Author(s): Canan Gündüz and Kristian Herbolzheimer
2011-01-01

International peace mediation is a rapidly expanding field that has evolved from classic diplomacy to more complex, multi-level and multi-stakeholder affairs, up to the point where today few (if any) international mediation efforts are conducted by one actor only. As a result, peacemakers have developed a multitude of collective coordination mechanisms to ensure complementarity between different actors’ support to peace processes, ranging from informal cooperation to more formalized set-ups like Groups of Friends. Indeed in many cases, the EU does not necessarily directly lead mediation efforts; but it has played and does play a significant role in supporting a number of peace processes together with other actors. This document looks at lessons on coordination among different third parties that support particular peace processes, and their relevance for EU peace process support. In particular it seeks to contribute to the implementation of the recent EU Joint Concept on Strengthening EU Mediation and Dialogue Capacities, which stresses the importance of coordination.

Author(s): Kristin van der Leest, Daniela Kolarova, Laurie Mécréant
2010-12-31

This manual is designed to be used by development practitioners to help them mainstream peacebuilding into development assistance. It aims at evidencing the added value of peacebuilding for development but also at building the capacity to programme development interventions with higher conflict sensitivity. The need for such a manual has been evidenced by a study conducted under the supervision of PDCI in seven new EU donor countries, within the IfP, that showed that not all state and non-governmental actors are aware of the importance of integrating and applying a peacebuilding perspective as part of development interventions at the policy formulation, programming, project implementation and assessment stages. The manual is designed to be useful for government and non-state actors involved primarily in development work, as policymakers, programmers, donors and/or implementers.

Author(s): Julia Schünemann
2010-12-30

Haiti is trapped in a vicious circle between the country’s progressive structural deterioration and recurrent emergencies. For the international community it is therefore imperative to address Haiti’s short and the long-term needs and be flexible. The EU’s policy framework increasingly reflects these challenges. In 2007 the EU launched the Instrument for Stability (IfS) in order to enhance its capacity in the domain of conflict prevention and peacebuilding, post-conflict stabilisation and early recovery after natural disasters. In Haiti the IfS has allowed the EU to engage in the fields of conflict prevention, capacity building, community violence reduction, early recovery, livelihood improvement as well as political dialogue.

Author(s): Joost Van Der Zwan
2010-12-28

Issues and disputes related to land are often at the root of violent conflict in Africa. Land issues therefore need to be addressed in a comprehensive way that maximises the productive capacity of people and natural resources, while also minimising the risk of violent conflict and instability. Incorporating a conflict-sensitive approach when designing and implementing land policies and land reform is consequently crucial in order to realise increased equity, greater socio-economic development and food security, as well as contribute to peace and stability on the continent.

Author(s): Nina Caspersen and Antje Herrberg
2010-12-28

Unrecognised states represent a complex challenge for the EU. They are involved in conflicts that pose threats to regional stability and are associated with significant humanitarian concerns, but the ability to deal with them is hampered by their unrecognised status. How can the EU deal with them without violating the principle of territorial integrity? This paper argues that engagement with unrecognised entities is relevant as well as a challenge for the EU. It can also, as a 'biased' actor support conflict resolution efforts. The role of NGO's as transformative actors needs to be carefully considered in such contexts. Recommendations focus of how the EU can enhance its capacity in dealing with these issues.

Author(s): Julia Schünemann
2010-12-27

Honduras faces the recovery from a severe political crisis due to a coup d’état in June 2009. In addition, levels of violence are at an all-time high and organised crime is threatening the bases of state institutions and people’s physical security. Honduras’ security and justice sector suffers from severe deficiencies. This report describes the EU’s contribution to strengthening security and the rule of law in Honduras through a mayor security sector reform (SSR) programme earmarked with a budget of €44 million. The report underlines the crucial need for increased local ownership as a condition if the EU’s endeavours are to trigger sustainable institutional change and thus further human security in Honduras.

