Ad Hoc Advisory Groups on African Countries emerging from conflict
ECOSOC Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Guinea-Bissau
Chronology of events
- 26 July 2007At its 2007 substantive session, the Economic and Social Council extended the mandate of the Ad Hoc Advisory on Guinea-Bissau . (See resolution 2007/15 of 26 July 2007)
- 26 July 2006At its 2006 substantive session, the Economic and Social Council extended the mandate of the Ad Hoc Advisory on Guinea-Bissau . (See resolution 2006/11 of 26 July 2006)
- 17 May 2006 The AHAG sent a letter to Member States urging to contribute to the $3.64 million Flash Appeal launched by the United Nations Office of Humanitarian Affairs on behalf of the UN Country Team in Bissau for assistance to approximately 20,000 people made vulnerable by more than two months of armed confrontations between the Guinea-Bissau Army and a faction of the Senegalese separatist group, the MFDC ( Mouvement des forces démocratiques de la Casamance ).
- 7 December 2005The AHAG sent a letter of appeal to international donors to consider making a contribution to the EEMF to cover wages and other expenses until April/May 2006 when the cashew season will begin.
- 20 September 2005The Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Guinea in collaboration with the Chair Friends of Guinea-Bissau organizes a meeting on the margins of the 2005 World Summit with a delegation from Guinea-Bissau led by the Prime Minister, Mr. Carlos Gomes Junior. The meeting discussed the situation in Guinea-Bissau and how to mobilize the support of international community.
- 2 June 2005The AHAG’s report to ECOSOC points to the continuing instability in the country and the need for sustained international support after the presidential elections. It concludes that Guinea-Bissau could be one of the main
beneficiaries of the establishment of the Peacebuilding Commission.
- April 2005On the advice of the Advisory Group, the President of ECOSOC urged member states to provide support for the Presidential elections in June/July, and for the EEMF.
- 6 February 2004The report of the Group to ECOSOC ( E/2004/10 ) describes in further details recent developments and provides an account of international donor support to Guinea-Bissau . The report includes information on the UNDP-managed Emergency Economic Management Fund, the establishment of which was recommended in the AHAG's initial report. This Fund now channels important financial assistance from donors. The report also stresses that the Emergency Economic Management Plan and the budget for 2004 elaborated by the Government with support by the BWIs, the African Development Bank (ADB) and UNDP, have been elaborated with explicit reference to the partnership approach proposed by the Group.
- 6 April 2004The Group issued a statement in which it congratulated the people of Guinea-Bissau on the successful legislative elections held on 28 March and called for broad donor support to Guinea-Bissau, including through contributions to the Emergency Economic Management Fund (EEMF) managed by UNDP, in order to answer to the pressing needs of the population.
- 11 October 2004Responding to a major crisis in October 2004 when fractions of the army mutinied over salary arrears, the AHAG issued a statement that called on international donors to continue the support for Guinea-Bissau despite the uprising, especially with emerging budgetary support and the restructuring of the armed forces.
- 17 November 2003The Group hosted an informal dialogue between the Guinea-Bissau's Transitional President, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, United Nations entities, the Bretton Woods Institutions (BWIs) and major donors, in order to discuss ways of providing emergency support to the transitional Government.
- 18 November 2003The President of ECOSOC and the Chairman of the AHAG were invited to address the Security Council at a private meeting on the situation in Guinea-Bissau and to present the work carried out by those bodies on development support to the country.
- 19 December 2003The Security Council commended the AHAG for its role in the follow-up provided to the situation in Guinea-Bissau.
- September 2003President Kumba Yala resigned from office and a broad political agreement was signed for a transition process. Immediately after these events, the AHAG issued a statement in which it called on donors to consider extending emergency assistance to Guinea-Bissau to enable it to return to democratic rule and to address the deteriorating socio-economic situation.
- 4 August 2003Through the AHAG and the Ad Hoc Working Group of the Security Council on Conflict Prevention and Resolution in Africa, the working relationships between the Economic and Social Council and the Security Council have increased. On 4 August, the President of the Security Council issued a press statement which commended the AHAG for its role in the follow-up provided to the situation in Guinea-Bissau.
- 26-28 June 2003The AHAG undertook a mission to Guinea-Bissau, jointly with the Security Council. The objectives of the AHAG were to promote dialogue with the authorities of Guinea-Bissau, to appeal to the Government to take measures to prepare for the forthcoming elections, to promote better understanding between the authorities and donors and to address the humanitarian situation in the country. A second joint mission took place in June 2004.
- 28 January 2003The AHAG organized a meeting between the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Economy and Finance with donors and the Bretton Woods Institutions which focused on the establishment of the “partnership approach” between the Government and the donors. This approach was endorsed by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC resolution 2003/1 of 30 January 2003) and subsequently advocated by the Group.
- 10 January 2003The AHAG presented its first report to the Council (E/2003/8). The report recommended a partnership approach between the authorities of Guinea-Bissau and the international community, under which the authorities would work on the promotion of the rule of law and political stability, while international development partners would provide emergency financial support and technical assistance in various fields. The AHAG recommended the establishment of an Emergency Economic Management Fund, to be managed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), to channel international assistance. The report recommended that international financial institutions should consider de-linking peace-building activities from macroeconomic programmes and explore other ways of addressing urgent needs. It also made recommendations for the long-term development of the country.
- 9-16 November 2002Following a series of consultations with national stakeholders and development partners of Guinea-Bissau in New York and Washington, the AHAG visited the country from 9-16 November 2002. Besides meeting with a wide range of actors on the ground, the advisory group participated in consultations between the government of Guinea-Bissau and representatives of the UN system as well as the donor community. The meeting addressed problems arising from the suspension of the IMF’s Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility and the related decrease in donor assistance.
- 25 October 2002ECOSOC Resolution 2002/304 sets out the terms of the mandate of the Ad Hoc Advisory Group (AHAG) on Guinea-Bissau.