application of measures of reconstruction and of requesting the ILO's representation in any peace and reconstruction conference following war. Furthermore, the ILO should report on post-war reconstruction to subsequent sessions of the International Labour Conference "so that the ILO shall be in a position to give authoritative expression to the social objectives confided to it, in the rebuilding of a peaceful world upon the basis of improved labour standards, economic advancement and social security" (5).
18. The 26th Session of the International Labour Conference in 1944 examined the topic of organization of employment in the transition from war to peace. The Office paper on the subject (6)
emphasized: advance collection of information on labour supply, and labour demand and requirements in the post-war country; reintegration of demobilized soldiers into productive employment; the role of employment services in the transition from war to peace not only for gathering relevant information but also for bringing "available workers and available jobs together"; vocational guidance; training and retraining; geographic mobility in the labour force; employment of the youth whose education and employment conditions were adversely affected by the war; employment of women, in recognition of the fact that special action is necessary to ensure that women do in fact benefit from the training, retraining and other measures proposed for the organization of employment and that the principle of sex equality is observed; employment of disabled workers; planning of public works to absorb in a speedy manner discharged soldiers and other war-affected groups; and financial provisions - grants, unemployment insurance benefit or unemployment assistance.
19. Recommendation No 71 concerning Employment Organization in the Transition from War to Peace (1944) - as well as - , Recommendation No. 68 concerning Income Security and the Medical Care for Persons Discharged from Armed Forces and Assimilated Services and from War Employment, Recommendation No.72 concerning Employment Service and Recommendation No. 73 concerning the National Planning of Public works adopted by the 26th Session of the International Labour Conference on the basis of the above discussion, fully underscored the importance of employment in consolidating peace and the reintegration of the war-affected. The preamble of Recommendation No. 71 recognizes that "the character and magnitude of the employment adjustments required during the transition from war to peace will necessitate special action, more particularly for the purpose of facilitating the re-employment of demobilized members of the armed forces, discharged war workers, and all persons whose usual employment has been interrupted as a result of the war, enemy action, or resistance to the enemy or enemy-dominated authorities, by assisting the persons concerned to find without delay the most suitable employment". Governments should collect information on the labour force seeking work and on possible employment opportunities, plan the various national programmes in cooperation with employers and workers' organizations, and provide training and retraining programmes and vocational guidance. The Recommendation's other provisions cover some of the vulnerable groups in the conflict and post-conflict context, especially youth, women and disabled person.
20. Although a valid instrument for its time, this international labour standard is now little known even within ILO's structures. Furthermore, since the second world war, there has been considerable change in warfare, its impact and how the different population groups are involved in it. This raises the issue of the extent of relevance of Recommendation No. 71 to the present situation and the need for its possible revision to reflect the new reality of conflict and the problems to be addressed. This will also enhance its relevance to national policy and other action. This Recommendation and other relevant ones mentioned above were adopted by the International Labour Conference at a time when there was considerable confidence in the power of the state as the prime mover in development and employment. In the current context, however, the private sector is quite important and, therefore, more attention should be paid to mobilizing private sector initiatives and contributions to post-conflict reconstruction. Furthermore, all these Recommendations adopted in the aftermath of the Second World War are based on the assumption that the armed forces involved in conflict are formalized and centralized to allow for their orderly discharge with income security and medical care provisions (as proposed by Recommendation No. 68). This does not reflect the current situation in many cases. The standards also assume that what they try to regulate for a country emerging from armed conflict was already in existence before the war, such as a social security system (Recommendation No. 68), an employment service (Recommendation No. 72) and a national capacity for the planning of public works (Recommendation No. 73). In many of the current conflict-affected developing countries, however, such facilities and capacities are (and also were before the conflict) not-established. The Recommendations do not reflect internal but inter-state wars. They assume (especially in their preambles) that a stable peace will be in place after the conflict and the signing of a peace accord. However, current conflict-affected countries clearly demonstrate the instability of peace and even the difficulty of often determining when conflict has ended. Finally, these standards do not adequately reflect the fact that when people are employed and the principle of non-discrimination is observed, this itself can have a conflict-preventing impact. Thus, early warning systems that monitor the employment situation and the problem of social exclusion should also be incorporated into the ILO's conflict-related work. This should accompany possible revision of its standards on conflict, especially Recommendation No. 71 .
21. Currently, at the international level, substantial emphasis is being put on post-conflict recovery and rehabilitation and the need for a concerted response from the UN system which also links relief and development. This latter development is within the framework of the UN Secretary-General's Agenda for Peace and the recent adoption by the UN/ACC of proposals, by the UN Consultative Committee on Programme and Operational Questions (UNCCPOQ), for a strategic framework for post-conflict rehabilitation and reconstruction. ILO has a role to play in this system-wide effort, which can be facilitated by having an identifiable policy on the matter. This is especially important in a United Nations system in the throes of reorganization.
