HC Deb 12 May 2003 vol 405 cc77-8W
Mr. Menzies Campbell

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what projects were funded from the Global Conflict Prevention Pool in 2002–03; and if he will make a statement. [112290]

Mr. Straw

The Global Conflict Prevention Pool funds a wide range of projects and activities that contribute to the Governments conflict prevention Public Service Agreement (PSA) target of reducing the number of individuals whose lives are affected by violent conflict and reducing the potential sources of future conflict, where the UK can make a difference.

Examples of areas covered by projects are:

  • improving access to justice and reform of judicial systems;
  • support to reform of the security sector to improve human security and reduce tension, through promoting professionalism and democratic accountability;
  • reducing the availability of small arms and light weapons in potential conflict zones;
  • support to disarmament and demobilisation of former combatants, together with their re-training and resettlement back into civil society;
  • support to national and international efforts, and work with civil society to reduce inter-ethnic and other sources of social tension.

Projects under the GCPP are managed by cross-Government geographical and thematic strategies. These take a strategic approach to conflict reduction in particular regions of the world, based on agreed analysis of the local conflict reduction needs, or are based around particular activities which often influence conflict reduction. All strategies relate their activities to the PSA target.

In Financial Year 2002–3, the geographical strategies were: Afghanistan, The Balkans, Belize/Guatemala, Central and Eastern Europe, Indonesia/East Timor, India/Pakistan/ Kashmir, Middle East/North Africa, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Russia/FSU.

In the same period, there were five thematic strategies: EU Civilian Crisis Management, OSCE/Council of Europe, Security Sector Reform, Small Arms and Light Weapons, and UN capacity building for peacekeeping and conflict prevention.

A report on the activities of the Global Conflict Prevention Pool will be published this summer and a copy placed in the Library of the House.