Housing, Land, and Property Rights in Post-Conflict United Nations and Other Peace Operations: A Comparative Survey and Proposal for Reform

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For more than sixty years, the blue helmets of the United Nations peacekeeping missions have come to symbolize both the promise and the fragility of the UN. Though beset with unresolved conflicts, underfunded, and invariably burdened with sentiments of over-expectation, UN peace operations have made a difference with their 'peacebuilding' initiatives. While peacebuilding has been extensively analysed and critiqued, the UN's role in addressing and ameliorating housing, land, and property rights challenges has not. This volume seeks to fill the void by examining the UN's experience grappling with the immense and inevitable housing, land, and property rights crises that emerge in all countries during and after conflict. Through analysis of UN peace missions in Burundi, Cambodia, Iraq, Kosovo, Rwanda, Sudan and elsewhere, this volume provides a unique array of perspectives on what the UN has done right, what it has done wrong, and what it should do in the future.

Author(s): Scott Leckie
Edition: 1
Year: 2008

Language: English
Pages: 390

Cover......Page 1
Half-title......Page 3
Series-title......Page 4
Title......Page 5
Copyright......Page 6
Contents......Page 9
Contributors......Page 11
Acknowledgments......Page 17
Foreword......Page 19
PART I INTRODUCTION......Page 21
1 United Nations Peace Operations and Housing, Land, and Property Rights in Post-Conflict Settings: From Neglect to Tentative Embrace......Page 23
The Ubiquity of HLP Issues in Conflict and Post-Conflict Environments......Page 25
PART II CASE STUDIES......Page 37
Introduction......Page 39
The Role of UNTAC in Historical Perspective......Page 42
Land and Conflict in Cambodia......Page 48
The Pre–Khmer Rouge Period......Page 50
The Khmer Rouge and the People’s Republic of Kampuchea (PRK) Periods (1975–1989)......Page 53
The State of Cambodia (SOC) Period (1990–1991)......Page 57
The UNTAC Period and Beyond......Page 61
Lessons from the UNTAC Approach to HLP Rights......Page 69
Retrospective Remedies......Page 71
Prospective Respect for HLP Rights......Page 76
Conclusions......Page 79
Introduction......Page 81
Historical Background and Developments......Page 85
The NATO Intervention and Its Aftermath......Page 87
International HLP Assistance......Page 90
Establishment of the HPD and HPCC......Page 91
Claims Resolution......Page 92
The Provision of Overall Direction on Property Rights......Page 93
The Jurisdiction of the HPCC......Page 94
The Legal Framework......Page 96
Successful Implementation of Mandate......Page 97
An Accessible, Free Claims Procedure with an Extensive Outreach Campaign......Page 98
The Adoption of Procedures That Facilitated Rapid Decision Making but at the Same Time Ensured Fair Procedures......Page 101
Broad Decision-Making Powers......Page 106
Effective Implementation of Final and Binding Decisions......Page 107
Dealing with the Illegal Occupation of Property......Page 109
The Issue of Compensation Where Restoration of Property Rights Was no Longer Feasible......Page 111
1. Policies on Addressing HLP Issues and Concerns Should Be Included in Peace Settlements and Agreements......Page 113
2. Comprehensive Policies on Addressing HLP Issues and Concerns Should Be a Key Component of Peace Operations and Be Institutionalized Within the UN System......Page 114
3. Institutional Models and Procedures......Page 116
5. Effective Remedies and the Implementation of Final and Binding Decisions......Page 118
6. Funding......Page 119
8. Coordination and Follow-Up Among the Major Stakeholders and Entities......Page 120
Conclusion......Page 121
4 Balancing Rights and Norms: Property Programming in East Timor, the Solomon Islands, and Bougainville......Page 123
Decolonization and Invasion......Page 126
The Militia Violence of 1999......Page 128
The Nature of the Intervention......Page 129
The Right to Housing......Page 131
Restitution: The Right to Return to One’s Home......Page 132
Nondiscrimination......Page 133
Geography, Economics, and Demographics......Page 134
The Nature of the Intervention......Page 137
The Right to Housing......Page 141
Restitution: The Right to Return to One’s Home......Page 142
Access......Page 143
The Nature of the Conflict......Page 144
Geography, Economics, and Demographics......Page 145
The Nature of the Intervention......Page 148
The Right to Housing......Page 151
The Right to Security of Tenure......Page 152
Opportunity to Access Natural Resources......Page 153
Overall Conclusions and Recommendations......Page 154
Introduction......Page 156
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan......Page 157
Land Disputes in Afghanistan......Page 160
Historical Context......Page 162
Current Challenges......Page 165
Housing, Land, and Property Rights in Afghanistan......Page 168
Land and Power......Page 170
Land and Justice......Page 173
Housing, Land, and Property Restitution Laws......Page 177
Afghan Customary Law......Page 181