22. The International Labour Organization, with its mandate to promote employment, international labour standards and social justice, has undoubtedly a critical role to play in post-conflict reconstruction and development efforts of countries. Its comparative advantage stems from the following:
• its tripartite structure (consisting of governments and employers' and workers' organizations) which enables it to mobilize social dialogue and broad consensus between some of the important social partners to support the peace process and reconstruction efforts and to advocate the social responsibility of business and labour;
• its international labour standards, including not only Recommendations Nos. 71, 68, 72 and 73, but also those on equality - such as Convention No 111 concerning Discrimination(Employment and Occupation), 1958 and Convention No. 169 concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples, 1989 - which provide a relevant framework to guide interventions in war-torn contexts, the peace process and also its concern with human rights;
• its insights gathered from its current technical cooperation projects in some of the post-conflict countries such as in Angola, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Lebanon, Mozambique and Rwanda and its experience with the reintegration of ex-combatants and some other war-affected groups;
• its earlier accumulated rich experience from its origins at the end of the First World War and from insights at the end of the Second World War as well as its more recent conflict-related activities in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s covering Ethiopian refugees; Namibian and South African refugees in the front-line states; Afghan refugees in Pakistan; Cambodian displaced people in Thailand; and the Occupied Arab Territories;
• its long field experience, relevant training materials, insights and approaches to employment promotion gained from its nearly 80 years of existence which may be adapted to post-conflict situations;
• its expertise in the field of labour legislation and revision, reconstruction of employment services, formulation of relevant social policies and the promotion of sound labour relations based on social dialogue;
• the range of data and lessons gathered from its current multi-disciplinary Action Programme on Skills and Entrepreneurship Training for Countries Emerging from Armed Conflict as well as from its earlier work on ex-combatants, which have augmented its preparedness, knowledge and capacity to respond meaningfully to the challenges of the post-conflict context and to raise expectations of what the ILO can do, and its degree of commitment to the issue;
• its experience in building vital national and local institutional capacity, such as of Ministries of Labour etc.;
• the close ties existing between the conflict context and a number of ILO's long-standing concerns and work, such as non-discrimination, employment promotion, poverty alleviation, social protection and promotion of social safety nets, observance of human rights, freedom of association, democracy and improvement of the situation of the vulnerable groups including women, youth and the disabled;
• its on-going work on indigenous and tribal peoples, who are often among the groups requiring special attention in some conflict-affected contexts.
• its relevant materials produced over the years that are pertinent to the issue (see Annex for a list).
• its wide network of field offices and multidisciplinary teams in different parts of the world, which has enhanced its closeness to countries including those in conflict and which also facilitates the ILO's monitoring of developments there.
V. ILO's present response, lessons learnt and constraints encountered
23. Various efforts have been made by the ILO in recent years to provide technical assistance to conflict-affected countries spanning the different phases of the conflict and post-conflict period - emergency, rehabilitation and development. These activities have included primarily micro-enterprise promotion, vocational training, employment-intensive works, vocational rehabilitation and, to some extent, institution-building and the development of labour relations. The Organization, however, needs to specify at what stage and under what conditions the ILO should intervene in a country emerging from armed conflict.
24 Owing to the limited capacity of the conflict and post-conflict economies to create employment opportunities to absorb the large numbers rendered unemployed and underemployed by the war and also the new entrants into the labour market, some ILO activities have placed emphasis on promoting micro enterprises and cooperatives in several of these countries. It has promoted local economic development strategy (such as in Central America and Cambodia) through which local economic development agencies (LEDAs) have been created to bring together all the relevant actors in the local community to identify business opportunities, plan micro enterprises, micro-finance schemes and other related business activities and to implement and monitor their implementation. Such an approach has contributed to building local ownership, consensus and cohesion among the participants at the local level and also sustainability of the activities. LEDAs have also served as financial intermediaries through which development bank loans and other funds from donors are channelled to micro enterprises. In Cambodia, the various LEDAs have together formed the Association of Cambodian Local Economic Development Agencies (ACLEDA), a national non-governmental organization which has further helped to sustain the activities.
25. Vocational training has been emphasized in technical assistance activities in such post-conflict countries as Angola, Cambodia, Lebanon, Ethiopia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burundi, Liberia, Mali, Mozambique and Rwanda. Flexible and cost-effective short-cycle skills training has been provided to the war-affected groups to enhance their employability, especially in self-employment. Owing to the exigencies of the post-conflict context, a wide range of training providers -governmental training institutions, skilled artisans, apprenticeship schemes, public and private cooperation facilities, bilateral bodies, church groups and other NGOs - has been utilized. A network of these different training providers has sometimes been promoted through which the project plans and conducts the different training activities. This strengthens the technical capacity of these training providers and contributes to train the trainers. An attempt has been made to focus on skills-in-demand in potential growth sectors in the post-war reconstruction phase, such as construction, transport, repair and maintenance of equipment. Implementation of training programmes has often been accompanied by collecting data such as the profiles of the target group, identifying appropriate training channels and the provision of training services; and provision of relevant information and career guidance services as well as technical and financial support (management training, tool kits and credit) to facilitate entry into self-employment activities. It has also been observed that many trainees need life skills, such as on orientation, social skills, management and supplementary basic education to enable them to translate their training into employment successfully.
26. Some of the activities, such as in Angola and Mozambique, have targeted ex-combatants because the reintegration of this group is often considered vital to consolidate the peace process and restore stability in the immediate aftermath of war. The programmes have also tried to orient themselves to include other groups, such as displaced persons, to contribute to their reintegration.
27. A series of studies, conducted by the ILO specifically on ex-combatants in 1995, generated data on diverse facets of the reintegration of this group. These included the reintegration through self-employment and training; the relevance and potential of employment-intensive works programmes in the reintegration of demobilized combatants into civilian life; rehabilitation and reintegration of disabled ex-combatants; labour-market assessments for the reintegration of ex-combatants in war-affected countries; and guidelines for planners and implementers of demobilized combatants. The results of the studies were examined at a regional experts meeting in Africa which, inter alia, emphasized the need for a policy on, and governmental full commitment to, reintegration. The reintegration process - both its social and economic aspects - could be tackled satisfactorily not through short-term approaches but over the medium- and long-term. It needs linkages with the overall process of national reconstruction to be effective. Furthermore, while recognizing the need (in terms of security) to focus on ex-combatants, the meeting also emphasized equity and parity in benefits provided to the different war-affected groups. It further noted that reintegration programmes had tended to neglect the high levels of trauma of war-affected people and, therefore, underscored the need to include counselling as an integral part of these programmes. A comprehensive employment approach should feature in the reintegration programmes, which should also reflect the needs of the special groups.