Author(s): Janani Vivekananda
2010-12-25

This paper is a collection of reflections from a field visit to three districts in the middle hills and Terai belt of eastern Nepal (Sunsari, Dhankuta and Morang) which set out to explore the various dimensions of the resilience of climate-affected communities. By sharing the perceptions and insights of community members from these districts, this paper aims to shed light on the complexities of these particular local contexts and flag some of the specific challenges of responding to climate change in fragile and conflict-affected contexts such as Nepal.

Author(s): Ruth Gibson Caesar, Cerue Konah Garlo, Chitra Nagarajan and Steven Schoofs
2010-12-20

Long before UN Security Council Resolution 1325 came into existence, women in Liberia played an important and visible role in bringing an end to the country’s civil war. Women’s organisations and networks in Liberia therefore embody a significant amount of practical peacebuilding knowledge and experience. This report is based on a small study on women’s organisations in Liberia, which sought to document the impact of Resolution 1325 on the strategies and activities of women’s organisations in Liberia. As such, this report provides a tentative assessment of how and to what extent women’s organisations are utilising Resolution 1325 in their work and how the resolution is shaping their strategies and activities.

Author(s): Charlotte Onslow and Steven Schoofs with Sarah Maguire
2010-12-10

Drawing from the different research papers produced by the Gender Cluster of the Initiative for Peacebuilding (IfP), this paper sets out where and how the application of a gender-sensitive approach to peacebuilding can improve the delivery of longer-term peacebuilding goals. Gender -sensitive and inclusive approaches to peacebuilding continues to be seen as “nice to have” rather than “mission critical”. Although, there has been an undeniable shift in the EU’s policy, and commitments to women’s participation and their protection in all stages of conflict and peacebuilding, the challenge is to develop and implement a forward-looking agenda for action after a decade of UNSCR 1325.

Author(s): Agus Wandi
2010-12-09

This policy brief aims to put forward key recommendations of the ASEAN’s potential role and how to strengthen its capacity for conflict mediation. The issues discussed in this paper were discussed at EU-ASEAN Expert workshop on International Peace Mediation in Jakarta on 30th July 2010, jointly organised by the Crisis Management Initiative and the EU Delegation in Jakarta under the IfP project.

Author(s): Guy Banim
2010-12-08

This briefing note by Guy Banim, describes some of the structures and processes by which the EU and the AU dialogue on mediation related issues and also highlights some of the EU initiatives to build the AU''s mediation capacity. It is informed by a number of existing publications and the outcome of key conferences and meetings and builds upon other reports on the EU and AU approaches to international peace mediation.

Author(s): Julie Brethfeld and Tim Jeanneret
2010-11-30

While there is acceptance within the EU and Member States that security-building activities need to be holistic in scope, people-centred, and locally-appropriate and owned, as well as being based on principles of good governance such as accountability and transparency, the ambition often falls short when it comes to project design and the implementation of these commitments. This report examines the extent to which the EU-funded Border Management Programme in Central Asia (BOMCA) has employed participatory approaches in its design and delivery, highlighting factors which act as barriers and challenges to implementing such an approach. It recommends greater participation of the public and civil society as a necessary contribution to the success of the BOMCA programme.

Author(s): Alexander Mayer-Rieckh and Serge Rumin
2010-11-30

Mainstream approaches to security sector reform (SSR) generally adopt a forward-looking perspective, in which the past is not of primary concern: SSR refers to a process through which a country seeks to enhance the effectiveness and accountability of its security and justice providers. But an abusive past remains present and ignoring it can undermine the very goals of SSR itself. Concretely, abusive histories of security and justice providers perpetuate a culture of impunity, contribute to the on-going exclusion of victims and other marginalised groups, and undermine the legitimacy of a security sector. These guidelines propose a range of concrete measures to address these deficits and holistically strengthen accountability in the security sector, effectively promote the inclusion of all citizens and proactively enhance the legitimacy of the security sector.

