Letter fergusson to drew post conflict reconstruction follow up to dop

RECEVEN IN DERICTRY 13 APR 2004 Philippa Drew DECESTRI Foreign and Commonwealth Office DESK OFFIC Ac on Taluen 2 INDEX Simon Webb Peter Grant 19 February 2004 POST-CONFLICT RECONSTRUCTION: FOLLOW UP TO DOP It may be helpful if I set out in more detail what seem to me to be the next steps following Ministers' discussion of the Post Conflict Reconstruction paper at last week's meeting of DOP. 2. As recommended, Ministers agreed the principle of a Unit to coordinate HMG's contribution to post conflict reconstruction; to plan, implement and manage the military/civilian transaction; and the civilian component of post conflict reconstruction; and to promote linkages and integration with the wider international community. 3. As regards the Unit, they envisaged something between options 2 and 3. I suggest that in practice this means building on option 2 with an effective capacity to identify, train and maintain contact with suitable and deployable officials in central government departments, local government This should include a mechanism and the devolved administrations. involving a presumption that those selected, before being trained, would be released by their departments. This presumably cannot be a wholly firm undertaking; but departments must make a commitment to play fair or the investment in training will be wasted. 4. This should be included in the details of recruits, staffing, location and accountability' of the Unit which the paper focused on in its "Next Steps" section. Ministers' presumption was that the Unit itself should not have a deployable capacity. But if departments want to retain this as a DECLASSIFIED 20 the meeung win be a nirst opportunity to secure their support. from the Sub Committee's agenda that the FCO is listed as presenting it. This may well make sense, but presumably needs to be agreed; and the presenter selected. GEORGE FERGUSSON DECLASSIFIED 2