28. Adapting the regulatory framework and the labour relations system is one measure that countries emerging from war have to undertake as part of their reconstruction programme. Some ILO technical assistance activities to these countries(Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, El Salvador, Eritrea, Guatemala, Lebanon, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda and South Africa) have focused on labour law and labour relations matters not as a minor matter, to be dealt with once reconstruction has been completed but as an essential element in sustaining the reconstruction process. This includes economic adjustment and the transition to democracy (including promotion of social dialogue among the various elements of the society for stability) often embarked upon. The precarious political and institutional environment in the conflict-affected context and the new constitutions drafted have often had an impact on the outcome of the efforts in this area. For example, elements in the new constitutions do sometimes hamper the development of labour law and labour relations, conforming to ILO's International Labour Standards .
29. Other ILO activities have covered: employment intensive works (Armenia, Cambodia, Mozambique and Uganda); vocational rehabilitation (Afghanistan, Angola, Cambodia, the Central American Countries); occupational safety and health (Lebanon and Palestine); and statistical capacity (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lebanon). The ILO's presence even during the political negotiation process of peace agreements has occurred, for example, in Guatemala which ensured that relevant labour-related and social issues were reflected in the agreements to underpin meaningful action in these areas afterwards .
30. A number of lessons have been identified, especially in relation to constraints currently existing in the ILO's work on post-conflict reconstruction. These can be summarized as follows:
- fragmentary responses in many cases, which are not often effective, and lack the support of an Office-wide policy framework to promote coherence of the different types of response ;
- inadequate preparation and assessment of actual needs, other activities and actors in the country;
- lack of presence of ILO and the relevant labour-related institutions usually at the political negotiation process of peace accords, of constitution drafting, policy-making and relief stages in order to prepare the appropriate background and enabling environment for employment-related activities later on and to realize adequately the link between relief and development. (The only exception for ILO is Guatemala);
- inadequate effort to understand the causes and nature of the conflict and, therefore, limited consideration of these and their full impact on society, the labour market and the psychological and other changes in people's lives and in community structure;
- perception of the projects only in terms of providing a service (such as training, skills, credit, jobs, contribution to development) without adequately emphasizing the ultimate and broader goal, which is building, nurturing and fostering social peace. A development assistance may, for example, refuel a conflict if it exacerbates an unequal access to resources or fails to bring together target groups from different factions of the conflict to promote their social interaction and cohesion. Peace-nurturing and fostering should, thus, constitute one of the criteria for monitoring and evaluating ILO projects in the conflict and even non-conflict contexts;
- inadequate recognition of the rapidity of change in the conflict and post-conflict context and, therefore, the need for flexibility in technical assistance activities;
- limited emphasis on strengthening institution-building and on the role of labour administration, of the social partners and of other relevant institutions in the reintegration and reconstruction process;
- neglect of the substantial psychological trauma among the conflict-affected population groups and, therefore, the need for integrating counselling in reintegration programmes. As observed by an ILO Expert Meeting (1995, p.6) " Sociological and psychological aspects of community reintegration are pivotal to genuine reintegration and must not play a secondary role in this process. The success of economic reintegration depends on how well communal social and cultural cohesive forces are mobilized and maximized";
- ad hoc, short-term and non-participatory planning approaches which easily lead to inadequate programmes for which the conflict-affected population feels little ownership and which also tend not to be sustainable;
- limited scope and unrealistic duration of the technical assistance activities, thus resulting in limited impact;
- inadequate consideration of the gender perspective in many of the activities, such as with ex-combatants so as to ensure that the differential or peculiar needs and war experiences of women are adequately catered for to ensure their equal benefits from the activities;
- data gap and also inadequate concern to collect relevant information on the conflict-affected situation and people to fill the gaps in order to facilitate realistic planning;
- insufficient understanding of the demographic changes and altered gender roles that arise in the conflict context and, therefore, limited consideration of these changes within our technical assistance activities for the conflict-affected groups to consolidate them;
- lack of recognition of the urgent needs of war-affected youth and child soldiers who are often erroneously excluded from many of the reintegration programmes and projects implemented so far;
- lack of ILO's continuous and long-term presence in the conflict-affected context to enhance its action in this area.
- absence of a focal point in the office to promote linkages between the different forms of assistance provided separately by the different units, to ensure synergy and coherence between the activities and to explore relevant collaboration with other UN and other actors at the national level;
- delays in resource mobilization to permit timely response;
- an unrealistic appraisal of a number of political issues hindering provision of needed assistance. For instance, in the immediate aftermath of war when a recognizable firm government may not yet be established nor relevant policies set, requests may be submitted to the ILO by other relevant actors, such at the community-level and outside the governmental structure. Furthermore, developing partnerships with NGOs, which are active in the conflict and post-conflict context, may be necessary for action instead of waiting indefinitely for a credible government to be set up to make proposals;
- inadequate use of international labour standards, which are supposed to be the basis for all ILO technical assistance, to provide guidance for the work in the conflict-affected context;
- insufficient ILO participation in conflict prevention, especially potential conflicts emanating from social exclusion, economic deprivation and discriminatory practices;
- limited involvement of the ILO's constituents - ministries of labour, employers' and workers' organizations - in conflict resolution and post-conflict reconstruction efforts at the national and community levels to ensure that labour-related concerns are adequately addressed;
- weak ties and partnerships with other actors, including governmental and non-governmental structures and other international bodies, needed for effective action, meaningful impact and development of strong local ownership of the technical assistance activities in the conflict-affected context.
