The peace talks which were held in Thailand between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were notable for many reasons, including the high emphasis placed on issues pertaining to the internally displaced in Sri Lanka. Both sides have agreed to create a Joint Task Force for Humanitarian and Reconstruction Activities (JTF). The JTF will primarily focus on mine action and IDP needs and will seek international funding for priority humanitarian and reconstruction projects. The JTF will be comprised of members from the Government, Muslim community and LTTE.

The delegates at the talks also agreed to establish a Joint Committee to address the return of IDPs to High Security Zones.

The second meeting of the National Coordinating Committee for Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconciliation took place on 12 September. At this meeting the following three people were appointed: Mr. S. Sivananthan as Commissioner for the Strategic Planning and Mobilisation of Resources Working Group; Mr. W A S Perera as Commissioner for the Implementation, Coordination and Capacity-Building Working Group; and Major General (retired) Kolopahan has as the Commissioner for the Reconciliation and Communications Working Group. At this meeting the Commissioner General confirmed that both a National Steering Committee on IDPs and a National Steering Committee on Voluntary Repatriation would be formed and would report to the Implementation, Coordination and Capacity Building Working Group. On 30 September, 2002 the first meeting of the National Steering Committee took place with emphasis placed on the need to further deliberate the criteria for assistance to IDPs, in particular the Unified Assistance Scheme (UAS). The committee is currently soliciting input from members.

The Ministry of Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Refugees has awarded Finder2000 the contract to enter the IDP registration forms. As of 15 September 219,955 forms have been collected and to date over 120,000 forms have been coded which is the preparation step prior to formal data entry. Each form will be entered twice to ensure accuracy once it is coded. All districts have submitted their forms with the exception of Anuradhapura which is still completing the submission process. The entire project is due to be completed by the end of November and results should be available in early December, 2002.

Creating a suitable environment conducive for safe, voluntary and dignified return remains a high priority for the Government and the United Nations. The Government has demonstrated its commitment to prioritising issues pertaining to resettlement and reconciliation by asking Mr. Bradman Weerakoon, Secretary to the Honourable Prime Minister and Commissioner General for Co-ordination of Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconciliation to present at the Executive Committee (ExCom) meeting in Geneva at UNHCR Headquarters.

On October 2 Mr. Weerakoon gave a briefing to the 61 countries that comprise the ExCom on “Prospects for Solutions for the Uprooted in Sri Lanka.” In his presentation Mr. Weerakoon expressed his appreciation for the work that UNHCR has done in Sri Lanka. He added that the “immediate humanitarian needs relate to all IDPs” who should be able to reestablish productive livelihoods in conditions of peace, dignity and security. He mentioned that resettlement involves a “wide spectrum of needs” including protection, de-mining, provision of basic equipment for farming and fishing; rehabilitation of community support for schools and health care centres and legal assistance to help establish land ownership. This was the first time a senior official from the Government of Sri Lanka attended ExCom.

A key component of creating an environment conducive to safe and dignified return requires improvement in relation to human rights. UNHCR and its partners will continue to advocate against cases of child recruitment, harassment, extortion and intimidation, and advocate for the full restitution of properties to returnees. The overall purpose of UNHCR’s involvement in Sri Lanka is to improve access of IDPs to national protection while effectively responding to the protection and immediate material needs of spontaneous returnees. To meet these emerging and growing needs, UNHCR has launched an appeal for a Supplementary Programme budget totalling US$ 10 million.

This appeal focuses on providing additional support to address the immediate needs of returning IDPs and refugees as well as those of receiving communities. This expanded programme includes resources to strengthen the presence of UNHCR field staff thereby enforcing its protection network. This will include resuming official UNHCR presence in Kilinochchi, consolidating its office structure into Field offices in Vavuniya, Jaffna and Colombo and reinforcing or creating Satellite Offices in Mallavi, Trincomalee, Mannar and Batticaloa. With this new structure UNHCR is able to enhance its response capacity to address the humanitarian needs of those who have already returned and those who are expected to do so in the coming 15 months. UNHCR will also accelerate and grow its assistance programmes, focusing primarily on priority areas including: needs-based relief supplies and non-food items with priority given to vulnerable women and children especially those returning from Government welfare centres; emergency shelter assistance in the locations where the authorities do not yet have the resources to provide it under the UAS; minor infrastructure repairs in new returnee areas, improving access to roads, water and sanitation, health services, peaceful coexistence programmes and income generation activities.

