# Presentation: 248683

##     Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization

**Presentation by Marcia Wong**
- Acting Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization
- 17th Annual SO/LIC Symposium
- March 13, 2006

**Building Conflict Transformation Capabilities**

-     **Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization**

## State Weakness Spectrum

**National Security Strategy of the United States:  **“America is now threatened less by conquering states than we are by failing ones.”
**Secretary Rice (Dec. 11):**  “...the greatest threats to our security are defined more by the dynamics within weak and failing states than by the borders between strong and aggressive ones.”
**Shifting Foreign Policy Lens --  Not just consistent with our values, but in our national interests:**
- Humanitarian: Genocide, ethnic cleansing, refugees, violence, poverty, disease
- Security:  Creates the conditions for terrorism, organized crime, trafficking, drug trade, weapons proliferation, and human trafficking.

*Fund For Peace:  2 billion people live in countries that have a *
*significant to critical level of risk of collapse.*

## Multiple U.S. Initiatives to Address State Weakness

**U.S. Government Initiatives:**  S/CRS, MCC, USAID Fragile States, DOD’s Ungoverned Spaces, and others
**Prioritizing Stabilization and Reconstruction:**
- Presidential Directive
- DOD Directive 3000.05
- Quadrennial Defense Review

**S/CRS Key Events:**
- April 2004:        NSC creates S/CRS
- July 2004:         S/CRS officially stood up
- Dec. 2004:        Made Presidential Initiative
- Dec. 7, 2005:    Presidential Directive Issued
- Jan. 2006:         FSI Conflict Transformation Training
- Feb. 2006:        First Active Response Corps Installed

## Supporting Transformational Diplomacy

**Transformational Diplomacy Objective**
*To work with our many partners around the world, to build and sustain democratic, well-governed states that will respond to the needs of their people and conduct themselves responsibly in the international system.*

**S/CRS’ ROLE:*** “Work more effectively at the critical intersections of diplomacy, democracy promotion, economic reconstruction and military security.”*
*-- Secretary Rice*

## International Convergence

**Building Global Capacity:**
**Bilateral Partners:  **
- UK’s** **Post-Conflict Reconstruction Unit (PCRU)
**France & Germany:**  Coordinator positions established
**Canada:**  Stabilization and Reconstruction Taskforce (START)
**Australia:** Fragile States Unit
**Denmark & Finland:**  S&R Expertise and Leadership
**UN:**  Peace Building Commission created to improve UN/Donor coordination on S&R
**EU:** Coordinating on early warning, cross-training, conflict prevention; for 2007, €550m stability instrument; New European constabulary initiative.
**NATO:**  Recognizes Civilian S&R Capabilities in Comprehensive Policy Guidance
**IFIs: **World Bank, IMF, Regional Banks creating vehicles to assess and respond to conflict.
**OSCE:** Exploring ways to increase pool of trained stability police through COESPU.
**G-8:** Enhancing international peacekeeping and constabulary capacity through train&equip; Deepening support for regional organizations.
**Regional Organizations**_**:**_ Neighbors bear 50% of costs of conflict, but regional organizations weak; Priority: Strengthen AU
**MNE4:**  Multinational civil-military exercise (8 countries and NATO; UN, EU observing)

***“****We need greater capacity to bring all necessary civilian resources to bear in *
*crisis and post crisis situations.” – EU High Representative for Foreign Policy Javier Solana *
*December 14, 2005*

## Early Warning and Prevention

**Closing the Gap between Early Warning and Early Response:**
- Early Warning through NIC Watchlist
- Interagency Conflict Assessment Framework
- Outreach to NGO, academic and international partners

## Conflict Transformation

**Conflict Transformation**

- Strong

- Weak

- Large-scale Intervention

**Lead Passes to  Local Actors**

- Drivers of            Conflict Reduced

- National Institutional Capacity Increased

**Goal**

***Conflict Transformation*****:  Where local capacity is strong enough to overcome remaining sources of conflict and can continue toward sustainable peace with diminishing international assistance.**

## Conflict Transformation Planning

**Four-Part Planning Process:**
- Interagency Assessment Tools
- Planning Framework
- Post-Conflict Reconstruction Essential Tasks Matrix
- Metrics

**How Conflict Transformation Planning Differs:**
- Planning done in unconstrained conceptual environment
- Whole-of-Government Approach
- Apply Conflict Transformation lens to explicitly grapple with drivers of conflict
- Test in Real Cases and Exercises
- NOTE:  Doesn’t always require much additional funding to shift from palliative measures to transformational measures.

## Integrated Interagency Response Teams

- Principals Committee
- Deputies Committee

- Field    HQ

**Country Reconstruction and **
**Stabilization Group (CRSG)**
- (Interagency PCC and Staff)

- Regional Combatant
- Command (RCC)

**Humanitarian Reconstruction **
**and Stabilization Team (HRST)**

- Agency authorities over
- contracts, programs,
- other mechanisms

- P O L I C Y

- P R O G R A M M A T I C

- Headquarters of
- International Partners

- Embassy
- (or existing USG
- presence)

**Headquarters of Advance **
**Civilian Team (ACT)**

- International Partners

- Mil.Cmdr.

- Mil.Cmdr.

- Mil.Cmdr.

**ACT**

**ACT**

**ACT**

**ACT**

- P L A N N I N G

- Policy guidance (and informational reporting feedback loop)

- Funding decisions

- Coordination

- Joint Task Force

## Country Engagements

**HIGH: Conflict Transformation/Post-Conflict R&S Effort**
- Sudan and Haiti
**MID: Scenario-Based Planning:**
- Cuba: Supporting Secretary’s Transition Coordinator for Cuba and Western Hemisphere Affairs Bureau on CAFC II
**LOWER: Preventive Consultancies**
- Nepal, Haiti, DRC, and others
- Engagement varies, from small one-time brainstorming sessions to larger, professionally facilitated roundtables with USG, international, and non-governmental participants
- Driven by Demand
- UNIQUE:  Participated in Interagency PRT Assessment in Afghanistan

***Four Levels:***

## Research & Development

**Cross-Cutting Requirements for Reconstruction and Stabilization:**
- Tools and methodologies to facilitate interagency collaboration
- Improved cultural understanding
- Indicators/metrics for assessment and prediction
- Enhanced analytic tools for planning and execution of intervention and prevention operations
- Effective strategic communications

## S/CRS Contacts

**U.S. Department of State**
**Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization**

**For more information, please contact our Public Affairs Office:**
- Melanie Anderton, scrs_info@state.gov or 202-663-0832
**Please also visit our websites:**
- www.state.gov/s/crs
- www.crs.state.gov