The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
facilities
and provincial government buildings. Each ministry or
governorate
administration
could have its own unit. FPS training was a very basic
three‑day course.
281.
On 1 August,
Ministers from the FCO, DFID and the MOD were asked to agree
a
joint
FCO/DFID/MOD Iraq Strategy for the Global Conflict Prevention Pool
(GCPP).247
The
Strategy aimed to provide a coherent framework for UK activities
aimed at
preventing
conflict in Iraq. It defined its “initial focus of activity” as
SSR. Work on that
element of
the Strategy was the most well developed, and Ministers were
invited to
agree that
expenditure on SSR activities could start immediately while work
continued
to define
the other elements of the Strategy.
The Global
Conflict Prevention Pool (GCPP) was a UK Government fund bringing
together
the work of
the FCO, the MOD and DFID in conflict prevention.248
The aim was
a more
strategic
and cost‑effective approach to conflict prevention and reduction.
Activities
included
conflict assessments, supporting peace initiatives and DDR
programmes.
282.
The “second
element” of the Strategy was assistance to “Iraqi governorates
and
local
administrations within the British AO as they develop to ensure
that policy decisions
are made
strategically and with an understanding of conflict prevention
issues.”249
That
included
assistance to improve access to justice, encourage the involvement
of women
in local
administrations, and develop a fair and equitable prison service.
The third
element was
further studies and analyses to assist in the development of UK
conflict
prevention
strategies. The geographical spread of the programmes had not yet
been
determined,
although there were “good arguments” in favour of focusing in the
South
to deliver
an “exemplar southern model”.
283.
The estimated
cost of the Strategy was £7.5m per year for the UK financial
years
2003/04 and
2004/05. Of the £15m total, £9.5m was allocated for SSR, £4m for
local
governance
and £1.5m for further studies and analyses. The implementation plan
for
the Strategy
listed a number of SSR activities, including:
•
support for
the police;
•
support for
customs reform including the deployment of nine HM Customs
and
Excise
personnel starting on 18 August;
247
Minute, 1
August 2003, ‘Global Conflict Prevention Pool – Iraq
Strategy’.
248
Paper DFID,
FCO and MOD, 2003, ‘The Global Conflict Prevention Pool: A Joint UK
Government
Approach to
Reducing Conflict’.
249
Minute, 1
August 2003, ‘Global Conflict Prevention Pool – Iraq
Strategy’.
120