UNHCR will also work towards strengthening the national capacity to respond to IDP needs more effectively. This includes promoting policies aimed at improving national programme design and delivery for social support to returnees and IDPs. UNHCR plans to implement this programme over a 15-month period from 1 October to 31 December.

UNHCR and the Human Rights Commission (HRC) are proceeding with a study on the issue of land and property rights. A tender process has begun and individuals and groups are now being selected to work on the study. It is hoped that the initial phase of the study will be completed before the end of this year followed by a workshop at the beginning of the year 2003. It is expected that the study will inform Government, UN Agencies and others on steps that need to be taken to ensure that returnees, be they IDP or refugee returnees, will be able to enjoy their right of property restitution. The study will make recommendations as to whether there is a need to make additional resources or mechanisms available to deal with property restitution and, if necessary, compensation for lost or damaged property.

Sri Lanka has been selected by the Headquarters of the World Bank, UNDP an UNHCR as one of three countries in which all three bodies will work together, along with other stakeholders, on the implementation of the Repatriation, Reconciliation, Recovery and Reconstruction (4Rs) concept. The 4Rs concept is a pilot initiative that is designed to bridge the gap between relief and development. The expectation is that the WB, UNDP and UNHCR will expand the 4Rs concept and develop a set of principles in relation to needs in Sri Lanka.

This relief-development gap is especially pronounced in the immediate transitional phase from conflict to post-conflict situations. The gap undermines potential progress that could be made towards finding and implementing durable solutions for displaced persons and affected communities.

Even with immediate relief activities the displaced require sustained and formulated reintegration and development support if they are to be given a chance to become productive members of society. From the outset, under the 4Rs concept, relief activities would be planned with longer-term sustainability and development in mind. All stakeholders are encouraged to adopt the principles of the 4Rs concept and work towards bridging the gap between relief and development. This approach is also being implemented in Sierra Leone and Eritrea.

Addressing the pressing needs of IDP returnees includes finding solutions to improve access to water, sanitation, education and protection. These areas remain key concerns for many UN agencies. UNICEF is scaling up activities as focal agency for education, water and sanitation and key elements of protection such as mine risk education, psychosocial care and prevention of underage recruitment and reintegration of former child combatants. With increased support from DFID, UNICEF will improve access to basic education for children in areas of high return. This includes expanding the opportunities for catch-up education and provision of school kits and teacher training. UNICEF is working with the National Institute of Education to conduct a rapid needs assessment for presentation at a meeting of key education authorities in Trincomalee on 8 November. In the areas of water and sanitation UNICEF is supporting co-ordination and policy development to address the immediate needs of IDPs, as well as targeting water and sanitation recovery needs in primary schools and primary health centres. A meeting with all key stakeholders is planned in Trincomalee on 22 October 2002.

UNICEF has undertaken prevention, intervention and awareness activities in many parts of the North and East in relation to recruitment and reintegration of former child combatants in co-ordination with partners. The development of a reporting mechanism to systematically monitor complaints of under-age recruitment has proven a valuable advocacy tool to secure the release of these children. Prevention of under-age recruitment and protection from re-recruitment has been linked to UNICEF's “Every Child Back to School” campaign. In the Wanni, UNICEF has facilitated the creation of 50 village school committees to monitor attendance and provided training to over 2,000 people in the Wanni as part of this programme. UNICEF also co-ordinates a working group of international organisations on under-age combatants, including UNHCR, SCF, ILO, to streamline advocacy against recruitment, as well as to map minimum standards for the reintegration of such under-age recruits.

In September a preliminary study on Donor stocktaking was conducted under the auspices of the Government of Sri Lanka, Office of the U.N. Resisdent Coordinator, the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank. This study outlines the programmes and projects, along with committed and requested financial resources, from the Donor Community in support of relief, rehabilitation, reconciliation and socio-economic development in the conflict-affected areas of Sri Lanka.

The compilation is designed to provide both the Government and the supporting Donor Community with a clear picture of what resources are available, or will likely be available, to support the Government’s Triple-R Framework. This study should be the first of several with updates on Donor commitments to Sri Lanka as the peace process continues to evolve. Initially the programmes and projects outlined in the study will conform to the following four primary areas:

All of these programmes should be designed and implemented in conjunction with initiatives promoting reconciliation, restoration of good governance, co-ordination, planning and capacity building and sustainable development of economic empowerment initiatives.