Author(s): Fabien Nsengimana, Eugène van Kemenade
2010-11-30

This short briefing paper is aimed at those who are likely to assist local-level mediation efforts in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in understanding the limits, possibilities and opportunities for supporting mediation efforts. It seeks to provide insights into the practice of local mediation and into the multiple challenges involved in achieving resolution. The paper presents lessons learned from local mediation efforts to assist international non-governmental organisations, their funders, and development agencies to strategically position themselves to enhance peacebuilding efforts in the DRC.

Author(s): Juliet Schofield, Steven Schoofs and Hema Kotecha
2010-11-30

Georgia’s complex challenges include ethno-nationalist protracted conflicts and weak democratic governance. While women have been primary actors in providing family income and actively rebuilding the social fabric, as well as a driving force in civil society, they remain markedly disenfranchised in political leadership and decision-making. This briefing note aims to provide a deeper understanding of the practical challenges that women face in both articulating and addressing their specific concerns in areas pertinent to UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 (2000) and offers recommendations to enhance women’s political participation in Georgia.

Author(s): Charlotte Onslow, Juliet Schofield
2010-11-30

Women are particularly active civil society actors in Abkhazia, yet are underrepresented in decision-making structures. The purpose of this briefing note is to deepen policymakers’ understanding of the existing challenges that women face both in engaging in public life in Abkhazia and in articulating and addressing their specific concerns in the current political environment. Taken the partially recognised status of Abkhazia into account, the paper provides a number of recommendations to the EU to help address the continued exclusion of women from public structures in Abkhazia.

Author(s): Sylvie More
2010-11-01

Previous research has shown that there are few mechanisms allowing for the participation of local communities and civil society in security and justice programmes supported by European donors in Burundi, despite the international commitments signed by these donors and by the Government of Burundi on involving a wide group of stakeholders -including non-state actors- in the development and implementation of national strategies and programmes. This case study seeks firstly to shed light on why this is so in the Burundian context, secondly to identify the main obstacles that European donors face as regards involving local communities and civil society in their security and justice programming, and thirdly to provide insights as to what can be done to overcome these obstacles.

Author(s): Laura Davis
2010-10-29

The European Union is increasingly involved in mediating peace deals around the world, and has strong commitments to international justice and human rights. Including justice provisions for the victims of a conflict in the peace agreement may make an important contribution to a durable peace. This paper analyses EU capacities for promoting justice for human rights violations in peacemaking, identifies gaps and recommends ways to fill these gaps. It argues that a comprehensive EU approach to transitional justice would make the EU a more credible mediator, and should also improve the impact of post-conflict peace- and democracy-building interventions.

Author(s): Marco Mezzera and Safdar Sial
2010-10-29

This report is the result of a consultative process with the EC Delegation in Islamabad, which started at the end of November 2009. Following the release, earlier that year, of another IfP report that looked at the complex nature of the relationship between the Pakistani state and its citizens, the role of the media and its position within the country’s overall governance system was perceived as one of the most interesting socio-political trends to be followed and further analysed. Against a media landscape that has exponentially grown since the beginning of the new millennium, still many questions exist concerning its independence and professionalism. This report elaborates in depth on the origins of the media in the country, the main reasons for its recent impressive growth and its current relations with the power holders.

Author(s): Julia Schünemann
2010-10-29

Guatemala simultaneously faces a post-conflict recovery and a dual crisis of security and legitimacy. Since 2007, the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) has been in place. CICIG’s mandate is to support, strengthen and assist Guatemalan institutions in identifying, investigating, prosecuting, and ultimately dismantling domestic illegal security apparatuses and clandestine security organisations. This report seeks to analyse a sui generis approach towards the strengthening of the rule of law in a protracted conflict environment. It takes into account the interplay between external and internal actors, the “rule of law-builders contract as well as the political settlement underpinning the Guatemalan state.

