Green Diplomacy; support to UNEP's environmental diplomacy initiative

Description What is done in the programme or project and why, what results are pursued, who benefits from the activities and who are involved in the implementation.

UNEP has investigated the relationship between conflicts and natural resources since the 1990s. For UNEP, Finland has been a long-term reliable partner for this thematic. Since 2008, Finland has supported UNEP’ Environmental Co-operation for Peacebuilding- inititive and its’ first two phases with a total of 5 MEUR. Delivering a groundbreaking and through report on the existing links between conflicts and natural resources was one of the main milestones reached during the first Phase of the project (2007-2009). During the I-phase of the project several country surveys were conducted inter alia in Sierra Leone, Central-African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo as well as in Gaza. In the II phase of the project, the concepts developed during the phase I were tested in practice in Somalia, Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Guinea and Rwanda. New educational modules and several partnerships with other UN-based organizations were developed. Apart from this, a database consisting of 150 case studies relating to best practices in managing natural resources to support peacebuilding was established. Finland has been asked to provide support for the III phase of the project. The ultimate aim of the project is to ensure that natural resources in fragile countries are managed in a way that supports peacebuilding instead of triggering more conflicts. The specific aim of the project is to strengthen the capability of fragile states, regional organizations, UN-based organizations and the civil society to manage the risks attached to natural resources and harness the natural resources as part of peacebuilding and security-policy. These aims are to be reached through five sub