UNDP - United Nations Development Programme

Published purpose

This project supports two multi-donor funds administered by the UNDP in Sierra Leone: 1) the Conflict Prevention and Mitigation (CPM) fund; and 2) the Support to the National Electoral Commission (SNEC) fund. Both funds seek to expand levels of electoral and democratic awareness and participation of women and girls, and prevent sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). On March 7, 2018, Sierra Leone is conducting local, legislative and presidential elections. These are the fourth elections since its decade-long civil war ended and the first conducted without the presence of a UN Observer Mission. The CPM fund is intended to contribute to a peaceful and secure environment during the 2018 election processes through preventive and mitigation activities, including enhanced national dialogue, peace advocacy, and peaceful response capacities, as well as sustained public security, civil protection, human rights promotion, and peaceful response capacities. The National Electoral Commission (NEC) of Sierra Leone successfully managed the administration of peaceful elections in 2007 and 2012, with declining levels of international involvement in the management of each election. While Sierra Leone has made progress in strengthening the electoral process, NEC requires further support. The SNEC fund aims to complement Government of Sierra Leone resources with technical and material support to the NEC to further their work on meeting their responsibilities for key 2018 electoral processes.