Author(s): Catriona Gourlay
2010-10-01

This paper builds on an IfP workshop on ESDP and mediation held in Brussels in March 2010. It examines to what extent mediation and dialogue skills are important for ESDP mission personnel at strategic and field levels. Catriona Gourlay provides specific recommendations to strengthen mediation and dialogue capacities in CSDP missions and to better coordinate EU support for peace processes

Author(s): Bhasker Kafle
2010-10-01

These ‘snapshot’ briefings are part of a longer-term initiative by International Alert to help address the current gaps in knowledge and understanding between those actors at the district level and those in Kathmandu. Each briefing aims to outline current security and justice needs and challenges in a particular district, and advance constructive recommendations for ways in which national and international actors could address these challenges. The briefings are based on research undertaken as part of Alert’s work for the Initiative for Peacebuilding project. This snapshot focuses on Bara, a district in the central Terai where the activities of armed groups are contributing to feelings of insecurity.

Author(s): Rebecca Crozier and Bhasker Kafle
2010-10-01

These ‘snapshot’ briefings are part of a longer-term initiative by International Alert to help address the current gaps in knowledge and understanding between those actors at the district level and those in Kathmandu. Each briefing aims to outline current security and justice needs and challenges in a particular district, and advance constructive recommendations for ways in which national and international actors could address these challenges. The briefings are based on research undertaken as part of Alert’s work for the Initiative for Peacebuilding project.

This snapshot focuses on Dang, a district in the western Terai where political party youth wings are increasingly blamed for exacerbating insecurity.

Author(s): Ratna Shrestha and Nicola Williams
2010-10-01

These ‘snapshot’ briefings are part of a longer-term initiative by International Alert to help address the current gaps in knowledge and understanding between those actors at the district level and those in Kathmandu. Each briefing aims to outline current security and justice needs and challenges in a particular district, and advance constructive recommendations for ways in which national and international actors could address these challenges. The briefings are based on research undertaken as part of Alert’s work for the Initiative for Peacebuilding project.

This snapshot focuses on Rukum, a district in the western hill region at the heart of the Maoist conflict. This briefing examines the security situation in the district four years after the signing of the peace agreement.

Author(s): Richard Reeve with Jackson Speare
2010-10-01

This briefing paper focuses on Bong County in central Liberia, one of the areas worst affected by conflict in the Mano River Union. It forms part of International Alert’s work to address the current gaps in knowledge and understanding between local actors in the leeward counties and those in Monrovia. Each briefing in this series aims to outline current security and justice needs and challenges in a particular county and advance constructive recommendations for ways in which national and international actors could address these challenges. It is based on research undertaken as part of Alert’s work for the Security Cluster of the Initiative for Peacebuilding project.

Author(s): Richard Reeve with Jackson Speare
2010-10-01

This briefing paper focuses on Grand Gedeh County in southeast Liberia, one of the areas worst affected by conflict in the Mano River Union. It forms part of International Alert’s work to address the current gaps in knowledge and understanding between local actors in the leeward counties and those in Monrovia. Each briefing in this series aims to outline current security and justice needs and challenges in a particular county and advance constructive recommendations for ways in which national and international actors could address these challenges. It is based on research undertaken as part of Alert’s work for the Security Cluster of the Initiative for Peacebuilding project.

Author(s): Richard Reeve with Jackson Speare
2010-10-01

This briefing paper focuses on Lofa County in northern Liberia, one of the areas worst affected by conflict in the Mano River Union. It forms part of International Alert’s work to address the current gaps in knowledge and understanding between local actors in the leeward counties and those in Monrovia. Each briefing in this series aims to outline current security and justice needs and challenges in a particular county and advance constructive recommendations for ways in which national and international actors could address these challenges. It is based on research undertaken as part of Alert’s work for the Security Cluster of the Initiative for Peacebuilding project.

