May 2019

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC MULTIPARTNER TRUST FUND (EZINGO FUND) 2018 ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT

Philippe Grandet

INTRODUCTION In 2013, CAR faced military and civil unrest that lead to massive human rights violations, insecurity and

increased poverty. The Ezingo Fund (Ezingo) was established in 2014 to support governmental

stabilization and recovery efforts. Over the period 2014 – 2018, USA, France, Netherlands, Norway

and the Peace Building Fund donated USD 28,534,685.

Picture 1: Deposit per donor

Ezingo funded ten (10) projects related to:

• State Authority and Duties (USD 19,196,754)

o Computers kits for the national unit in charge of disarmament (implemented by UNOPS) o Fight against Human Rights Violations and Justice Revival (UNDP) o Payment of salaries of Police and Gendarmerie officers (UNDP) o Special Criminal Court (UNDP) o Renovation of armed forces camp (UNDP)

• Early Recovery (USD 4,663,324)

o Multi Indicator Cluster Survey (implemented by UNICEF) o Reduction of the vulnerability of teenagers and young people (UNICEF and UNFPA) o Renovation of health facilities (WHO) o Holistic care for rape survivors (UNFPA, UNICEF and WHO)

• Reconciliation and Mediation (USD 2,500,125) o Youth participation in stabilization and reconciliation process (implemented by UNFPA,

UNDP, FAO and UNICEF)

2%

16%

20%

22%

40%

Deposits USD

FRANCE, Government of Peacebuilding Fund

NETHERLANDS, Government of NORWAY, Government of

US Int'l Narcotics & Law Enfmnt Affairs

Ezingo mainly funded the fight against impunity and the restoration of security through the

reinforcement of the judicial system, disarmament facilitation and strengthening of internal security

forces.

In 2016, the Government, with the support of the international community, developed a strategic plan

for 2017 – 2021. The « Plan National de Relèvement et de Consolidation de la Paix (RCPCA) » is

articulated on three pillars i.e. (1) Pillar 1: Support for peace, security, and reconciliation, (2) Pillar 2:

Renewal of the social contract between the State and the population and (3) Pillar 3: Economic

recovery and promotion of productive sectors. The UN System has aligned its strategic plan to RCPCA

and defined three (3) strategic results: (1) Peacebuilding, security, and social cohesion (aligned with

RCPCA Pillar 1), (2) Social well-being and equity (RCPCA Pillar 2) and (3) Sustainable economic recovery

(RCPCA Pillar 3).

Ezingo was designated as one of the funding mechanisms for RCPCA. It is therefore a privileged

financial mechanism used by the UN system to support the Government efforts. It channels assistance

for CAR's recovery efforts, promotes aid effectiveness and ensures national ownership and transparency. Despite this important role, Ezingo faces a significant decrease of donors’ contributions

Picture 2: Donor’s contributions from 2014 - 2018

However, in a context of huge development needs, Ezingo still has an important role to play for the

implementation of the Humanitarian – Peace and Development Nexus. In fact, people who are

currently benefitting from humanitarian assistance and the general population should be economically

empowered to meet their basic needs. According to the World Bank, at least 2.5 million people needed

assistance; about 688,000 Central Africans were internally displaced and 546,000 were refugees in

neighbouring countries in 2018. In 2017, about 75% of the population lived below the international

20,256,720

1,607,576 3,069,821 2,482,658

1,117,910

-

5,000,000

10,000,000

15,000,000

20,000,000

25,000,000

2,014 2,014 2,015 2,015 2,016 2,016 2,017 2,017 2,018 2,018 2,019

Deposits USD / Year

poverty line (US$1.90 per day, 2011 PPP). According to UNFPA, with a maternal mortality rate of 890

deaths per 100,000 births in 2010, CAR has one of the highest rates in sub-Saharan Africa.

80% of the territory is controlled by armed groups. In 2017, MINUSCA reported 308 cases of conflict-

related sexual violence involving 155 women, 138 girls (48 were recruited by armed groups), 13 men

and 2 boys. These cases included 253 rapes (including 181 gang rapes), 5 attempted rapes, 28 forced

marriages, 2 cases of sexual slavery and 20 other acts of sexual assault. The restoration of Peace and

Security will create the enabling environment needed for economic recovery programs and provision

of basic services. With the support of the United Nations and the African Union, the Government

signed a peace agreement (Khartoum Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in CAR) with

the armed groups on February 6, 2019. This agreement is the roadmap for the Government and the

donor community. Some of the current priorities of the Government are related to:

- Implementation of the national Strategy of State Authority Restoration (deployment of armed

forces and civil servants in cities where there are not present)

- Poverty alleviation and provision of basic social services - Peace Building and Social Cohesion

Ezingo is the ideal funding mechanism to fund the planned activities (reconciliation, economic recovery…) – annex 1.

