- What is the main aim/objective of the Myanmar Peace Support Initiative?
- What is Norway’s role in the Initiative?
- Will there be a pooled fund or is the funding mechanism one where support will go from each donor directly to each implementing partner?
- How will the needs of the communities in the former conflict-affected areas be assessed?
- Which geographical areas are relevant?
- Will organisations that wish to work in the ethnic areas in general, now have to coordinate through this Initiative?
- What are the main criteria for a project/organisation to be relevant to receive funds under the Initiative?
- What is the suggested duration of a project at this stage?
- Do interested implementing partners need to have an MOU/registration to be able to apply for funds?
- To whom should interested implementing partners send their proposals?
- Are there plans to establish a larger Peace Fund in addition to the current plans for funding projects in the former conflict-affected areas?
- What is Norway’s role in relation to an eventually more long-term initiative?
- Is there a risk that the initiative can be used as a means to coerce groups into signing cease-fire agreements?
- Will the secretariat of the Initiative be able to provide assistance in terms of negotiating access and or registration/MOUs?
1. What is the main aim/objective of the Myanmar Peace Support Initiative?
The main aim is to establish access for concrete assistance in areas previously affected by armed conflict, where access in the past has been limited or impossible, in order to promote peace dividends to affected local communities in the cease-fire areas.
In parallel with the continued political effort, it is seen as important that communities in the cease-fire areas receive needed assistance in order to build confidence in the ceasefires and to back up the political efforts.
A prerequisite for the Norwegian support and efforts is that the delivery of assistance will not replace the need for a continued political process with all the ethnic groups. It is also a prerequisite that access will be granted by all parties to the agreed areas for interventions.
The main objectives under these overarching ones are:
- To build confidence in the ceasefire agreements among communities, armed groups and the Myanmar government/Myanmar army.
- To increase the space for aid activities in the former conflict-affected areas.
- To contribute to positive interaction between the actors on the ground.
- To support increased capacity of local communities, civil society, and government authorities
2. What is Norway’s role in the Initiative?
The Myanmar Government has asked the Norwegian Government to help facilitate and coordinate the delivery of assistance to the conflict-affected communities in the cease-fire areas, where there has been minimal or no prior access provided for aid-delivery.
The Norwegian Government has also been asked to initiate a consultation process with a range of stakeholders, including potential donors, in order to gather funds for the delivery of aid in these areas, as well as in order to provide a better understanding of the needs and wishes of the communities and of local civil society, in this initial phase.
3. Will there be a pooled fund or is the funding mechanism one where support will go from each donor directly to each implementing partner?
There will not be a pooled fund, at least not at this stage. Donors will be asked to commit to a Programme Document (PD), including a set of principles, as the overall framework for interventions under the Initiative. Implementing partners will be asked to commit to the same Programme Document and principles. Partners will be expected to use the PD and the principles as a basis, in addition to their needs assessment and knowledge of the local situation, when preparing their proposals.
The actual funding support will go directly from the individual donors committed to the Initiative to one of the implementing partners committed to the Initiative.
4. How will the needs of the communities in the former conflict-affected areas be assessed?
Given the sensitivities and complexities inherent to the ceasefire-process, it is an important principle that projects in these areas and under the Initiative will be demand-driven and based on needs assessments and/or consultations with relevant and representative governance structures in the area in question. This will include engagement with local community-leaders.
Potential implementing partners will have to prove that they have local knowledge and sufficient access to be able to make a needs-assessment for their proposals. The Initiative is based on working with local actors who already have an in-depth understanding of local needs in the area or in surrounding areas and who will have made a preliminary assessment of needs. It is also the prerogative of these organisations to suggest which international or national NGO they would prefer to work with. Assessments and mapping of needs are already taking place in a number of the ceasefire areas. Consultations with the local communities is a very important part of this work. While comprehensive needs assessments and household surveys are not possible in these areas in the current context, assessments are taking place through partnerships between local groups and national or international organisations. As an example, the Committee for Internally Displaced Karen People has carried out an initial needs assessment in cooperation with the Norwegian research-institute FAFO, in the Kyauk Kyi area in Bago.
5. Which geographical areas are relevant?
At this stage, the Initiative focuses exclusively on reaching communities in former conflict areas/cease-fire areas, where there has been minimal or no prior access provided for aid delivery. These are areas where broader access of aid will not be possible for still some time, but where the initial interventions the of Initiative may contribute to opening up the space for more long-term activities.
A prerequisite for the initiative’s support and efforts is that the delivery of assistance will not replace the need for a continued political process with all the ethnic groups, and as such, the geographical areas are not set, but will change as the process goes along.
