| PRSP Review Seminar Series, Washington DC, World Bank, November 8, 2001 Chair: Ian Bannon, Conflict Prevention and Reconstruction Unit, World Bank Participants: Roberto Chavez, Simon Gray, Ana Paula Lopes, Connie Luff, Per Egil Wam, World Bank; Alison Scott, IMF Background materials: - The World Bank Operational Manual: Development Cooperation and Conflict
- Roel von Meijenfeldt, CDF Secretariat, The World Bank
- Alison Scott, African Departmennt, IM, Poverty Reduction Strategies In Conflict Countries: How Are They Different? (31kb PDF)
- Ana Paula Filho Lopes, November 2000, Poverty Reduction Strategies in Conflict-affected Countries: Constraints and Opportunities (58kb PDF)
- Connie Luff, November 2000, Colombia: Addressing Violence and Conflict in a Country Strategy (75kb PDF)
- Per Egil Wam, November 2000, Sri Lanka: The Conflict Environment (10kb PDF)
- Roberto Chavez, November 2000, Mozambique: from War to Peace and Reconstruction (10kb PDF)
- Mozambique: Post-Conflict Land Allocation Process, transcript of interview with Roberto Chavez (25kb PDF)
Summary of discussion: "Our common goal must be to eradicate poverty, to promote inclusion and social justice, to bring the marginalized into the mainstream of the global economy and society"
-- J.D. Wolfensohn, October 2001. How does conflict affect poverty reduction efforts – and how may poverty reduction efforts affect conflict? Which analytical tools and early warning mechanisms should be used to address security and stability issues in full PRSPs? These issues were debated at a cross-network/region workshop which brought together PREM's Poverty Reduction Group, SDV's Conflict Prevention and Reconstruction Unit, DECRG, and the AFR, ECA, LAC and SA Regions. Working collectively on approaches to conflict analysis to support country-driven PRSP initiatives, Bank and Fund participants, including the CDF Secretariat, and the Central and Area departments of the IMF: - identified conflict-related constraints faced by Bank and Fund teams supporting country PRSP work, through a presentation by Ana Paula Lopes (AFR) on “Poverty Reduction Strategies in Conflict-affected Countries: Constraints and Opportunities;
- shared illustrative experience from a range of conflict-affected countries across the regions including Angola (Alison Scott, IMF), Bosnia and Herzegovina (Simon Gray, ECA), Colombia (non-PRSP country, Connie Luff, LAC)), in addition to Mozambique(Roberto Chavez, Urban, Former Res.Rep.) and Sri Lanka (conflict reconstruction pre-dating the PRSP, Per Egil Wam, CPU, SDV);
- examined some practical approaches for addressing conflict situations in PRSP candidate countries;
- considered the scope for the PRSP as an instrument of stabilization.
Ian Bannon, Manager of the Conflict Prevention and Reconstruction Unit (SDV), who chaired the session, pointed out that the external community expects the Bank/Fund to assume leadership in facilitating dialogue on poverty-related causes of conflict, and approaches for addressing them, and that the PRSP may present an opportunity to carry the work forward. Some of the lessons learned were that: - to enhance the effectiveness of Bank and Fund support to PRSP countries, country teams need to address underlying causes and implications of violent conflict, where it exists in these countries;
- PRS could be seen as an opportunity to address the subject within the framework of the CDF and the Millennium Development Goals;
- different donor partners bring distinct skills and mandates to the table in addressing these issues.
These key learnings will be used in preparations for the comprehensive review of the PRSP process to be discussed at the International Conference on Poverty Reduction Strategies in January, 2002. They will also be reflected, as appropriate, in a final report prepared by Bank and Fund management for presentation to the Spring Meetings in April, 2002. Katrina Sharkey (Poverty Reduction Group) summarized the next steps that would foster cohesion in the initiative: - a network of staff from PRMPR, the Conflict Prevention and Reconstruction Unit, DEC, WBI, CDF, Regional Departments and IMF committed to advancing good practice on conflict analysis and management;
- support to the development of pilot cases in interested PRSP countries to help develop a realistic framework for conflict analysis;
- a review of incentives for constructive and appropriate engagement with conflict-affected countries in the context of the CD Peer Learning Initiative.
|
RSS