15 Jun 2011 - The Peace Building Commission national steering committee, composed of Guinea-Bissau institutions and civil society representatives, and international partners today analyzed the country's Peace Consolidation Priority Plan for 2011-2013 to be funded by the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund (PBF).

On February 2011, PBF made a second allocation to Guinea Bissau for a total amount of $16.8 million based on the Priority Plan submitted to the Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO) in New York in December 2010. The document discussed on Wednesday aims at financing peacebuilding challenges, especially the Security Sector Reform, the national dialogue process and youth employment and is the result of a revision process carried out at national level following PBSO recommendations received in February. The approved Peacebuilding Priority Plan will be presented to PBSO in New York by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Joseph Mutaboba, in June in order to get the funds available for the country.

The meeting of Wednesday was co-chaired by Guinea-Bissau minister of Foreign Affairs and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, and brought together the ministers of Justice and Defence, representatives of State institutions and civil society organizations as well as diplomats.

Guinea-Bissau is the third country on the PBC agenda to receive a second PBF allocation and the new envelope almost triples the amount previously received in 2008 ($6 million) and allocated to support projects targeting the Legislative elections, rehabilitation of military barracks and selected prisons as well as youth professional training and employment.