Peacebuilding Funds Approved, Ivory Coast, S Leone

UN peacebuilding funding approved for Côte d'Ivoire, Sierra Leone

17 July 2008 - New projects and financing from the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) - which seeks to help countries emerging from conflict to avoid slipping back into war - have been approved for both Côte d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone, it was announced today.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has endorsed the additional allocation of $5 million from the Fund for reintegration projects in Côte d'Ivoire, UN spokesperson Marie Okabe told reporters in New York.

The money will also be put towards supporting facilitation efforts under last year's Ouagadougou Agreement, which was reached to end the protracted political stand-off in the West African country between the Government and the rebel Forces Nouvelles.

Ms. Okabe said that most of the funds will most be used to support reintegration efforts, including counselling, income generation, micro-projects for former combatants and centres for skills training.

The PBF Steering Committee for Sierra Leone has approved seven new projects worth nearly $17 million to support the empowerment of women and children, reforms, rehabilitation of the corrections system and bolstering prisoners' living conditions.

The further funding brings the total value of PBF projects approved to $32 million.

ENDS

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