1. FUND GOVERNANCE

1.1. Steering Committee Co – chaired by the Minister of Economy, Planning and Cooperation and the United Nations System

Resident Coordinator (RC), the Steering Committee (SC) is responsible for the management of the Fund

i.e. strategic direction, oversight and approval of project proposals and disbursements. It is composed

of representatives of UN agencies, donors and civil society. For direct budgetary support, the Minister

in charge of Finance is ex officio member of the Steering Committee.

In accordance with the TORs, the SC holds at least two mandatory meetings per year (June and

December) and makes funding decisions by consensus. In 2018, the SC held three meetings:

• Meeting held on April 5, 2018

This meeting was co – chaired by Mr. Felix MOLOUA, Minister of Economy, Planning and Cooperation

and Mr. Jean – Alexandre SCAGLIA, FAO Representative, RC a.i. The participants came from the

Government, US embassy, Peace Building Fund, European Union and UNDP.

Implemented by UNDP, the project “Emergency Support to Special Criminal Court (SCC)” is linked to

SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Effective Institutions) and aims to restore the rule of law and social cohesion. SCC will investigate, prosecute and try serious human rights violations, including crimes

against humanity and war crimes. The project initial duration was fourteen (14) months (November

2016 – January 2018) and the budget was estimated to USD 1,600,550. The project was extended to

April 2019 with an additional funding of USD 1,006,915 to finalize its operationalization i.e. completion

of ongoing renovations, training of police officers and personnel recruitment.

• Meeting held on June 1, 2018

This meeting was co – chaired by Mr. Felix MOLOUA, Minister of Economy, Planning and Cooperation

and Mr. Mathieu CIOWELA, UNDP Country Director, RC a.i. The participants came from the

Government, US embassy, Peace Building Fund, European Union, UNDP, FAO and UNICEF.

A new project linked to SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), Multi Indicator Cluster Survey Round 6

proposed by UNICEF was approved. The main objective is to have reliable data at national and regional

level for strategic decision-making. This includes the availability of baseline data for the Sustainable

Development Goals (SDGs) and indicators to monitor RCPCA and other relevant sectoral policies

progress. Since 2010, CAR has not been able to conduct such a large-scale field data collection due to

the political-and military crisis. The survey was designed to be national in scope. The total sample size

is 11,000 households. The data will be representative at regional and national level with desegregation

by area of residence (rural and urban) and other consideration where relevant. The budget was

estimated to USD 2,200,000 to be funded by Ezingo, the Government, UNICEF, UNFPA and the World

Bank. Ezingo disbursed USD 1 050 483.

• Meeting held on December 14,2018

The meeting was co – chaired by Mr. Felix MOLOUA, Minister of Economy, Planning and Cooperation

and Mr. Mathieu CIOWELA, UNDP Resident Representative a.i, RC a.i. The participants came from the

Government, US embassy, Peace Building Fund, UNICEF, UNFPA and UNDP

The following project’s extensions were approved:

o No Cost Extension of project “MICS”

This project was initially planned for the period December 2017 – December 2018. The extension request is due to the delay in contributions disbursements until July 2018. The survey will be conducted

from July 2018 – July 2019. In December 2018, the governance and planning activities were completed

(establishment of the steering committee, the technical committee and the inter- agency group, development of questionnaires and cartography…). The survey in Bangui (20 % of the national sample)

started in December 2018. The national survey will be completed in March 2019.

o No Cost Extension of Project “Fight against Human Rights Violations and Justice Revival”

Implemented by UNDP, this project has an overall budget of USD 11,253,925. It is linked to SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Effective Institutions) and aims at strengthening the capacity of the justice system

to respond appropriately to multiple human rights violations. This project started in October2014 for

an initial duration of three (3) years. It was extended to December 2019. The SC has also approved the

disbursement of the last tranche of USD 1,008,695. This extension will allow the

completion/implementation of important activities such as the sectoral justice policy, operational and

strategic plan for the redeployment of the internal security forces.

