Jens Toyberg-Frandzen
By Kenneth Thompson
United Nations’ Integrated Peacebuilding office in Sierra Leone (UNIPSIL) will end its operations in the country in January 2014, according to Patrick Buse, the civil affairs officer of the UN body in Freetown.
He told a project advisory meeting on the constitutional review process organised by the Centre for the Coordination of Youth Activities (CCYA) in collaboration with the National Youth Commission (NAYCOM) that the last thing they intended doing before leaving was to engage youth groups in Sierra Leone.
“This is to ensure that they are properly oriented about the constitutional review process and also to ensure that they are well represented in the review process”, he said.
Buse said they were particularly concerned with the position paper being put together by CCYA, noting that it must capture the aspirations, needs and wants of the Sierra Leonean youth so that they could be incorporated into the proposed new constitution.
He said he was doubtful that the two-week schedule by the youth group to organise the sensitisation and dialogue process was enough.
“I urge that you take advantage of the opportunity presented to you at this moment and ensure that this process actually benefits your lives in future after the process would have been concluded”, he said.
Executive director CCYA, Ngolo Katta said his organisation had planned consultative and district engagement meetings with the youth throughout the country to create awareness on the constitutional review process.
He said that after such consultation and dialogue meetings they would put together, adopt and publicise a youth Position Paper on the review process.
Katta said UNIPSIL had been helpful and supportive to the process, adding that they had given them the latitude to take up and implement the process effectively.
He said even President Ernest Bai Koroma was aware and supportive of the idea of young people, persons with disability and women who take the lead in the constitutional review process, “in order for them to advocate a constitution that seeks, protects and enhances their interest while at the same time protects the interest of other groups in society”.
In August 2008 the UN Security Council, by Resolution 1829 established UNIPSIL led by the then Secretary-General’s Executive Representative (ERSG), Michael von der Schulenburg, who kept the Security Council abreast of the implementation of their mandate in the country.
UNIPSIL started with around 70 staff to provide political advice to foster peace and political consolidation, to offer support and training to the national police and security forces, and to build the capacity of democratic institutions in furtherance of good governance and the promotion and protection of human rights.
(C) Politico 17/12/13
