Background
The past two years have seen renewed opportunities for peace building and reconciliation efforts in Sri Lanka. To guide longer-term support for peace building, the Government of Sri Lanka together with the United Nations and development partners, developed what is known as the Sri Lanka Peace Building Priority Plan. This three year plan, which is part of the Government’s framework for reforms aimed at reconciliation, was developed through extensive consultations between the Government, Civil Society and Development Partners. The plan identifies four interlinked national priorities which are transitional justice, reconciliation, good governance and, resettlement and durable solutions.
The Project
The European Union in partnership with the Government of Sri Lanka and the UN in Sri Lanka have come together to contribute to the implementation of this Plan through the Catalytic Support to Peace building in Sri Lanka Programme.
With a funding of 8.1 million euros from the European Union, this 18-month programme will be implemented by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) in partnership with a range of stakeholders. The vision of this initiative is to contribute towards national peace building efforts in Sri Lanka.
UN-Habitat will implement Output 4.2 of the project to support vulnerable communities of the Northern Province to ensure security of land tenure. The expected result is to provide improved land tenure for 20,000 conflict affected returnee households in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka through the provision of survey plans and land titling documents.
The main beneficiaries of the project are victims of the conflict and victims of human rights violations and abuses, families affected by conflict related displacement, marginalized and excluded groups and the general public.
Objectives
Overall Objective of the EU-IcSP Project: Early confidence building measures build trust and contribute positively to peacebuilding in Sri Lanka.
Key Outcomes
Outcome 1: Significant progress made in the implementation of the Government's commitment on transitional justice as expressed in the UNHRC Resolution.
Outcome 2: Public display greater awareness and willingness to engage constructively in the peace building process.
Outcome 3: Key state institutions and processes strengthened through provision of technical support.
Outcome 4: UN catalytic engagement with resettlement and durable solutions has supported wider political transition, peace building and reconciliation efforts in Sri Lanka.
Project Approach
UN-Habitat will implement project activities in partnership with the Survey Department, Land Commissioner’s Department, and Registrar General’s Department, Land Settlement Department, the “Bim Saviya” Secretariat and beneficiary communities.
Planned Activities
- ・ Provide critical surge support to the Survey Department in the Northern Province.
- ・ Facilitate issuance of legal land tenure documents through provision of support to government land titling programmes.
Development Partners/Partners
Development Parner: The European Union
Implementing Agencies: UNDP, UNICEF, UN-Habitat (with technical support from OHCHR, UNWOMEN and UNHCR)
Partners: The Government of Sri Lanka (Provincial Administration, Parliament, National Police Commission, Human Rights Commission, Secretariat for Coordinating Reconciliation Mechanisms, Ministry of Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs, the Survey Department and the Land Commissioner General’s Department), Civil Society Organisations and Community Based Associations including the resettled communities.
- Catalytic Support to Peacebuilding in Sri Lanka
- Preparation of the Resettlement Plan (RP) for Households Affected by the Rehabilitation of the Kelani Valley (KV) Railway Line in Sri Lanka (Phase I)
- Emergency Shelter Relief for Flood and Landslide Affected Households in Kalutara and Galle Districts of Sri Lanka
- The State of Sri Lankan Cities Report
- Human Development Initiative through Empowerment and Settlement Improvement in the Plantation Settlements in Sri Lanka
- Indian Housing Project in Central and Uva Provinces
- Emergency Shelter Relief for Flood Affected Families in Colombo and Gampaha Districts in Western Province, Sri Lanka (Completed)
- Sustainable Resettlement through Community-Driven Improvement of the Learning Environment in Mannar District, Sri Lanka
- Support My School: Supporting Schools in Northern Sri Lanka with Access to Water and Sanitation Facilities (Completed)
- Project for Rehabilitation of Community Infrastructure, Improvement of Livelihoods and Empowerment of Women in the Northern and Eastern Provinces (RCI) (Completed)
- Rainwater Harvesting in a Water Scarce Small Village in Northern Sri Lanka (Completed)
- Climate Resilient Action Plans for Coastal Urban Areas (Completed)
- Disaster Resilient City Development Strategies for Sri Lankan Cities (Completed)
- Disaster Resilient City Development Strategies for Four Cities in the Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka (Phase II) (Completed)
- Rehabilitation of Community Infrastructure and Facilities in the Conflict Affected Areas in Northern Province of Sri Lanka (Completed)
- Improving Living Conditions in Returnee Areas of Sri Lanka through Housing (Completed)
- Indian Housing Project (Completed)
- Support to Conflict Affected People through Housing (Completed)
- Shelter Support to Conflict-affected IDPs in the North of Sri Lanka (Completed)
- Jaffna Tsunami Recovery and Reconstruction Project (Completed)
- Community Recovery and Reconstruction Partnership to Support the People's Process of Rebuilding (Completed)
- Reconstruction of Fish Market in Galle (Completed)
- Rebuilding Community Infrastructure and Shelter in Tsunami-Affected Areas (Completed)
- Lunawa Lake Environment Improvement and Community Development Project (Completed)
- Pro-Poor Partnerships for Participatory Settlement Upgrading (Completed)
- Early Recovery Shelter for IDPs in Batticaloa (Completed)
- Support to the Urbanization Framework
- Post Disaster Housing Coordination Project (Completed)
- Sustainable Cities Programme (Completed)
- Urban Governance Support Project (UGSP) (Completed)
- Rebuilding Communities in North East Sri Lanka (Completed)
- Urban Poverty Reduction Strategy - Colombo (Completed)