1.2. Technical Secretariat The Technical Secretariat supports the proper functioning of the MPTF, advances day-to-day work, ensures monitoring and reporting and facilitates funds allocation and management in line with the

New Deal principles of aid coordination and effectiveness. It monitors funds allocations and reports

periodically to the donors.

Scheduled to have 3 members, the Technical Secretariat of the Fund has operated until December

2016 with a Fund Manager (International staff). The Head of RCO provided back-stopping support to

keep the Fund functional. The establishment of a new Technical Secretariat was approved during the

SC meeting of December 2017. The new secretariat (one international staff and one national staff) was

established in June 2018.

The secretariat is focused on resource mobilization given the Fund’s “critical” financial situation

(balance of USD 2,183,484 as of December 2018). The following activities were conducted:

- Development of a call for contributions signed by the Minister of Economy, Planning and

Cooperation and UN System Resident Coordinator (annex 2)

- Collection and review of joint proposals submitted by the agencies:

SDGs Proposed Projects Implementing agencies

Budget (USD)

1 Reinforcement of the Resilience of communities affected by the conflicts

ILO UNICEF

2 000 000

1 Support to improve the employability of young people by promoting agropastoral entrepreneurship in the Central African Republic

FAO ILO

2 500 000

2 Strengthening livelihoods and social protection to support the return, reintegration and economic recovery of people affected by the crisis in the Central African Republic

UNDP FAO ILO

UNWOMEN

4 000 000

3 Achieving zero HIV and GBV within the Defense and Security Forces: an initiative for prevention, care and social responsibility on GBV and HIV in Central African Republic

UNWOMEN UNAIDS

1 600 000

3 Cities deliver for life and health: Strengthening the capacity of 4 selected cities to support access to HIV services for internally displaced people (IDPs) in Central African Republic

IOM UNAIDS

800 000

5 Strengthening Women's Leadership in local governance and their participation in the economic reconstruction and peacebuilding process

UNDP UNWOMEN

FAO ILO

2 000 000

8 Support for local Development and Resilience of Vakaga

FAO ILO

UNDP

2 000 000

16 Preventing violence among adolescents and young people: Supporting the active commitment of vulnerable adolescents and young people, including young women (street children, unemployed, rural) to change violent behavior in the cities of Bangui and Bossangoa

UNFPA UNMAS

2 475 823

- Meetings with French Embassy and French Development Agency in Bangui

- Transmission of the call for contributions and proposals to potential donors via emails (DFID,

DANIDA, Canada High Commission, SIDA, Norway, Netherlands, Japan, Belgium, Italy…).

Feedback received to date:

o Negative feedbacks from SIDA (Sweden), DFID (UK) and DANIDA (Denmark) and France

o A new SCC project proposal was submitted to Netherlands. SCC is now operational.

Additional funding (USD 2 000 000) is required to start investigations and prosecutions

o New contribution of Norway (USD 1 117 910)

- Development of communication and marketing tools (annex 2)

2. CURRENT PORTFOLIO STATUS

• Fight against Human Rights Violations and Justice Revival (UNDP)

Project Number

Project Duration Transfers dates Amounts (USD)

00094467 March 2015 – December 2019

Mar 12, 2015 Nov 16, 2016

2,842,918 7,048,937

Partners • UNWOMEN • MINUSCA • Government

Results • Ongoing development of the sectoral justice policy • Availability of judicial statistics • Recruitment of 150 penitentiary students • 500 new police and gendarmerie officers trained and equipped • Development of the strategic and operational plan for the redeployment of internal

security armed forces • 10792 people including 2856 sexual violence survivors benefitted from legal support • Renovation, construction and equipment of the prisons de Bossembele, Bossangoa,

Berberati, Mbaïki and Bangui • The survey on Justice, Peace and Development conducted by the Harvard

Humanitarian Initiative showed that 71% of participants are confident in the judicial system.

• Establishment of a NGOs platform in charge of human rights monitoring in prisons

• Emergency support to the Special Criminal Court (UNDP)

Project Number

Project Duration Transfers dates Amounts (USD)

00103410 November 2016 – April 2019

November 21, 2016 April 25, 2018

1,600,550 1,006,915

Partners • MINUSCA • Government • OHCHR • International Criminal Court • European Union • Civil Society • Media

Results • Renovation of court building • 11 appointed magistrates (6 international and 5 national magistrates) • 5 national clerks, 4 national secretaries and 20 police officers (10 police officers and

10 gendarmes) appointed • Promulgation of the Rules of Procedure and Evidence • Organization of the inaugural session on October 22, 2018 • Strategy of investigations validated.

