It was exactly eighteen months ago that I launched the National Commission for Social Action(NaCSA) as an instrument of peace and national development. Before that, in our effort to deal with the immediate problems of post-war recovery, we had established the NCDDR and NCRRR. Both agencies sought the welfare of the most seriously affected victims of the rebel war. They were also directly at the critical issue of removing the threat, particularly security threat, to the peace process. I am heartened to report here that the NCDDR has, in our view, and that of our partners, successfully accomplished its mandate through the disarmament and the demobilisation of over 70,000 ex-combatants. Now we are in the final phases of providing re-integration support to them.

As a development agency dedicated to reducing the risk of renewed conflict, NaCSA and its predecessor, the National Commission for Reconstruction, Resettlement and Rehabilitation (NCRRR), have undertaken projects geared towards a rapid transition from post-war relief to economic growth and sustainable development, leading to substantial poverty reduction.

These projects, and there are over 700 so far, cover key sub-sectors, reflecting the priority areas of intervention identified in our National Recovery Strategy, namely: Agriculture, Health, Education, Community Infrastructure, Micro-finance Enterprise Promotion, Resettlement and Rehabilitation, Shelter and Information and Sensitisation.

We should take pride in the fact that despite the enormous and complex problems associated with the critical transition from post-war relief to sustainable development seventy per cent of the projects in the priority areas have been completed.

Of course these projects were successfully implemented with the invaluable assistance of our development partners. They recognise the contribution, however modest, that we have made and continue to make to our own national recovery and development. Many projects are still under way, and I must say that we have absolutely no reason to doubt the confidence that our development partners have in our ability to assume greater responsibility for our own development programme. Such confidence is as necessary as the technical assistance they provide to the Government and people of Sierra Leone.

In fulfilment of our firm commitment to empowering rural communities through decentralization, participation and good governance, the National Social Action Project will be launched next week, at the regional level, in Bo, Kenema and Makeni. This is how it should be. It is necessary, especially in a post-0conflict situation that all sectors of society are fully informed about the development process. This is also another means of mobilizing public support for and involvement in ensuring peace and stability through economic and social development.

The project we are launching this morning and will replicate in the regional headquarters next week is therefore aimed at empowering local communities to participate actively in the reconstruction and rehabilitation process.

Mr. Chairman,

Looking back on the activities of NaCSA, and those of its predecessor, the National Commission for Reconstruction, Resettlement and Rehabilitation (NCRRR), I am reminded of an article written by a gentleman called John Meakin. It was about war, and post-war recovery. Let me paraphrase a few lines of it.

"All across, villages and towns had been pounded into rubble. Transportation was unreliable or non-existent. Roads, bridges lay wrecked and demolished untold numbers of men, women and children had been killed or maimedmore were struggling just to find food to eat and a dry place to sleep at night. For many the peaceful life widely known a decade earlier was a shattered, far-off memory. The economy was in shambles. Trade was paralysed. Farms, mines and manufacturing concerns struggled to provide food, shelter, clothing and power to the war survivors. The particularly severe weather over the next two years exacerbated the problems and shortage."

Mr. Chairman, those descriptions are painfully familiar to us Sierra Leoneans, having endured ten years of war, mayhem destruction and death. But the author was not writing about Sierra Leone. His article was about Europe, about the devastation caused by the Second World War, a war that, in his words, "left most European countries badly mauled and exhausted". It was written in connection with the fiftieth anniversary of the historic Marshall Plan for the reconstruction and economic recovery of those countries. According to the visionary of that plan, which was formally in operation for four years, United States Secretary of State George Marshall, the requirements of Europe were "so much greater than her post-war ability to pay that she must have substantial additional help or face economic, social and political deterioration of very grave character".

Clearly, this warning to Europe then is even more relevant to our situation in Sierra Leone today, particularly when one considers the state of the country's economy before and during the war. My compatriots, I urge you all to emulate the example the Europeans demonstrated in embracing the Marshall Plan since the donor community is aware of the problems of post-conflict recovery and they are ready and willing to assist us. Thanks to the generosity of our development partners, the determination of the government and people of this country we are forging ahead with the limited resources available to us for post-war rehabilitation, reconstruction and recovery.

