UNIPSIL was a fully Integrated Peacebuilding Office, as mandated by S/Res/1829 (2008), which worked closely with the United Nations Country Team (UNCT), Funds and Programmes in Sierra Leone, i.e. UNDP, UNFPA , WFP, UNICEF, UNHCR, WHO, FAO, UNAIDS, UNIDO, as well as the World Bank, IMF, ADB, and IOM.
The operational support of the Integrated Peacebuilding Office was managed by the Chief of Mission Support (CMS/SAO), who had the overall responsibility for the Mission’s resources.
This included Human Resources, Finance & Budget, General Services, Transport, Air Operations, Information Technology, fixed and moveable assets, the allotment of funds, flight services, the Joint Medical Services, facilitating of incoming and outgoing shipments.
In the spirit of an Integrated Mission, UNIPSIL managed operational support also for the UNCT members like the Joint Medical Services, the Joint Safety and Security Services and shuttle flights.
The shuttle flights were provided 2-3 times per week between Cockrill, where the helipad was located and Lungi to connect to international flights. Mainland Special Flights were provided to any reasonable locations within Sierra Leone and to neighboring countries (e.g. Conakry, Monrovia). Whilst UNIPSIL was providing shuttle flights to all UN staff including UNCT in Mission area, the joint vehicle workshop was managed by WFP as a common service on a cost sharing arrangement. The sharing of service facilities reflected the spirit of the Integrated Mission.
The Joint Medical Services, serving the needs of the Integrated Mission, provided services to all UN staff and dependents, based on cost shared recovery mechanisms.
UN Country Team
In December 2008, UNIPSIL, along with UN Agencies, Funds and Programs working as the UN Country Team (UNCT) in Sierra Leone, adopted a Joint Vision under which they agreed to combine their efforts to further the consolidation of peace. UNIPSIL and the UNCT established common facilities and services such as joint regional offices, a multi-donor fund, a joint strategic unit, a medical facility, security services and a vehicle repair shop in order to enable the UN to deliver as one by maximizing synergies and avoiding duplication and overlapping of interventions.
UNIPSIL’s approach to bring together the political, humanitarian and development mandate of the various UN Agencies, Funds and Programs whilst at the same time sharing of joint facilities and services with the members of the UNCT, made UNIPSIL unique among the United Nations’ peacebuilding offices around the world.
UNIPSIL together with UN Agencies, Funds and Programs in Sierra Leone recognized their joint responsibility for a fully integrated peacebuilding mission as called for by the UN Security Council. Therefore they agreed to combine their efforts and resources behind this Joint Vision in support of the Government of Sierra Leone and the people of this country. In this Joint Vision for Sierra Leone, the UN organisations in Sierra Leone, which have organised themselves in the UN Country Team (UNCT) as the main common co-ordination body in country, defined the common priorities that guided the common activities. In this Joint Vision the UNCT set out a number of joint planning, implementation and coordination mechanisms with the aim of enhancing the impact of the United Nations’ assistance as part of the international communities’ efforts of consolidating peace and promoting sustainable development in Sierra Leone.
The Joint Vision defined the UNCT’s contribution to implementing the Government’s Agenda for Change, to accomplishing the mandate given to the UN organisations in Sierra Leone by the Security Council and to supporting the goals and work of the UN Peacebuilding Commission. The Joint Vision covered the initial period from 2009 to 2012.