28 January 2002

Freetown, Sierra Leone: UN Volunteers began arriving in Sierra Leone over the weekend to help prepare for presidential and parliamentary elections slated for May.

Recruited by the Bonn-based UN Volunteers programme (UNV), 10 district electoral officers from Cameroon, Poland, Nigeria, Italy, Pakistan, South Africa, Spain and Togo will monitor technical aspects of all phases of the electoral process in the strife-torn West African country.

"The UNV district electoral officers will make a tangible contribution to Sierra Leone's future after years of conflict," said Lars Narfeldt, UN Volunteers Programme Manager in Sierra Leone. "They join 129 other UN Volunteers who have taken up a wide variety of substantive and support functions as part of the UN Mission here."

Until the end of May, the UN Volunteers attached to the Electoral Assistance Division of the UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) will work with the National Electoral Commission (NEC) civic education programme and registration exercise. They will also assist during the electoral campaign and help ensure that political parties have access to the media. Additionally, the UN Volunteers will provide technical advice to local electoral authorities.

UNAMSIL reported last week that Sierra Leoneans had started registering for the May elections. The two-week process, which is being conducted by the NEC, is scheduled to be completed by 7 February.

UN Volunteers have been working with UNAMSIL since early 2000. During 2001, 130 volunteers carried out UNAMSIL assignments as field engineers, construction supervisors and warehouse managers. Others include water and sewage specialists and inventory managers. Recently, the number of UNV posts has increased to 168, many of which are directly involved in the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of ex-combatants.

Earlier this month, Sierra Leone's government and leaders of anti-government forces declared that the country's 10-year civil war was over.