VI. Effective ILO Response: Areas and approaches
31. Owing to the varied characteristics and dynamic nature of the post-conflict context, the ILO's usual responses to employment promotion require modification to enhance their relevance and impact in such an environment. Effective action demands a long-term process encompassing social, economic, psychological and political dimensions. A recent ILO Expert Meeting (7)
for example, observed that "it was inappropriate to deal with reintegration on a short-term basis....both social and economic aspects of reintegration could be satisfactorily handled only in the medium to long-term. Short-term approaches only buy time and sustain the transition phase". Above all, there is a need for a coherent integrated framework. Priorities, however, have to be set among the elements that should go into the integrated framework to accord with ILO's ability to deliver them. Among the elements are the following:
a) areas:
-social and labour policy formulation :
employment creation and poverty alleviation such as elaborating appropriate policy framework including coverage of relevant employment-related and social issues in the political negotiation process of peace accords and the involvement of the social partners in the negotiation process; examining employment implications of investments coming into the country and new national policies and programmes being put in place;
identifying local survival strategies; establishing labour market information;
-local and national institutional capacity-building:
strengthening of relevant labour market structures, labour administration, statistical capacity, the organizations and roles of the social partners, local/community development and grassroots' organizations; and reactivating or promoting social dialogue; promoting
social responsibility of enterprises and workers' associations, cooperatives and other forms of group mobilization for productive activities; .
-training
targeted vocational training, which also incorporates life and peace skills and is linked to emerging employment opportunities in the slowly reviving economy;
business skills training;
use of a wide range of training providers;
vocational guidance;
-an enabling legislative framework:
revising of Recommendation No. 71 (copy is annexed) and wide scale dissemination of it, together with Recommendation Nos. 68, 72 and 73, to inform national action;
promoting observance of other relevant international labour standards including : Conventions Nos. 111, discrimination (occupation and employment); 169, indigenous and tribal peoples; as well as those whose implementation is disrupted by conflict situations, e.g. Conventions Nos. 29 and 105, forced labour; 87, freedom of association; 98, right to organize and collective bargaining; 138, minimum age; 144, tripartite consultation; and 150, labour administration.
providing advice to adapt the regulatory framework and labour relations to the changed and new contexts. Work here includes labour law and labour relations and other appropriate elements of the legal environment.
-promotion of micro-enterprises and productive self-employment ;
enhancing access to micro-finance and business support services to promote the private sector without neglecting the public sector.
-employment intensive public works
promoting employment-intensive public works to contribute to rebuilding destroyed infrastructure while at the same time providing opportunities for labour absorption.
-Social protection and social services:
considering the protection of the diversity between conflict-affected groups and their needs: ex--combatants, child soldiers, youth, women, disabled persons, displaced and returnees and those who remained in their usual abodes etc.
fixing and administering of social assistance benefits, designing and implementing invalidity benefits and setting up and monitoring contributory health insurance schemes.
b) Approaches:
32. Working within the difficult conflict and post-conflict environment requires flexibility and a departure from "habitual tracks" and the Organization's usual modes of operation. It requires adopting new approaches and perspectives, learning new skills and making adjustments to working methods. Despite the urgency of the conflict-affected situation, the ILO Action Programme's findings clearly demonstrate that there should not be a trade off between speed of action and careful planning that takes adequate account of the peculiarities of the post-conflict-context. The necessary approaches include:
- assessing, in a participatory way, the needs of the specific post-conflict context and conflict-affected groups;
- building partnerships with other relevant actors beyond the Organization's traditional partners and collaborating with other UN bodies within the current UN system's strategic framework for post-conflict reconstruction;
- promoting regular dialogue between government and other relevant actors and the community structures in the conception and implementation of the programmes to build linkages with their different activities and also local ownership and sustainability;
- working at both the local community and the national levels,
promoting local economic development agencies and other community-level participatory and capacity-building approaches in order to enhance community cohesion, local ownership and sustainability;
- working with associations of conflict-affected groups and other relevant bodies in addition to governmental departments and ministries so as to build their confidence and ownership. Such an approach is necessary in the immediate aftermath of conflict when governmental structures are often weak;
- considering psychological traumas, other health, human rights, social and community needs of the conflict-affected people, the need for reconciliation and social healing to mainstream them in the employment-promotion programmes to enhance impact of the latter;
- enlarging activities for ex-combatants to also include and benefit other conflict-affected groups and avoid favouring the former at the expense of the other more vulnerable groups to avert fuelling potential tensions and divisions within the communities;
- linking training to basic education and incorporating basic social skills, management and general orientation to the world of work;
- adopting gender "lenses" and also considering strategic changes in gender roles and other survival strategies of the conflict-affected peoples and their communities with a view to taking them into account and building upon them to enhance their livelihoods. Gender awareness in the conflict-affected context should in particular take into account the rise in the number of the female-headed households and their specific concerns;
- recognizing that creative opportunities are sometimes unleashed by conflict;
- ILO involving itself early in resolving underlying tensions and economic and social inequalities that could contribute to the eruption of armed conflicts;
- coordinating closely the Office's own various activities in the conflict-affected context as well as also keeping close ties with other relevant non-ILO activities, and with regional and other bodies for greater synergy and impact.
- adopting a flexible response owing to the dynamic nature of the conflict-affected context;
- adopting an integrated approach and long-term programmes demanded by the long-term process of rebuilding wartorn societies and of empowering the conflict-affected people;
- collecting and disseminating relevant data and experiences (through for example interregional, regional, national and TCDC information sharing and networking activities) to guide planning and to stimulate action;
- adopting a stronger voice in international and national fora in advocacy for labour-related and social inequality issues in conflict-resolution, reconstruction, reintegration and peace building;
33. Specific guidelines for employment promotion and for the work of the ILO and its constituents in the conflict and post-conflict context are therefore needed to improve and strengthen the response of all these actors. A draft of such guidelines is currently under preparation.
VII. Potential Roles of ILO's Constituents and how to empower them
34. ILO's social partners can contribute to: post-conflict reconstruction, consensus building and social healing process, peace education and negotiation, counselling and promotion of income-generating activities to absorb some of the conflict-affected groups. This role is in addition to their active involvement with governments in tackling the adverse effects of conflict on employment opportunities, work place structures and relations, working conditions and labour-related institutions. Thus, in the conflict and post-conflict countries, in particular, the social partners need to concern themselves with broader social, economic and political issues such as the building of democratic and stable structures and viable economies. For example, they can carry out awareness-raising activities among their memberships to overcome the divisions emanating from the conflict; advocate good governance; and undertake other initiatives to improve upon the situation of the conflict-affected groups and the divisions in their communities. The social partners will have to collaborate with other bodies within civil society to build alliances with them in contributing effectively to the reconstruction effort.