Author(s): Rebecca Crozier and Zuleika Candan
2010-10-01

This briefing paper aims to outline priorities for international community support for the effective and accountable provision of security and justice in Nepal. It aims to highlight the need for utilising a participatory approaches in the promotion of people-centred reform of the security and justice system. There is growing political will to address these issues on a national and international level, yet the international community could improve its response with improved coordination and increasing the capacity of local actors to participate in any future justice and security sector reform process.

Author(s): Concilie Nibigira and Helen Scanlon
2010-08-31

Burundi’s past has been replete with mass human rights violations during which women have been particularly affected. The recent conflicts have had a profound impact on the lives of Burundian women who in addition to being subject to sexual-based violations were also victims of internal displacement and subject to economic deprivation. However, Burundi’s most recent political transition has presented a unique opportunity to increase women’s access to justice and provide recognition of the harms committed against them. Consequently, there is considerable support for mechanisms to bring about accountability for past violations and this report identifies some of women’s gender justice priorities.

Author(s): Laura Davis
2010-06-15

Transitional justice can help societies address the legacy of systematic human rights violations committed during violent conflict and repressive rule through prosecutions, truth-seeking, reparations and institutional reform. Transitional justice is not a new field for the EU, and the EU is a major contributor to transitional justice initiatives, especially international criminal justice. This paper analyses EU policy provisions for transitional justice. It argues that rather than simply support endeavours undertaken by others, the EU should draw on its experience and international best practice to develop a holistic EU approach to transitional justice to help it meet its foreign policy objectives.

Author(s): Sarah-Lea John de Sousa
2010-06-01

This paper argues that the international community’s engagement in Angola appears to reinforce, rather than doing anything to improve, the current state-society relations in the de-facto authoritarian system. The economic interests of foreign actors seem to override the commitment to achieve good governance and transparency. Although there are important entry points for international actors to exert a positive influence, what is crucial but still absent is a deeper level of donor commitment from global powers as well as private and public companies and financial entities, in order to overcome the gap between state elite and population and bring about real democratic change and consolidation in Angola.

Author(s): Laura Davis
2010-06-01

As the EU becomes increasingly engaged in peace mediation, this paper compares how justice issues have been handled in four mediation processes in Indonesia (Maluku and Aceh), Nepal and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Eight key issues emerged from this comparison concerning the role of the mediator, technical support and assistance to negotiations, and engaging more actors than the mediators and their advisors in peace processes. This paper argues that the EU will need to be able to address these types of questions in order to support durable peace by promoting justice and human rights in peacemaking.

Author(s): Magdalena Frichova Grono
2010-03-31

The EU has taken on a robust conflict resolution role in Georgia since August 2008 but its mediation efforts have had limited results to date. Assorted political and bureaucratic hurdles, unlikely to be fully addressed by the implementation of the Lisbon Treaty, have constrained its efforts. The EU has also failed to develop effective strategic links between its mediation efforts on Georgia’s conflicts and its separate bilateral negotiations with each of Georgia and Russia. Its determination to respect Georgia’s territorial integrity, while politically understandable, has impacted on the EU’s acceptability as a mediator to some of the parties. The EU should seek to engage in a more nuanced and strategic way.

Author(s): Jennifer Smith with Edward Bell'
2010-03-31

This paper examines how despite the fact that “governance” is a key pillar of donor strategies in the DRC, little has been done to try and modify the personal, economic and political incentives that underpin the behaviour of politicians, policy-makers, businessmen or taxpayers. It highlights the need for the international community to rebalance its approach to development. “Traditional” external donors tend to concentrate on directly pressuring the Congolese government actors to behave in particular ways, often offering technical support to ensure the promised implementation of nominal reforms. These donors need to take a step back to assess whether their heavily funded engagement in the DRC is improving the situation on the ground or if, perhaps, it is providing an incentive for continued failure.

