International Organization for Migration I O M

1. The Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces International Organizationfor MigrationI O M Amr TAHA Emergency & Post Conflict Division Operations Support Department

2. Presentation Topics • IOM –A brief introduction • Challenges and Reintegration in Post conflict Situations • Reintegration in the Balkans

3. International Organization for Migration (IOM) • Inter-governmental agency • Founded in 1951 to deal with migration and resettlement of refugees and IDPs in Europe in the aftermath of World War II • IOM Member States grew from 67 in ’98 to 112 today with an additional 23 observer States • HQ in Geneva, Switzerland

4. Guiding Principle IOM is committed to the principle that humane and orderly migration benefits migrants and society

5. IOM Partners • United Nations Agencies UNHCR, WFP, UNICEF, UNDP, • FAO, WHO, OCHA, UNOPS • International Organizations (IOs) • Donor Government entities • Host Nation Government • Host Nation Diaspora and Experts • Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) • Military Forces • Private Sector • Media

6. Typical Mission Objectives • Facilitate returns to and within the affected country and/or region • Contribute to stabilizing return communities by offering sustainable reintegration solutions and increasing absorptive capacity of communities • Assist in building the capacity of Government Ministries in migration management efforts through knowledge transfer • Contribute to creating linkages and confidence between communities and the various levels of Government

7. Transitional challenges in Post Conflict Situations often are: PART II • Serious Information gaps leading to complex coordination between partners and bottlenecks in communication • Increased dissatisfaction and a sense of isolation and abandonment among vulnerable groups • Security concerns posed by large number of demobilised combatants • Competition for scarce resources between returning population and their communities of absorption • High levels of distrust between military, civilian, political groups and the population

8. IOM Reintegration Programmes • IOM has 14 years worldwide experience in demobilising and re-integrating over 350.000 former combatants – regular and irregular forces. • To date, donors’ contributions to these programs have totaled more than USD 140,000,000. • Experience has started in 1992 in Mozambique and since then has encompassed Four continents and more than 20 countries • Current main operations: Afghanistan, Bosnia Herzegovina, Colombia, Croatia, Guinea Bissau, Haiti, Kosovo, Liberia.

9. IOM Reintegration Model Reintegration aims at supporting the immediate and medium term social and economic inclusion of former combatants into their communities • Pre-programme Assessments - In collaboration with host nation counterparts • Information Counselling & Referral Service (ICRS) - Registration, Survey, socioeconomic demog. profiling - Assessment and survey of local labour markets - Individual Counselling for Individually tailored solutions • Reintegration Fund (RF) - Individual or group micro-grant assistance - OJT and vocational training, business skills training - Micro-enterprise & SME start-up and expansion

10. Individual Medium-term Individual Immediate STABILIZATION Transitional Support to Former Combatants Discharged Soldiers Individual Tailored Solution through Reintegration Fund(MoU and other target groups) Equity and parity through quick impact response at village level prioritizing victims of conflict Community Driven Dev. Prog. MOD’s Separated Personnel & HR Redundancy Community Medium and Longer-term Community Immediate

11. Reintegration in the Balkans … PART III BACKDROP A. Different from traditional DDR activities B. Pre-EU accession requirements, C. Wider defence reform / increased SEE regional stability D. Conversion & Modernisation of Military Personnel • Job markets in Post conflict , transitional countries is unable to absorb thousands of defence personnel • IOM provides reintegration services to additional caseloads identified within the frameworks of the redundancy plan • IOM Builds the capacity of existing structures on assessment and reintegration mechanics • Exist strategy with a phased handover of IOM’s responsibilities to local authorities

12. Reintegration in the Balkans (cnt’d) • Republic of Croatia: 2003-2007 - Partnership with Croatian MoD SPECTRA team - Targeting 12,000 military and civilian personnel • BiH and Republika Srpska 2002- ongoing - MODs of BiH and Republika Srpska - Targets 8,000+ soldiers discharged in 2002 • Kosovo 99-04, Partnership with UNMIK and KFOR for the reintegration 17,000 members of the KLA • Serbia & Montenegro 2005 New partnership with MOD PRISMA for the reintegration of redundant military personnel initiative

13. IOM Reintegration Summary A means for sustainable Employment begins withCOUNSELLING Sustainable Long-term REINTEGRATION } Vocational Training & Skills Upgrading Self Employment On The Job Training ICRS Capacity Building (Career Planning, Business Dev. etc.) Public/ Private Fulltime gainful Employment } Business Advisory (Finance Institutions)

14. Capacity Building “Go to the people, live with them and learn from them. Start with what they know, build with what they have and work with their best leaders so that when the work is done people can say, “We did the work ourselves”. Lao Tzu 700 BC

15. Further information... www.iom.int Questions....