35. In the particular context of the conflict-affected countries, however, the social partners are often weakened by the war. They therefore need to strengthen their capacity through support from the ILO and other relevant institutions to be able to fulfil their above potential roles.
VIII. ILO's Partnerships and Collaboration with other UN Agencies, Regional and Sub-Regional Bodies, Donors and other Organizations Outside the UN System for Effective Action.
36. Enormity of the challenges to be tackled in the conflict and post-conflict context exceeds the capacity of governments and each of the different international and local actors. Action by all the relevant bodies is, therefore, imperative. The building of partnerships is critical between the different actors - international ones within and outside the UN system, the Bretton Woods institutions, donors, NGOs and community-based associations and stabilizing points - to ensure linkages between the different contributions and to enhance their impact. Such partnerships need to reach beyond the ILO's traditional partners and allies to encompass other relevant actors at the local level to promote wide scale local ownership of the technical assistance efforts. It is thus essential for there to be regular consultations between the ILO and these other bodies.
37. The UN Secretary-General's Agenda for Peace stresses, inter alia, coordination at different levels. Various inter-agency structures, that already exist, provide scope for this. Furthermore, the UN system-wide strategic framework for post-conflict reconstruction already calls for strengthening collaboration between the various UN-system institutions at the national level and with the Bretton Woods institutions and efforts to link relief and development. Such partnerships should involve regular exchange of information and relevant insights between the different bodies, to develop specific working relationships, joint conception and implementation of programmes. Some modification in ILO's working methods in conflict-affected contexts is called for to facilitate contacts with the other actors.
IX. Operational and Financial Implications of the Policy Framework for ILO's Conflict-Related Work
38. Effective implementation of the policy framework requires:
a). contributions by the different ILO structures. Such contributions must be enhanced by training the staff on the conflict and post-conflict situation. These structures include the following :
MDTs:-
Regional Offices:-
the area offices:-
PROPARTEC:-
Headquarters technical units:-
Turin Centre:-
a focal and coordinating unit, created within EMPFORM. This will serve as the ILO focal point on conflict-related work and promote integration and harmonization of the various ILO interventions, especially in the same conflict-affected country. It will also monitor (with PROPARTEC, the relevant ILO area offices, MDTs and constituents) developments in the conflict situation of ILO member states to advise on the appropriateness of ILO's interventions. Furthermore, the unit will be responsible for providing ILO's input and response to the UN system-wide efforts in this area.
b.) adoption of other relevant measures consisting of:
resource mobilization (regular budget and multibilateral funds) to support effective and timely implementation of the policy;
guidelines and the wide-scale dissemination of the policy framework within the ILO's structures and among its staff and constituents as well as to other relevant bodies;
staffing - assigning specific staff to develop, implement, coordinate, monitor and evaluate the policy and the programme;
internal procedures to ensure timeliness and speed of ILO's response to the conflict-affected countries' needs;
design and implementation of a broad-based and visible ILO international programme of technical assistance to conflict-affected countries will provide the appropriate scope for the Organization to implement the policy framework in a coherent manner and to consolidate the ILO's role in this sphere. Such a programme can further serve as a good basis for collaborative activities with the other institutions within and outside the UN system in response to demands received. This can be coordinated by the focal point/unit specified above;
regular monitoring and evaluation; and
regular reporting to the Governing Body and to the International Labour Conference.
X. Conclusion
39 On the whole, ILO has important roles to play in the conflict and post-conflict contexts. In summary, ILO should monitor the labour-related root causes and impact of conflicts. Technical assistance and guidance can be provided to enhance the capacity and contribution of its tripartite members and other labour-related institutions and to promote training and employment activities to reintegrate the different conflict-affected groups. It should assist to elaborate relevant labour and social policies and legal framework to promote employment. It should collect and disseminate labour-related information about conflict and post-conflict contexts and the processes of reintegration, reconstruction and peace building and also maintain a data base on the relevant labour-related issues, developments, institutions, programmes and publications in this area. It should monitor labour-related early-warning signs and play a role in conflict prevention. By means of its supervisory machinery on the application of standards, it should monitor member states' implementation of Recommendation No. 71 concerning the transition from war to peace, 1944 and the other pertinent international labour standards such as on non-discrimination. In this connection, it should examine the possible revision of Recommendation No. 71 to reflect current reality. These roles of the ILO should further include consideration of the interactions between them. It should entail adopting a broad, long-term and multi-pronged approach. With these roles, expertise and competence, the ILO is well poised to become a major actor in the conflict-affected field.
40. This policy framework will have to be revised periodically to take into account further experiences and lessons accumulated by the ILO and its tripartite constituents. Furthermore, it will need to be widely circulated both to our traditional partners and to the international development agencies, multilateral donors, regional institutions and other bodies actively involved in the conflict-affected and reconstruction work with whom the ILO must develop alliances for synergy and greater impact of its contributions.
Part II:
Draft of a possible ILO Policy Statement on
Conflict-Affected CountriesXI. Draft Statement: ILO Policy on Conflict-Affected Countries
The draft policy statement below was adopted by the ILO Interregional Seminar on Reintegration of Conflict-Affected Groups through Skills Training and Employment Promotion, convened 3-7 November 1997, within the framework of the Action Programme on Skills and Entrepreneurship Training and in accordance with the decision of the 269th Session of the ILO Governing Body, for transmission to the ILO Governing Body for consideration.