Author(s): Meike Westerkamp, Annabelle Houdret
2010-02-01

The role of the environment and natural resource management in peacebuilding is particularly important, as it can facilitate trust-building and benefit sharing. The analysis of Lake Albert, shared by Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, shows that peacebuilding opportunities exist even where high-level political agreements are lacking when initiatives integrate and rely on local stakeholders. The study of three domains of environmental interaction (environment and protected area management; water and fishery; energy and oil) reveals that while there is increasing competition and tension around resources, they also offer entry points for trust-building between and within countries. The study concludes with recommendations to donors who should focus on strengthening existing ties between communities, providing opportunities for benefit-sharing from sustainable resource management, and increasing inclusiveness of all stakeholders into local, national and transboundary development processes.

Author(s): Dr Amadeo Watkins
2010-01-29

Following the turbulent decade of war and destruction, Serbia has been gradually reforming its security infrastructure towards a more accountable and transparent system fully under control of democratic forces and in line with its internal requirements. This effort has been heavily influenced by the international actors who are keen to see Serbia stable and progressing towards Europe. This case study provides a critical assessment of the past ten years of assistance provided to this important sector. The paper concludes that much more needs to be done in donor cooperation and coordination in line with the Paris Declaration 2005, both on the donor end but more importantly at the recipient side. A recognition that SSR is not only about increasing operational capacity but also about enhanced service delivery, governance and accountability will go a long way to improving SSR in the case of Serbia.

Author(s): Karen Barnes
2009-08-24

Men and women experience insecurity differently and do not have the same access to security provision. It is therefore important that any efforts to reform security sector institutions are informed by a context-specific gender analysis so that men and women of all backgrounds benefit equally from these processes. This paper will draw on lessons from a range of conflict-affected contexts to recommend practical strategies for the EU and other donors to support the integration of gender into their justice and security sector reform programmes. Three specific aspects or strategies for inclusive security have been selected as being particularly salient: integrating a gender perspective into the design and delivery of SSR processes; using SSR as a mechanism to prevent and respond to gender-based violence; and integrating gender into civil society oversight mechanisms for the security sector.

Author(s): Martti Ahtisaari, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate 2008
2009-08-11

Through his constant efforts and personal commitment, Mr. Ahtisaari has demonstrated how important mediation can be for the resolution of international conflicts. This paper summarizes and brings out key issues brought out in the filmed discussion between Martti Ahtisaari and Antje Herrberg to provide insights into some of his personal working principles. It should be noted that this account is one of the multitude of approaches in mediation, thus this paper does not claim to list all essential characteristics of a good mediator or Mr. Ahtisaari himself. Please find the three short films linked to initiative at http://www.initiativeforpeacebuilding.eu/video/index.php

Author(s): Ján Mihálik
2009-07-10

Under the Capacity-Building and Training Cluster of the Initiative for Peacebuilding (IfP) case study research was conducted in Bulgaria, Czech Republic,Greece, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, and Spain in order to assess these countries’ capacities to meet EU spending targets for ODA and to analyse the position of peacebuilding within national ODA policies. The mapping serves as a comparative overview which aims to identify basic commonalities and differences between the seven case study country reports. It also draws on findings captured in the Capacity-Building and Training Cluster Synthesis Report ‘Does Peacebuilding Matter in Development Aid?

Author(s): ICTJ
2009-06-26

Timor-Leste is a young country that has undergone a turbulent transition following 24 years of violent Indonesian occupation. It suffered from a brief but violent breakdown of security in 2006. Relative order was restored with the help of an international military contingent. Currently, a wide array of international donors is working with Timor-Leste to help support reform in the security sector. While many of these programs have had a positive impact, donor-driven security reform agendas have been under-coordinated. In the best of cases this has resulted in less than optimal results and in the worst of cases it has lead to animosity, tension, and violence. Fortunately, this paradigm is beginning to change, as the Timorese government takes steps to play a greater role in coordinating and managing its own security sector reform agenda. However, for this shift toward a more locally controlled SSR to be successful, the government must address the culture of impunity and strengthen the rule of law.

