Protocol IV

Reconstruction and Development

Chapter III
Economic and Social Development

Article 14
Development programme

The transitional Government shall launch a long-term economic and social development programme. With the support of international agencies, it shall begin work on remedying the economic situation, reversing the trends resulting from the crisis, particularly the intensification of poverty, and taking up the challenges that impede economic development.

Article 15
Principal objectives

The Government shall endeavour to correct the imbalances in distribution of the country's limited resources and to embark on the path of sustainable growth with equity. It shall set itself the following principal objectives:

1. Increasing rural and urban household income;
   
   
2. Providing all children with primary and secondary education at least to the age of 16;
   
   
3. Reducing the infant mortality rate by at least half;
   
   
4. Giving the entire population access to health care;
   
   
5. Improving the well-being of the population in all areas.

Article 16
Guidelines governing development

In pursuit of these objectives, the Government shall follow the guidelines set out hereunder on the basis of the measures specified in the report of Committee IV (see Annex IV):

1. Working towards macro-economic and financial stabilization;
   
   
2. Attempting to solve the problem of external and domestic public debt;
   
   
3. Initiation of structural reforms in the social sectors;
   
   
4. Creation of an environment conducive to the expansion of the private sector;
   
   
5. Efforts to create new jobs and compliance with the criteria of equity and transparency in employment;
   
   
6. Ensuring good governance in the management of public affairs;
   
   
7. Rendering operational the Court of Audit established under the provisions of Chapter I of Protocol II to the Agreement;
   
   
8. Transformation of the communes into focal points for development and promotion of greater public access to State services by means of a decentralization policy;
   
   
9. Promotion of the role of women and youth in development, with the aid of specific measures to benefit them;
   
   
10. Initiation of Burundi's integration into the region;
    
    
11. Equitable apportionment of the benefits of development.

Article 17
Implementation

1. For the implementation of the reconstruction and development measures, an Inter-Ministerial Reconstruction and Development Unit shall be created to which the Ministries of Planning, Finance and Reintegration shall second personnel. Support for this Unit shall be sought from the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the European Commission and others. It shall have the following mandate:
   
   
   1. Preparation, within six weeks of the signing of the peace agreement, of an emergency reconstruction plan that will set the priorities for reconstruction and provide an initial estimate of costs. In preparing this plan, the National Commission for the Rehabilitation of Sinistrés shall be consulted and invited to submit proposals. This emergency plan shall also serve as the basis for discussion at a donor conference;
      
      
   2. Subsequently, preparation of a detailed reconstruction plan covering the transition period as set forth in Chapter II of Protocol II to the Agreement;
      
      
   3. At the same time, preparation of a medium- and long-term development plan.
      
      
2. The three plans shall be submitted to the National Assembly for approval. They will be guided by the measures proposed by Committee IV (see Annex IV, chapters II and III) while adapting the priorities in response to developments in the situation and bearing in mind opportunities for financing.
   
   
3. Donors will be involved in the work of the Unit, and may request an international auditing company to monitor all financial operations and accounts that may be established.

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