"The promotion of employment, social justice, democracy and the observance of human rights and international labour standards are the primary objectives of the International Labour Organization. The ILO was established in 1919 in the aftermath of the First World War, as part of the process of reconstructing the countries involved in that war and trying to ensure that the social and economic factors that contributed to the war did not reoccur. In 1944, following the Second World War, the Organization adopted the Declaration of Philadelphia as well as Recommendation No. 71 on Employment (Transition from War to Peace). Both of these documents underline the mission of the ILO to prevent war and social conflict, to support the process of reintegration and reconstruction and to build sustainable peace. Lasting peace, as the Declaration of Philadelphia asserted, can only be built on the foundation of social justice.
As we approach the dawn of the twenty-first century however, war and civil conflicts are widespread across the countries and regions of the world, although the threat of global war has receded. In 1994 alone, there were 45 open conflicts in different regions; currently about one-third of ILO member States are experiencing, emerging from, entering or re-entering conflict, or affected by conflict in a neighbouring country. Just as developments during the Second World War called for serious discussion in the International Labour Conference, the Governing Body and the Office to review the issue of post-conflict reintegration and reconstruction and the ILO's role and action in this sphere, so the current high number of conflicts around the world require an equal response. While the normal work of the Organization continues to be important in this respect, it is not sufficient to address the grave problems of conflict-affected countries.
Societies making the transition from conflict to normal social and economic development are confronted by particularly difficult challenges. These include the reintegration of demobilized combatants, the internally displaced and returning refugees, and other groups in society affected by the conflict; the reconstruction of the labour market infrastructure within a framework of a broader economic strategy; rebuilding of institutional capacity and the skills reservoir of the country; the support of broader aspects of the peace process; the establishment or re-establishment of information systems; and the rehabilitation of infrastructure. Institutions are typically weakened by conflicts, and prior weakness may be a contributing cause of conflict. As a result, the ILO should place a high priority on assistance in capacity building, particularly of labour and social affairs ministries, workers' and employers' organizations, other labour market institutions and authorities responsible for resettlement and rehabilitation.
During conflict, it is important for the ILO to provide a voice to and support for the social partners to actively participate in dialogue and negotiations concerning peace and in planning for reconstruction. Analysis of the conflict or war economy and work and employment issues that are weakening or sustaining the drive towards peace could make an important contribution to this. The ILO should also assist its tripartite constituents in contributing to reconciliation efforts and peace negotiations by underlining the importance of international labour standards, employment and labour issues, as well as enhancing their capacity to play an active role in these processes. During conflict, it should also contribute to the rehabilitation and reintegration of conflict-affected groups - such as ex-combatants, women, disabled people and youth - and, through employment promotion and planning, build towards sustainable peace, recreation of the social fabric, rehabilitation of the infrastructure and revival of the economy.
Special attention is also required to anticipate and draw attention to economic and social trends - such as poverty and unemployment, the break down of social dialogue and the abuse of human rights - that contribute to conflict and undermine social order. The ILO should contribute to early-warning indicators of conflict through its supervisory mechanisms which monitor the observance of international labour standards, including violations of freedom of association and the principle of non-discrimination. It should additionally monitor national labour market trends, social exclusion, poverty and the adverse consequences of social and economic policies, which contribute to the occurrence of conflict. Through its tripartite structure, it is in a position to promote social dialogue which has the potential to defuse or decrease tensions.
The scope and diversity of the problems faced by conflict-affected countries require that the ILO coordinate its activities with all in-country and external actors, including other organizations and specialized agencies of the UN system, to ensure linkages between the different contributions and in order to enhance their respective and combined impact. This implies a flexible and inclusive approach which, while being sensitive to the particular needs of the most vulnerable, integrates all relevant groups into a broader process concerned with a collective response to the needs of the whole society. This in turn requires that the ILO adopts a participatory approach aimed at attaining consensus on the design and implementation of programmes both at the national, local and community levels. Participation should be seen as the vehicle for national and local ownership to ensure that programmes are sustainable and user-driven. It also constitutes an important tool in the general process of building national reconciliation.
It is important that the ILO makes clear what assistance it can deliver and the way in which such assistance can be delivered. This should preclude the development of a gap between what is expected and what can be achieved. Areas in which the ILO has a particular contribution to make include: social and labour policy formulation and their inclusion in peace accords; local and national institutional capacity building, especially in the fields of labour market policies, programmes and administration; the creation of an enabling legislative framework in the fields of labour law, labour relations and international labour standards; training, particularly vocational training, including life skills, linked to emerging employment opportunities; promotion of women's employment; rehabilitation of disabled persons; employment creation through enterprise development, productive self-employment, and employment-intensive works; social protection and social services; and labour market research, information and needs assessment.
In formulating its programmes of assistance, the ILO will need to take account of the origins, dynamics and outcome of a given conflict. For example, situations of exclusion that contribute to conflicts may not have disappeared with the end of the conflict, while others may have appeared as a result of the conflict. Programmes should respond to the manner in which the conflict has affected the society and the varied characteristics, complexity and dynamics of the conflict-affected countries themselves. The ILO's usual responses and approaches require adaptation to enhance their relevance and impact in specific contexts. This calls for flexibility in the Organization's usual modes of operation. The Organization should therefore allocate its own human and financial resources in ways which are appropriate for dealing with the particular problems of conflict-affected countries. It also needs a special programme to mobilize resources of the donor community to maximize technical assistance to these countries and also to draw attention to the unique contribution that labour and social policy and interventions can make towards reducing their plight.
In order to provide a framework for ILO action, it might also be appropriate to review the international labour standards relevant to conflict-affected countries (particularly Recommendations Nos. 68,71,72 and 73, (8)
which were all adopted in 1944) and assess the need for revision, so that they can provide guidance relevant to present-day conflicts. Emphasis should also be placed on the core human rights Conventions of the ILO, especially Convention No. 111 which has an important role to play in preventing discrimination before, during and after the conflict, as well as other relevant ILO Conventions and Recommendations.
This statement is intended to underline the Organization's commitment to addressing the needs of countries affected by conflict and, in line with its mandate, to working with member States in all regions of the world to create the conditions for sustainable peace and equitable economic and social development."