Author(s): Scott Cunliffe, Eddie Riyadi, Raimondus Arwalembun, Hendrik Boli Tobi
2009-06-26

Indonesia's history is littered with countless episodes of mass violence whether state-sponsored, communally driven, or separatist in nature. A decade into democratic reform, the Indonesian government has successfully negotiated several peace agreements and brought about an end to mass human rights violations. This report examines two such cases, the peace negotiations for Maluku and Aceh, with particular emphasis on issues pertaining to justice and accountability. It describes the dynamics of peace negotiations, identifies how transitional justice mechanisms such as prosecutions, amnesty, truth-seeking, reparations and institutional reform were addressed by negotiators and assesses post-agreement implementation of justice-related provisions.

Author(s): Laura Davis
2009-06-24

Reforming the security system in postconflict environments to ensure security agents become protectors of the population is vital for peacebuilding and state-building. Justice-sensitive SSR aims to prevent recurrence and repetition of human rights violations by reforming abusive institutions, increasing their integrity, accountability and legitimacy, and transforming the institution’s role in society, including by empowering the citizens.

This paper draws on research into SSR and transitional justice in Afghanistan, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Timor-Leste, and suggests ways in which the EU could improve the substance of its SSR programming and implementation by drawing on lessons from these cases.

Author(s): Enika Abazi, Aldo Bumci, Enri Hide and Albert Rakipi
2009-06-15

The report discusses Albania's security challenges and assesses projects undertaken in the context of its SSR: democratization of the police, armed forces and justice system; combating organized crime, illicit traffic and terrorism; mine action projects; small arms and light weapons control; community policing. Challenges relating to the reforms’ objectives, their implementation, sustainability and ownership; institutional coordination at the national and international levels; and the wider regional security context are explored. The report concludes that the greatest potential security benefits are associated with the long term stabilization of Albania’s legal environment, the fight against corruption and improved coordination among operating actors.

Author(s): Patrícia Magalhães Ferreira
2009-06-10

The Angolan peace process was far from typical, and the country’s road to reconstruction is also unlike that of other African conflicts and post-conflict scenarios. Although the context of “energy realpolitik” undermines the capacity of foreign actors to influence state-society relations, another factor needs to be taken into account: Angola’s internal will to improve the country’s international image and to become a regional power.

Author(s): Warisha Farasat and Priscilla Hayner
2009-06-10

With the removal of the king from the political sphere, Nepal embarked upon a peace process that would ultimately bring the Maoists into government, draft a new Constitution, and declare the country a Republic. Despite commitments to truth and accountability for serious crimes committed during the ten-year conflict, impunity remains a considerable challenge. The report analyses the process through which issues of justice were addressed in the negotiations, and how they have been implemented since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. These insights and suggested lessons may prove useful in mediating and resolving conflicts elsewhere.

Author(s): Meike Westerkamp, Moira Feil, Alison Thompson
2009-06-09

This case study seeks to analyse the peacebuilding potential of regional cooperation initiatives in the Great Lakes Region of Africa. It highlights two such initiatives on cross-border trade and energy that integrate peacebuilding objectives: the International Conference for the Great Lakes Region (IC/GLR) and the Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries (CEPGL). Within the report, attempts are made to measure the success rate of the two regional cooperation initiatives in reaching their objectives and what obstacles hindered their progress. The study then concludes with recommendations for the European Commission and other donors to improve regional cooperation in the Great Lakes.

Author(s): Laura Davis
2009-05-29

In Congo over the past decade, demands for justice have been largely unmet in peace negotiations: impunity for the worst crimes is entrenched, and the root causes of the conflict remain unaddressed. As the European Union, often through the European Union Special Representatives (EUSRs), is engaging in more peace negotiations around the world, this paper analyses the EUSR's role in recent peace deals in Congo and the EU's policy framework for promoting justice in peacemaking. It offers recommendations for how the EU could strengthen its role in promoting justice and human rights in peace agreements, in the DRC and elsewhere.

