Three decades after gaining its independence from Portugal, coup-prone Guinea-Bissau remains one of the world’s poorest countries. The United Nations Peace-Building Support Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNOGBIS), deployed in aftermath of a crippling civil war in the late-1990s, has worked to help the small West African nation cast off a legacy of violent conflict and establish a stable civilian democracy.

UNOGBIS is a special political mission supervised and supported by the Department of Political Affairs. Its focus since 2003 has been to accompany a transition to civilian rule following a military coup that same year. Efforts culminated in the holding of presidential elections and the assumption of a civilian government in September 2005. Through a tense and polarized campaign, UNOGBIS worked alongside the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Guinea-Bissau, former President Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique, to encourage a peaceful campaign and full adherence to the legal process.

With constitutional rule fully restored, continued international support and vigilance are needed to ensure that progress is consolidated. In addition to supporting the political transition, UNOGBIS is mandated by the Security Council to: promote national reconciliation, respect for human rights and the rule of law; support national capacity for conflict prevention; encourage security sector reform and stable civil-military relations; encourage government efforts to crack down on small arms trafficking; and to work within a “comprehensive peace-building strategy” to strengthen state institutions and mobilize international resources, in coordination with the U.N. Country Team in Guinea-Bissau.