As I have said on many occasions, our determination is to work hard and build up wealth to enable us to reduce our dependence on foreign aid. This policy has not changed. We can all help in the achievement of this objective by, for example, cooperating fully with the newly established National Revenue Authority (NRA) and refrain from discouraging those who are trying to get it started and established on a sound foundation. Recent history has taught us that post-war reconstruction in any country, including European countries that were already developed is a very expensive and complex undertaking. It depends on, among other things, (i) the level of economic and social development of the country before the outbreak of war, especially its infrastructure and human resources; (ii) the extent and gravity of the destruction inflicted on the nation; (iii) the willingness of the people to forge strong partnerships with other nations and agencies in the process of reconstruction; (iv) their determination to take responsibility for the planning and implementation of their national recovery; and (v) the quantum and timeliness of external assistance that can be mustered for the reconstruction and recovery.

These factors have influenced the strategies that Sierra Leone has adopted for post-war reconstruction and development. These are the same factors that should in turn be taken into account in assessing the pace and extent of the implementation of the various projects that we wish to take as part of the recovery programme.

The destruction caused by the ten-year rebel was so massive and extensive that it will take some time to attain pre-war levels in many aspects of our national life. For example, Government and various interested partners have determined that some 300 towns and villages, 340,000 houses, 287 court barays, 2000 educational facilities, 2000 health facilities, 5000 water wells, and other infrastructure were destroyed throughout the country. This is in addition to vast acreages of agricultural crops and livestock destroyed. Police stations, prisons, law courts and other social and economic facilities were damaged for the mere fun of it. Naturally, these caused large numbers of displacement of people both internally and externally. At the height of the crises, we had an estimated two (2) million people displaced internally while another 500,000 were refugees out of Sierra Leone.

Such facts and figures can be overwhelming even for more developed countries which are also engaged in post-war reconstruction. These are the objective realities prevailing in the country that must not be ignored when assessing the state of our reconstruction and recovery programme.

Against this background, donor support has flowed steadily from our development partners, especially since the start of the rehabilitation process. However, external assistance has met only a fraction of the substantial requirements, leaving the government with no alternative but to make some difficult choices in meeting the needs of our people. For example, through our meagre resources, we are investing billions of Leones through the national budget to the education, health, and agriculture sectors, among others, annually.

Against all odds and constraints the Government is demonstrating leadership in managing the recovery process by creating vital structures to effectively coordinate and manage interventions. The National Recovery and Poverty reduction strategies, the National and District Recovery Committees, and NaCSA are all concrete evidence of Government's commitment to rebuild the country and make life more secure and comfortable for our people. No one should under-estimate that commitment. We have invested a lot of efforts and resources in mobilizing resources for these programmes and ensuring their successful implementation.

From the humanitarian perspective who can ignore the fact, for instance, that as of today resettlement of IDPs has been completed and all camps previously hosting them, have been closed, with the exception of the amputee, the war wounded camps in Aberdeen and Grafton. Who can ignore the fact that the repatriation of refugees is ongoing with over 130,000 facilitated and 210,000 voluntarily repatriated.

While acknowledging that much remains to be done and that the transition from emergency relief and reconstruction and economic recovery cannot be achieved overnight the IMF, World Bank, UNAMSIL and other international organisations and partners also acknowledge what we have achieved so far. The consensus is that our overall recovery process is encouraging.

While under the circumstance we should take satisfaction in this recognition of our modest efforts, we are determined to continue to work hard to surpass our own record, or at least maintain it.

Let me re-echo my commitment that one by one, we shall not only rehabilitate and refurbish, but we shall also, where appropriate, rebuild every single structure and every institution in this country that has been damaged by the rebel war by accident or by sheer human neglect.

This is not just a promise. It is a challenge, a challenge that we must all accept in the interest of our real peace and sustainable development of our beloved country. NaSCA's success in mobilizing resources and building partnerships to implement sub-projects in multi-sectors, gives us hope that it can be done. The increased confidence demonstrated by donors for our efforts continue to encourage us to work even harder to achieve our final goal of not only reconstructing and rehabilitating but also building solid structures on which the future of our country depends. Meanwhile, the result of the donors meeting last Wednesday was a great source of encouragement to our people.

It therefore gives me great pleasure to launch the National Social Action Project as a vehicle for empowering our people living in rural areas and ensuring effective grassroots participation in the development process.

I wish you good luck and offer you my full support.