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PBC joint session on the Ebola Crisis and Peacebuilding Efforts
The Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) held its third informal meeting on the Ebola Crisis on 3 November 2014. The meeting was convened by the Chairs of the Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone Configurations to discuss the potential impact of the Ebola outbreak on state institutions and political stability and to consider priorities for enhanced peacebuilding support in the immediate aftermath of the crisis. The joint meeting focused on the risks to state institutions and political stability, respecting a division of labour under which the emergency medical and public health response to the Ebola epidemic is dealt with by the dedicated platforms, like the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER), which have been established to this end.
The PBC Configurations were briefed by representatives of the World Bank, the Permanent Representatives of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone to the United Nations and benefited from the participation of UNDP. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for West Africa was not able to attend the meeting in person but his views on these issues were conveyed through PBSO.
In their remarks, the Chairs of the PBC Configurations for Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone:
- Noted that the PBC advocates strong support for the emergency medical and public health response, but stresses also the need for attention to the epidemic’s impact on governance, political and security institutions as well as socio-economic growth, including livelihoods and state revenue.
- Underscored the deterioration of socio-economic conditions in the three most affected countries, as reflected in the recent UNDP report, and noted that the EVD was an unprecedented multidimensional crisis that will require a comprehensive regional and longer-term approach.
- Stressed the importance of sustaining the peacebuilding and developmental gains made by the three countries in recent years and underscored the need to plan early for enhanced urgent support in the above mentioned areas.
- Recognised the magnitude of commitments for support made to date and further emphasized the importance of ensuring urgent fulfilment of pledges and rapid deployment of promised assistance to the affected countries.