6. Will organisations that wish to work in the ethnic areas in general, now have to coordinate through this Initiative?
No. The Initiative only aims at providing concrete assistance in areas directly affected by armed conflict, where access in the past has been limited or impossible.
The Initiative does not aim to facilitate (or coordinate) any of the on-going or planned activities in previously accessible areas of the different ethnic States.
7. What are the main criteria for a project/organisation to be relevant to receive funds under the Initiative?
At this stage, the interventions would mainly be in the form of material assistance, and assistance related to demining, and livelihoods.
When the Programme Document for the Initiative has been finalized, this will be made available on the website, and will include a set of general principles for interventions under the Initiative.
8. What is the suggested duration of a project at this stage?
The suggested modality at this stage is short-term interventions delivered by NGOs/CBOs, duration of about six months.
9. Do interested implementing partners need to have an MOU/registration to be able to apply for funds?
It is of major importance that the interested implementing partners have access to the geographical area where they are going to work, including the agreement of both parties to the ceasefire, as well as the agreement of the community/communities.
It is considered a clear advantage if the implementing partner has an MOU or other form of official agreement/registration with the Myanmar authorities, but it is in most cases not a prerequisite for becoming an implementing partner under the initiative.
Due to the nature of the situation in the areas in question, the process will as a rule be one where consultations will preclude any proposal development, and it is an important principle that initiations of projects will come from the relevant organisations in the area in question. Hence there will be no call for proposals, as is often the modality with projects in other geographical areas.
Please note that a few donors may for certain areas or certain types of projects, demand that the implementing partner has an MOU or is registered with the authorities.
10. To whom should interested implementing partners send their proposals?
Given the sensitivities and complexities inherent to the ceasefire-process, it is an important principle that projects in these areas and under the initiative will be demand-driven and based on initial needs assessments and consultations with relevant and representative governance structures in the area in question. This will include engagement with local community-leaders.
Due to the nature of the situation in the areas in question, the process will as a rule be one where these consultations will preclude any proposal development, and it is an important principle that initiations of projects will come from the relevant organisations in the area in question.
11. Are there plans to establish a larger Peace Fund in addition to the current plans for funding projects in the former conflict-affected areas?
As one alternative to a more long-term modality of support, the feasibility of setting up a Myanmar Peace Fund will be assessed. It is nevertheless very important to emphasize that such a mechanism is just one of several possible ways that the longer-term work will be taken forward, and a peace fund is only one of several possible funding arrangements that is being looked into by the different stakeholders in the process.
12. What is Norway’s role in relation to an eventually more long-term initiative?
Norway has, at this stage, offered to be the facilitator of the discussion on modalities for a more long-term mechanism of support, and is engaged in initial consultations with key stakeholders on options for more long-term support to communities in the former conflict-affected areas.
It is clear that the modalities of long-term support to peace-building needs to be developed in parallel with this short-term Initiative, so as to avoid gaps between short- and long-term interventions. It is also clear that this needs to be decided after consultations with donors, the Government, local authorities, civil society organisations in Myanmar, and the communities in question.
13. Is there a risk that the initiative can be used as a means to coerce groups into signing cease-fire agreements?
The Myanmar Peace Support Initiative is being established in order to help communities recover from conflict and in order to build confidence and momentum for peace on the ground.
The Initiative is not an alternative to or a substitute for a process towards a broad political settlement, which will be necessary in order to achieve real peace in Myanmar.
The Norwegian Government has been asked by the Myanmar Government to help facilitate and coordinate the delivery of assistance to the conflict-affected communities in the ceasefire-areas, but Norway is not involved in the ceasefire-negotiations or peace-negotiations.
A prerequisite for the Norwegian support and effort is that the delivery of assistance will not replace the need for a continued political process with all the ethnic groups.
Particular attention has been given to ensure that the promise of Norwegian support could not be used to coerce armed groups into signing ceasefires. Thus, for instance, no offers of support have been made to the KIO although a number of briefings about the Myanmar Peace Support Initiative were provided to the KIO leadership.
14. Will the secretariat of the Initiative be able to provide assistance in terms of negotiating access and or registration/MOUs?
Norway, as a facilitator of the process, and other donors who have committed to the initiative, will certainly continue to emphasize the importance of access for the implementing partners working under the Initiative, in its dialogue with the parties.
The Initiative will not be able to provide direct assistance in negotiations about registration or MOUs for organisations in relation to the Initiative. Such processes will have to proceed according to the regular processes for registration/MOU-signing, with the relevant departments of the Myanmar government.