ANNEXES
Annex 1:
A complete list of ILO's publications, working papers and other reports on conflict and post-conflict countries
I. Action Programme on Skills and Entrepreneurship Training for Countries Emerging from Armed Conflict
(a) Key products:
ILO: Towards a framework for ILO policy and action in the conflict-affected context: Training and employment promotion for sustainable peace (Geneva, ILO, 1997).
ILO: ILO policy on conflict-affected countries, draft statement adopted by the ILO Interregional Seminar on the Reintegration of Conflict-Affected Groups (Geneva, ILO, 1997).
ILO: Guidelines for employment and skills training in conflict-affected countries (Geneva, ILO, 1997).
ILO: Gender guidelines for employment and skills training in conflict-affected countries(Geneva, ILO 1998).
ILO: Employment for peace: The ILO's comprehensive programme of technical assistance to conflict-affected countries (Geneva, ILO, 1997).
ILO: Compendium of employment promotion initiatives in the conflict-affected countries(Draft, Geneva, ILO).
ILO: Capacity building of employment promoters in conflict-affected countries: A training package (Draft, Geneva, ILO).
ILO: Quick access to recommendations and findings of the "Action Programme on Skills and Entrepreneurship Training for Countries Emerging from Armed Conflict" (Geneva, 1998).
(b) Working papers, reports and other materials
Baden, S.: Post-conflict Mozambique: Women' special situation, population issues and gender perspectives to be integrated into skills training and employment promotion (Geneva, ILO, 1997).
Bryant, C.A.: Training and employment programmes for war-affected populations: Lessons from experience in Mozambique (ILO, Geneva, May 1997).
Cramer, C.; Weeks, J.: Analytical foundations of employment and training programmes in conflict-affected countries (Geneva, ILO, Dec. 1997).
Date-Bah, E.: Sustainable peace after war: Arguing the need for major integration of gender perspectives in post-conflict programming (ILO, Geneva, May 1996).
---.: ILO experiences in rebuilding conflict-affected communities through employment promotion, paper presented at Round Table on Rebuilding Communities Affected by Armed Conflict (Philippines, June 1997).
Dilli, D.: Handbook - Accessibility and tool adaptations for disabled workers in post-conflict and developing countries (Geneva, ILO, 1997).
Gassama, M.: Role of the Ministry of Labour and other labour institutions in reintegration, reconstruction and peace-building processes: The case of Sierra Leone (Draft, Geneva, ILO, 1998).
Hakemulder, R.: Promoting local economic development in a war-affected country: The ILO experience in Cambodia (Geneva, ILO, 1997).
ILO: ILO and conflict-affected peoples and countries: Promoting lasting peace through employment promotion (Turin, ILO, 1997).
---: Towards a model for dynamic training support of ILO constituents: Promoting employment in conflict-affected countries (Geneva, ILO 1997).
---: Trade unions in conflict-affected countries: Experiences and roles in peace negotiation, social healing, reconstruction and development, Report on a meeting for workers' delegates (Geneva, June 1997).
---: Report of the ILO Interregional Seminar on Reintegration of Conflict-affected Groups through Skills Training and Employment Promotion (Geneva, ILO, 1997).
---: "From war to work: Giving peace - and people - a chance", in World of Work, No. 20, (Geneva, ILO, June 1997).
---: "Employment generation," chapter in Role of the UN system in post-conflict recovery(Geneva, ILO, 1997)
---: Challenges for skills training and employment promotion in a country emerging from armed conflict, Report on an ILO Seminar, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, October 1997 (Geneva, ILO, 1997).
---: The role of the ILO in reconstruction of conflict-affected countries, in Proposal for the agenda of the 88th Session (2000) of the International Labour Conference, GB. 270/P (Rev.2) (Geneva, ILO, November 1997).
L'OIT et les populations et pays affectés par un conflict: Promouvoir une paix durable par la promotion de l'emploi (BIT Genève, 1997).
La OIT y los pueblos y paises afectados por conflictos: El fomento de una paz duradera mediante la promocion del empleo (OIT, Ginebra, 1997).
Lobner, S.: Life skills for the world of work: Experiences in South Africa (Geneva, ILO, 1997).
Loughna, S.; Vicente, G.: Population issues and the situation of women in post-conflict Guatemala (Geneva, ILO, 1997).
Maslen, S.: The reintegration of war-affected youth: The experience of Mozambique(Geneva, ILO, 1997).
Medi, E.: Mozambique: Study of vocational rehabilitation, training and employment programmes for persons disabled by the conflict, experiences and issues (Geneva, ILO,1997).
---: Angola: Study of vocational rehabilitation, training and employment programmes for persons disabled by the conflict: Experiences and issues (Geneva, ILO, 1997, after revision).
Muhumuza, R.(with Poole, J.): Guns into ox ploughs: A study on the situation of conflict-affected youth in Uganda and their reintegration into society through training, employment and life skills programmes (Geneva, ILO, 1997).
Nagarajan, G.: Developing financial institutions in conflict-affected countries: Emerging issues, first lessons learnt and challenges ahead (Geneva, ILO, 1997).
Nauphal, N.: Post-war Lebanon: Women and other war-affected groups (Geneva, ILO, 1997).
Smith, N.: ILO's technical assistance projects in conflict-affected countries: A sample(Geneva, ILO, 1997).
Specht, I.; Van Empel, C.: Programme enlargement: The Liberian experience (Draft, Geneva, ILO, 1998)
Walsh, M.: Post-conflict Bosnia and Herzegovina: Integrating women's special situation and gender perspectives in skills training and employment promotion programmes(Geneva, ILO, 1997).
II. Ex-combatants
BIT: Rapport de la Réunion d'experts sur l'élaboration de lignes directrices pour la formation et l'emploi des anciens combattants (région africaine) (Genève, BIT,1997).