HLP Rights and Legislative Reform......Page 187
Land Grabs, Forced Evictions, and Restitution......Page 192
Conclusions: Send Money, Guns, and Lawyers......Page 197
Introduction......Page 199
An Overview of Recent Conflicts in the Great Lakes Region......Page 200
Housing, Land, and Property Questions in Burundi......Page 206
The Impacts of Population Displacement......Page 208
The Arusha Peace Agreement......Page 209
Peacekeeping in Burundi Post-Arusha......Page 211
Government Responses to the Return of Refugees and Settlement of IDPs – CNRS......Page 214
Civil Society Responses to HLP challenges......Page 216
Impacts of Non-Governmental Efforts......Page 217
The Arusha Peace Agreement......Page 218
Implementation of the Arusha Agreement and the Establishment of UNAMIR......Page 219
After the Genocide......Page 220
Refugee Return......Page 222
Government Approaches to the Restitution of Housing, Land, and Property Rights......Page 224
The Present Day: Refugee Repatriation and Human Rights Monitoring......Page 228
Peacekeeping in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)......Page 229
MONUC’s Mandate......Page 230
Land and Local Peace Processes......Page 232
Conclusions......Page 237
Background......Page 240
A Brief History of the Property Restitution and Compensation Process in Iraq......Page 245
Analysis of the Property Restitution and Compensation Process......Page 252
Institutional Structures......Page 253
Claims Period......Page 257
Types of Claims......Page 258
Procedural Issues......Page 261
Shari’a Law......Page 262
Transitional Provisions......Page 263
Applicable Practical Principles......Page 264
Application of the Process......Page 269
Summary and Lessons Learned......Page 275
Introduction......Page 280
Sudan – An Environment Conducive to Displacement and Confrontation......Page 283
A Need for Access to Land and Natural Resources for Livelihoods and Economic Development......Page 284
Hostile Ecological Environment, Adapted Livelihoods, and an Imperative for Mobility......Page 285
Conflict Catalysts......Page 286
The North–South Conflict......Page 287
Tractors of Absentee Landlords in Blue Nile State......Page 289
Toward the Comprehensive Peace Agreement......Page 290
Pre-CPA Perceptions on Return......Page 293
Post-CPA Situation......Page 294
The CPA Implementation Process......Page 296
Land Commissions......Page 297
United Nations Advanced Mission in Sudan – UNAMIS......Page 299
United Nations Mission in Sudan – UNMIS......Page 300
Joint Assessment Mission – JAM......Page 303
FAO – UNHCR Land and Property Studies......Page 304
Improved Land Dispute Resolution Through Different Mechanisms......Page 306
Participatory Land Use Management as Part of the Conflict Transformation Process in Rural Areas......Page 307
UNDP......Page 308
The Action Response of the United Nations and Other Relevant International Actors with Respect to Identified HLP Needs......Page 309
The FAO-UNHCR Response......Page 310
The UNDP-UN Habitat Response......Page 311
Impact of Activities on the HLP Rights Situation......Page 313
Awareness Raising and Information Dissemination......Page 314
Development of Policy, Legal and Institutional Tools, Including Procedures......Page 315
Protection of Rights......Page 317
The Nature of the Interventions......Page 318
Approach......Page 319
UN Planning Process......Page 320
Reflection on a More Consistent and Effective UN Approach to HLP Issues in Post-Conflict Environments......Page 321
Protecting Rights......Page 325
Conclusions......Page 328
Introduction......Page 330
The Negative Consequences......Page 333
The Positive and ‘‘Mixed’’ Consequences......Page 335
Making Sense of It All......Page 337
From ‘‘UN Inflation’’ to ‘‘UN Gentrification’’?......Page 340
UN Peace Operations and the Prospects of Housing, Land, and Property Restitution......Page 341
Conclusions and Recommendations......Page 343
PART III CONCLUSIONS......Page 347
10 Possible Components of a Unified Global Policy on Housing, Land, and Property Rights in UN Peace Operations......Page 349
Recommendation 1. Include HLP Rights Issues Directly Within Peace Agreements, Security Council Resolutions, and Other Policy Documents Defining the Post-Conflict Normative and Institutional Frameworks......Page 351
Recommendation 2. Include HLP Rights Competencies Within the Organizational and Administrative Structures of Future Peace Operations......Page 352
Recommendation 5. Determine the Applicable HLP Legal and Policy Framework During the Planning Process......Page 353
Recommendation 6. Establish an HLP Rights Expert Standby Network......Page 354
Recommendation 8. Reverse HLP Rights Violations to the Maximum Possible Extent......Page 355
A Proposed UN HLP Policy and Institutional Framework......Page 356
The Housing, Land, and Property Rights Directorate......Page 357
Policy Department......Page 359
Legal Department......Page 362
Housing Department......Page 366
Construction Department......Page 370
Land Department......Page 371
Claims Department......Page 372
Conclusions......Page 374
Index......Page 377