United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Washington DC / Nairobi, 15 November 2011- Using case studies from over 30 countries and analysis from 39 expert authors, a new study published by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and partners examines key challenges faced by post-conflict countries in peacefully and sustainably developing their natural resources, while avoiding major environmental degradation.
High-Value Natural Resources and Post-Conflict Peacebuilding is the first
in a seven-volume series on post-conflict peacebuilding and natural resource
management published by UNEP, the Environmental Law Institute (ELI), the
University of Tokyo and McGill University.
Covering over 55 conflict-affected countries, the series represents one of
the most comprehensive studies to date of the link between managing natural
resources, such as oil, diamonds, gold and timber and post-conflict
peacebuilding.
"Certain countries are blessed with valuable natural resources that can
contribute to grievances and conflict," says ELI President John Cruden.
"However, in post-conflict situations, there lies a unique opportunity to
thoughtfully manage high-value natural resources to support economic
development, livelihoods, good governance, and ultimately peace and stability."
The book includes a foreword by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Liberia
and 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
Sirleaf states that peace brings high expectations, especially in a country
with abundant natural resources. "We had to turn this natural resource 'curse'
into a blessing," she notes, "But where to start?"
United Nations Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director Achim
Steiner said the research effort answers an important call by the UN Secretary
General Ban Ki-Moon for a greater focus on the links between natural resources,
conflict, and peacebuilding.
"This project can make significant contributions towards improving
post-conflict resource management through sharing lessons learned and best
practices," said Mr. Steiner.
"As a result it can assist in the transition towards low-carbon, resource
efficient Green Economies in post-conflict nations and thus contribute to
stability, peace, recovery and sustainable development," he added.
The book gives insight to a variety of natural resource management
strategies, addressing the different steps of the natural resource value-chain,
from extraction to distribution and spending revenues.
It highlights four areas where international support can be particularly
fruitful:
These include:
Assisting post-conflict countries to secure better contracts with companies
extracting natural resources
Increasing the transparency of contracts, payments, and decision making
Supporting the monitoring of companies that are extracting natural resources
Encouraging strategic planning for and accountability in using the revenues
from natural resources to provide immediate peace dividends to war-torn
populations and invest in infrastructure, health, education, and economic
diversification.
Providing insight on the management process, the book aims to benefit
national and local governments, extractive industries, civil society
organizations, and the international community. It also provides invaluable
lessons for the UN's peace and security institutions, including the Department
of Peacekeeping Operations and the UN Peacebuilding Commission.
The four-year project will yield more than 150 peer-reviewed case studies and
analyses by 230 scholars, practitioners, and decision makers from 50 countries.
These case studies and analyses are being assembled into a set of six edited
books - to be published by Earthscan - addressing the following topics:
high-value natural resources, land, water, resources for livelihoods, assessment
and restoration of natural resources and governance.
The project is also producing an overarching book, published by Cambridge
University Press (2012): Post-conflict peacebuilding and natural resources:
The promise and the peril.
For more information, please contact:
Brett Kitchen, Environmental Law Institute at +1-202-939-3833 or
pressrequest@eli.org
UNEP Newsdesk in Nairobi, Kenya, at +254 20 762 5022 or unepnewsdesk@unep.org
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