BIT: Lignes directrices pour la réintégration des anciens combattants par la formation et l'emploi (provisoires). (Genève, BIT, 1997).
ILO: Manual on training and employment options for ex-combatants
(Geneva, ILO, forthcoming).
ILO: Reintegration of demobilized combatants through (self-) employment and training: An issues paper (Geneva, ILO, 1995).
ILO: Labour market assessments for the reintegration of ex-combatants in war- affected sub-Saharan African countries. Practical guidelines (Geneva, ILO, 1995).
ILO: Reintegrating demobilized combatants: the role of small enterprise development (Geneva, ILO, 1995).
ILO: Reintegration of young ex-combatants into civilian life (Geneva, ILO, 1995).
ILO: Reintegrating demobilized combatants: Experiences from four African countries (Geneva, ILO, 1995).
ILO: Relevance and potential of employment-intensive works programmes in the reintegration of demobilized combatants (Geneva, ILO, 1995).
ILO: Rehabilitation and reintegration of disabled ex-combatants
(Geneva, ILO, 1995).
ILO: Framework of guidelines for reintegration of demobilized combatants through training and employment (draft) (Geneva, ILO, 1996).
ILO: Report of the Expert Meeting on the Design of Guidelines for Training and Employment of Ex-combatants (Africa region), Harare, Zimbabwe,
11-14 July 1995 (Geneva, ILO, 1996).
Srivastava, Ramesh: Reintegrating demobilized combatants: A report exploring options and strategies for training-related interventions (Geneva, ILO, 1994).
Srivastava, Ramesh: La réintégration des anciens combattants: examen des choix et des stratégies d'intervention liées à la formation (Genève, BIT, 1994).
Srivastava, Ramesh: Reintegracion de combatientes desmovilizados: informe exploratorio de opciones y estrategias de intervenciones relacionadas con la capacitacion (Ginebra, OIT, 1994).
Srivastava, Ramesh: Reintegaçao de combatentes desmobililzados: estudo de opçoes e estratégias de intervençao relacionadas com a formaçao
(Genebra, OIT, 1994).
other relevant materials
Lazarte, Alfredo: "Desarrollo Economico Local: Promoviendo el Desarrollo Humano Sostenible a nivel local en el marco de la Consolidacion de la Paz", 41pp, (Ginebra, 1996).
Lazarte, Alfredo: "Developement Economique Local: Promotion du Developement Humain Durable a niveaux local dans le cadre de la Consolidation de la Paix" idem 41pp (Ginebra, 1996).
Revilla, Victor: "Examen critico de la Partipacion de la OIT en el Programa de Desarrollo para Desplazados, Refugiados y Repatriados en Centroamerica -PRODERE-". 38pp (San Jose, 1993).
Martinez, Daniel: "Apoyo a la reinsercion economica de los ex-combatientes en la Republica de El Salvador", 1992.
Lazarte, Alfredo: "Las Agencias de Desarrollo Economico Local: Promoviendo la Empresarialidad en el marco del Desarrollo Humano Sostenible - El Caso de Centroamerica-", 13pp, 1995.
Lazarte, Alfredo: "Les Agences de Developement Economique Local: Promouvoir l'Esprit d'Entreprise dans le cadre du Developement Humain Durable- Le cas de l'Amerique Centrale-"
13pp, 1995.
Lazarte, Alfredo: "El Financiamiento del Desarrollo Economico Local: Como enfrentar los costos del desarrollo?- La Experiencia del Programa PRODERE" 15pp., 1995.
Lazarte, Alfredo "Le Financement du Developement Economique Local: Comme fair face aux frais du developement? - l'experience du Programme PRODERE", 15pp., 1995.
Peri Paredes/UNOPS: "El Conflicto Centroamericano y la Experiencia del PRODERE", 37pp., 1997.
World Summit on Social Development: "PRODERE" in: Building a consensus on International Cooperation For Social Development: A focus on Societies in Crisis., pages 11-14, Copenhaguen 1995.
Under Preparation
Cramer, C.; Weeks, J.: Analytical Foundations of Employment and Training Programmes in Conflict-Affected Countries (Geneva, ILO, forthcoming).
Date-Bah, E.; Walsh, M.: Women's issues and the gender dilemma in conflict-affected contexts: Synthesis and Guidelines (Geneva, ILO, forthcoming).
ILO: Skills Support for Building Capacity of Employment and Skills Training Promoters, (Turin, ILO Forthcoming).
Annexe II - Recommendation 711. Details and figures are kept to a minimum in this paper to shorten the length . Such information can be obtained from the Action Programme's documents and other existing ILO materials listed in Annex 1.
2. Examples are Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burundi, Cambodia, Chad, Congo Brazzaville, Croatia, Democratic Republic of Congo (former Zaire), Djibouti, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Georgia, Guatemala, Haiti, Iraq, Iran, Israel, North and South Korea, Kuwait, Lebanon, Liberia, Mali, Mexico, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Niger, Palestine, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Phillippines, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tajikistan, Uganda, Vietnam and Yemen andthe areas of Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom and Chechenya in the Russian Federation.
3. The peace agreements often have two components - the political settlement between rival groups; and the economic settlement which often consist of a package of economic reform.
4. The value of work transcends its economic rewards. It provides people with a sense of purpose, dignity, identity and belonging which are vital for peace-building.
5. . All the above quotations etc are from the preface of Report 1, Future Policy, programme and status of the International Labour Organization, 26th of the International Labour Conference, Montreal 1944.
6. ILO: The Organization of Employment in the Transition from War to Peace, Report III, International Labour Conference, 1944.
7. This is the Expert meeting on the Design of Guidelines for Training and Employment of Ex-combatants (Africa Region), Harare, July 1995.
8. Recommendation No. 68: Social Security (Armed Forces); Recommendation No. 71: Employment (Transition from War to Peace); Recommendation No. 72: Employment Service; and Recommendation No. 73: Public Works (National Planning), 1944.