3.2. The framework of post-conflict peacebuilding, reconstruction and development
3.2.3. Socio-economic well-being
Although socio-economic welfare is one of the four fundamental pillars of peacebuilding, reconstruction and development of society in the post-conflict, it remains a relatively broad
36 Examples here include South Africa and Sierra Leone, where in the post-conflict, truth and reconciliation commissions were established to seek and tell the truth about the conflicts and address the injustices of the conflicts (Huyse and Salter 2008). Besides, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights allude that the right to truth constitutes part of one’s rights to an actual remedy for addressing legal problems relating to human and peoples’ rights and fundamental freedoms.
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concept to demystify. However, Hamre and Sulivan (2002:91) clarify that it focuses on
“addressing important social and economic needs, like the provision emergency humanitarian relief, reinstating to the population basic services such as health and education, creating platforms for a sustainable economy, and institutionalizing inclusive long-term development programme.” Building on social security, the AUSA/CSIS Framework (2002:12-14) details that it involves:
i. Preventing and managing refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) situation while providing them with shelter, and reintegration ex-combatants back to society;
ii. Ensuring food security through emergency aid food supplies, market structures that most importantly promotes the welfares of local markets, and remodelling, promoting and diversifying agricultural systems and development;
iii. Providing efficient public health by instituting workable water and waste management measures; (re)building medical capacity; and training, developing and implementing sustainable health care education programmes;
iv. Establishing mechanisms for strengthening education systems by investing in human resources, infrastructure, curriculum development; and
v. Putting in place workable and adequate pension and social security schemes and structures that are supported by the government.
These processes are underpinned by operational economic security systems, thus the importance of economic development. According to Schwarz (2005:437), several researches have been noted to contend that ensuring and improving economic welfare and development might decrease the possibilities of (re)emergence of violent conflicts. This is reason perceiving that the problem of socio-economic inequalities in most instances constitute a major conflict trigger.37 As such, the consensus of economic development processes has been recorded to include:
37 Most, if not all the civil wars and armed conflicts in the African continent, past and present, are linked to issues of socio-economic inequalities. A few of such examples include Sudan, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Liberia, etc.
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i. Adopting practicable economic strategies to expedite the processes of economic recovery, and processes to;
ii. Invest in the (re)building or restoration of physical infrastructural facilities and networks; generate employment opportunities and reduce economic inequality between classes in society;
iii. (Re)construct the market systems; draft, implement and promote legal and regulatory laws on property rights, business and labour regulatory policies and mechanisms;
iv. Enable local and international trading environment, ensure private as well as public investments and partnerships, capitalize on natural resource development for economic growth and environmentally friendly strategies to control and avert environmental destruction; and
v. Develop and enforce regulatory systems for banking and finance (AUSA/CSIS Framework 2002:14-16).
These policy choices and processes are necessary for the protection of fundamental socio- economic rights of the society and its population’s advancement and are key to post-conflict transformation for peace. Further description of this post-conflict mechanism’s applicability entails guaranteeing women’s socio-economic rights38 and access to development opportunities. This is crucial because violent conflicts often induce an increase in women- headed households that continues even after the wars have ended, but not without notably enormous the economic and social challenges (Kumar 2000:15). While classifying women
38The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) is hands-on on provisions that underscore the importance of advancing and giving women equal access to economic and social rights and welfare. Article 3 of this Convention obligates states and Governments to “take in all fields, in particular in the political, social, economic and cultural fields, all appropriate measures, including legislation to ensure the full development and advancement of women”, and not to discriminate in securing their equal rights basic social protections like housing, food and education. Similarly, the Beijing +5 in focusing on gender equality and women’s empowerment, actions for measures to “promote women’s economic independence, equal access to education, water and shelter, health and social services, employment, trade and market opportunities, resources and participation in decision-making and management” (UN Women 2014).
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under the most susceptible group of people in society, the AU/NEPAD Post-conflict Reconstruction Policy Framework lays emphasis for their increase participation in post- conflict processes. As per this policy, a focus on women’s special needs and aspirations is distinguished to impact on livelihood, health, education and socio-economic development at large (NEPAD Secretariat 2005:12 & 23). The African Union draft PCRD Policy Framework equally underscores the implementation of social and economic policies that tackle gender inequality. It stresses the need to safeguard women’s fundamental socio-economic rights and efforts in all dimensions of the post-conflict peace consolidation (African Union 2006:15 &
19). This, however, has to be synchronized with the reform governance and public administration systems and institutions to maintain equilibrium in the post-conflict processes.