The United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Mission in Sierra Leone (UNIPSIL) was established by Security Council Resolution (1829) of 4th August, 2008. The UN Security Council mandate to UNIPSIL involved both political and development activities which includes the following:
- Requested that UNIPSIL focus on and support the Government of Sierra Leone in the following areas:
- Providing political support to national and local efforts for identifying and resolving tension and threats of potential conflict, whatever the source;
- Monitoring and promoting human rights, democratic institutions and the rule of law; including efforts to counter transnational organized crime and drug trafficking;
- Consolidating good governance reforms, with a special focus on anti-corruption instruments such as the Anti-Corruption Commission;
- Supporting decentralization, reviewing the 1991 Constitution and the enactment of relevant legislation.
- Closely coordinating with and supporting the work of the Peacebuilding Commission as well as the implementation of the Peacebuilding Cooperation Framework and projects supported through the Peacebuilding Fund;
- Underlined the importance of establishing a fully integrated office with effective coordination of strategy and programmes among the United Nations Agencies, funds and programmes in Sierra Leone, and emphasized the need for the United Nations system to support and cooperate fully with UNIPSIL, in accordance with the Executive Representative’s function as Resident Representative and Resident Coordinator;
- Stressed the need for close cooperation between UNIPSIL, ECOWAS, the Mano River Union, International Partners and other United Nations missions in the region;
- Emphasized the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and in peacebuilding, as recognized in resolution 1325 (2000) and 1820 (2008), underlined that a gender perspective should be taken into account in implementing all aspects of the mandate of UNIPSIL, and encouraged UNIPSIL to work with the Government of Sierra Leone in this regard.
Office of the Executive Representative of the Secretary-General
The Office of the Executive Representative of the Secretary-General (ERSG) was to support the ERSG in carrying out his political functions. The ERSG also served as the United Nations Resident Coordinator and the Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme. The diverse nature of the ERSG’s work enabled him to engage in political, development and humanitarian functions. In taking a unique approach to peace building and Delivering as One, UNIPSIL was able to successfully integrate the UN political mandates and the development and humanitarian mandates of the UN agencies in Sierra Leone; which culminated in the conception of the Joint Vision in support of the Government of Sierra Leone’s national agenda outlined in its Agenda for Change. The UN Family in Sierra Leone was one of the few teams to have successfully harmonised its priorities.
In his political role, the ERSG engaged regularly with the Government of Sierra Leone, major political parties, donors, national and international stakeholders. Prior to the elections of 2012, the ERSG merged political analysis and conflict prevention into the activities of the mission. In his development and humanitarian role, the ERSG used his good offices and diplomacy to mobilise UNDP and Peacebuilding Fund Resources to reinforce political activities and development and peace building projects. The ERSG provided the political guidance of the mission and facilitated the successful implementation of the mandate.
The Office of the ERSG coordinated and ensured liaison between the five substantive units of UNIPSIL, Political Affairs and Peace Consolidation, Human Rights and Rule of Law, Democratic Institutions, Police and Security and the Strategic Planning Unit, as well as the Mission Support Section.
The ERSG was the chair of the weekly UN Country Team meetings and co-chaired the Government/Donor coordination meetings, national steering committee of the peace building fund and the policy coordination meetings of the Sierra Leone Development Assistance Coordination Committee (DEPAC) with the Government and the World Bank on the implementation of the Agenda for Change/Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper and the meetings concerning the implementation of the Joint communiqué between the political parties.