Thus far the countries or organisations that have contributed toward the relief, rehabilitation, reconciliation and socio-economic development in the conflict affected areas of Sri Lanka include: Asian Development Bank, AusAID (Australia), CIDA (Canada), DFID (United Kingdom), European Union, GTZ (Germany), JICA (Japan), Netherlands, NORAD (Norway), UN Agencies (including FAO, ILO, IMO, UNDP, UNFPA, UNHCR,UNICEF, WFP, WHO), SIDA (Sweden), USAID (United States) and the World Bank.

Among the immediate needs for IDP returnee families is food security. To address this issue, WFP has implemented a new Food for Work programme in the Wanni. WFP has designed this programme with two goals in mind: 1) to improve the nutrition of the most vulnerable conflict-affected people with special emphasis on women and children and 2) to encourage recovery of conflict-affected people to attain greater capacity and self-reliance and thereby improve household food security.

WFP is focusing on three areas of infrastructure including irrigation tanks and roads in more than 15 sites. WFP signed a MOU with GTZ to provide food to children in the Wanni. The target audience for this is 13,500 children who will be encouraged to “catch up” in school with the assistance of GTZ. This will be carried out within a 6-month period of time under the auspices of GTZ’s psychosocial programme. WFP signed a global MOU with a Swiss mine clearing organisation that will look at the safety aspects of establishing a new office in Kilinochchi. This company will also look for mines in the target area of the Wanni. The organisation will submit a proposal for land clearance as the Food for Work programme is expected to grow significantly in the near future.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation is in the process of implementing its latest project at the district level. FAO reports that the most pressing challenge is targeting vulnerable groups who are not already receiving assistance and ensuring that they meet their target agricultural crop yield.

In relation to the Joint Strategy there are two NGOs (Halo Trust and Mines Advisory Group) currently working on surveying, marking, and fencing of mined areas. There is one NGO (Swiss Federation for Mine Action) due to start work in support of the Government Agents in Jaffna and Vavuniya to conduct mine action assessments of the high priority areas. There will be small rapid response clearance teams allocated to the Government Agents in Jaffna and Vavuniya to support their priorities (1 team to Jaffna and 2 teams to Vavuniya). The project to support the Government Agents commenced on 1 October and they will be operational by mid-November.

The UNDP team has allocated Technical Advisers to Government Agents in Jaffna and Vavuniya to assist in district level mine action coordination. There is one commercial mine action agency (RONCO) conducting mine clearance in the Jaffna Peninsula. There is the Humanitarian De-mining Unit supported by Norwegian Peoples Aid conducting mine clearance activities around Pallai and the Sri Lankan Army are lifting mines in the government controlled areas of the North and East. UNDP is also supporting the establishment and population of the Sri Lankan Mined Area Database.

A Mine Action Technical Working Group Meeting took place in Jaffna on 27 September with the participation of active mine action organisations. A further meeting is scheduled in October also in Jaffna.

UNICEF recruited Mine Risk Education Co-ordinators will begin their 3-month MRE training in mid November. UNICEF continues to scale up MRE in Jaffna and the Wanni. A master trainer has been recruited for the purpose and will start on 1 November.

Mine Risk Education (MRE) training for NGOs and UN Agencies now takes place every Friday in Vavuniya and Jaffna. The technical advisers for mine action, Tim Horner and Leonie Barnes, presently conduct the training.

In January 2003 the Landmine and UXO Safety Project will begin in Sri Lanka. The aim of the project is to provide UN and NGO personnel with safety information and training that will allow them to minimize the risk of accidents. The project is managed by UNMAS and will be implemented by Handicap International France (collection of country-specific mine/UXO information, organisation and conduct of training workshops) and UNOPS (production/translation/circulation of the training materials).

For information concerning the UN Inter-Agency IDP Working Group meeting and the Durable Solutions Progress Report, please contact Mr. Edward Benson (UN IDP Working Group Secretariat) or Ms. Brenda Barrett (Public and Media Relations) at UNHCR. Telephone: (94) 1 683968 or Fax: (94) 1 683971; e-mail benson@unhcr.ch or barrett@unhcr.ch