• MICS Round 6 survey (UNICEF)

Project Number

Project Duration Transfers dates Amounts (USD)

00111237 July 2018 – July 2019 July 20, 2018 1,050,483 Partners

• Government (Institut Centrafricain des Statistiques et des Etudes Economiques et Sociales (ICASEES))

Results • Signature of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Government • Establishment of governance bodies (steering committee, technical group and inter

– agency group) • Completion of planning activities (sampling, cartography, surveyors training, pilot

survey) • Ongoing Data collection in Bangui

• Youth participation in stabilization and reconciliation process (UNDP, FAO, UNFPA and

UNICEF)

Project Number

Project Duration Transfers dates Amounts (USD)

00107382 October 2017 – June 2019 October 27, 2017 618,851 (UNFPA) 615,250 (UNICEF) 680,734 (UNDP) 585,290 (FAO)

Partners • Government (Ministry of Youth Promotion)

Results : • 2118 young people trained on conflict resolution • 20 broadcasts on conflict prevention • 1162 beneficiaries of Income Generating Activities (IGA) • 35 health facilities offer appropriate reproductive health services • 97 adolescents and youth platforms involved in oral contraceptives distribution

3. CHALLENGES AND CONSTRAINTS

• Weak presence of donors’ representations at local level

Resource mobilization is difficult at local level given the limited number of embassies and donors’

offices. Most of the donors’ representations in the region are in Cameroon or Democratic Republic of

Congo.

• Persistence of insecurity

The situation remains volatile in several regions due to the presence of several armed groups. 80% of

the territory is still out of the control of the Government. There are regular security incidents that

delays implementation of project activities on the ground.

Annex 1: Ezingo – funding mechanism for the Khartoum Peace Agreement

CAR MPTF (FONDS EZINGO) – FUNDING MECHANISM FOR KHARTOUM PEACE AGREEMENT

IMPLEMENTATION

The following activities planned in the Peace and Reconciliation agreement could be funded through the Ezingo Fund:

EZINGO PROGRAMMATIC AREAS Planned Activities State

Authority Reconciliation

and Mediation

Economic Recovery

Political Promotion of reconciliation

Justice, National Reconciliation and Humanitarian Promotion of peace and citizenship and protection of human rights

Trust fund for reparation and rehabilitation payments for victims

Traditional reconciliation mechanisms (in close consultation with traditional chiefdoms)

Social reintegration of refugees and IDPs Promotion of social justice and access to basic social services, consolidation of the judicial power and rule of law

National reconciliation and social cohesion Socio-economic activities Identification of channels for production and job creation in Birao, Bangassou, Bouar and Mbaiki

Socio-economic reinsertion of armed groups Construction of socio-economic infrastructures in each Prefecture (markets, health centres, wells, schools, etc.)

Launch of labour-intensive work projects focusing on ex-combattants, youths and local communities

Annex 2: Ezingo Achievements

Indicators Achievements Agencies

People sensitized on GBV, early marriages and pregnancies, STI and HIV

60300 UNICEF UNFPA

Health facilities renovated 7 WHO

Health facilities equipped 14 WHO

Rape and sexual violence survivors benefitting from medical care

1185 UNICEF UNFPA WHO

Rape and sexual violence survivors benefitting from legal support

111 UNICEF UNFPA WHO

Police officers receiving their monthly salaries (security during 2016 and 2017 elections)

3564 Government UNDP

Military camp renovated 1 UNDP

Number of computer kits made available to the unit in charge of disarmament

25 UNOPS

Penitentiary institutions renovated according to international standards

4 UNDP

Police and gendarmerie officers trained and equipped 500 UNDP

Sexual and gender-based violence victims benefitting from legal support

10792 UNDP

People sensitized on sexual and gender-based violence

1000 UNDP

Proportion of people trusting the justice system 71% UNDP

Young people trained on peace promotion 2118 FAO

UNDP UNFPA UNICEF

Beneficiaries of income generating kits 1162 FAO

UNDP UNFPA UNICEF

Young employees in High Intensity Workforce Activities

558 FAO UNDP UNFPA UNICEF