Author(s): Karen Barnes
2009-05-08

Despite several EU-specific policy commitments on integrating a gender perspective into peacebuilding, continued gaps in implementation remain. In addition to the lack of resources and political will, little attention has been focused on developing gender-sensitive indicators and monitoring and accountability mechanisms to support the effective implementation of these commitments. Without these indicators and mechanisms in place it will be difficult to measure progress and assess impact in turning these policies into practical strategies for integrating women, peace and security issues into peacebuilding. This paper therefore aims to provide guidance to the EU on how it could strengthen the impact of its peacebuilding initiatives through explicit and effective gender-sensitive monitoring mechanisms.

Author(s): Antje Herrberg with Canan Gündüz and Laura Davis
2009-05-08

Engaging the EU in Mediation and Dialogue“ authored by Antje Herrberg with Canan Gündüz and Laura Davis, are based on findings on mediation that has emerged over in the period 2008 and aims to crystallize the key challenges of EU in international peace mediation. The paper argues for a need for more systematized learning in order for the EU to upgrade its skills in the field of international peace mediation. The strengthening of the role of international peace mediation as a CFSP instrument calls for: 1) an operationalisation of a multi-track approach 2) the need to include human rights and transitional justice approaches 3) the need for strengthening mediation evaluation capacity 4) promotion of further mediation research 5) the professionalization of mediation in EU foreign policy.

Author(s): Edward Bell
2009-05-01

Four country analyses (Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Georgia and Pakistan) as well as cross-cutting work on transitional justice have underpinned the IfP synthesis paper: Society in Statebuilding. The paper explores the nature of governance and political participation in conflict-affected countries. It also puts in context the efforts of donor agencies to support ‘democratic governance. Given challenges inherent in their mandates, foreign policy and the dominant aid paradigm of “national ownership”, the paper offers recommendations on how such support should be conceived and implemented in order to strengthen both the social contract between society and the state and social cohesion amongst societal groups.

Author(s): Isak Svensson
2009-04-30

The recent war in Georgia placed the unresolved conflicts in the South Caucasus in the spotlight of the EU. In a new report, The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict: Lessons from the mediation efforts, the Peace and conflict researcher Isak Svensson analyses the international mediation efforts in the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, with a particular focus on the period when the still ongoing cease-fire (1994) was reached. The study underlines important issues that the European Union needs to take into account in future peacemaking efforts, such as the importance of prevention of armed conflicts and the need for coordination of different mediation initiatives.

Author(s): Fatima Ayub, Sari Kouvo and Rachel Wareham
2009-04-29

This brief report describes and analyzes security sector reform, including rule of law and disarmament processes, in Afghanistan for the purposes of developing knowledge of these areas for European stakeholders. The findings of the report indicate that political choices made early on in the state-building process have contributed to the current governance and rule of law deficit in Afghanistan. European actions have been marked by a lack of coordination between political and development assistance as well as diverse-and sometimes conflicting-priorities between European Union institutions and its member states. While efforts to promote more accountability within the Afghan government have taken some shape, more action is needed to promote stability and good governance in the country. The recommendations of this report are intended to serve as guidelines for: general security sector reform; ensuring rule of law; and establishment of a professional civilian police force within the Afghan context.

Author(s): Eka Metreveli and Jonathan Kulick
2009-04-15

Georgia’s majority ethnic-Armenian region of Javakheti suffers from a legacy of geographic, political and social isolation from the rest of the country. This reality has had a profound impact upon systems of governance and accountability in the region and in relation to the centre. Instead of establishing rule of law and carrying out national integration policies, the centre’s control over the region was achieved by legitimising local influential power holders and incorporating them into the formal state structures by granting them high positions in the local administration or parliamentary mandates. The region’s political and economic isolation makes it a legitimate concern for Georgia and the international community. This report provides an overview of the formal and informal dimensions of governance in Javakheti and Georgia in order to provide external actors with a snapshot of both the challenges to and opportunities for improved governance based on the realities of existing power dynamics.

Author(s): Anja Wittich and Achim Maas
2009-04-10

A web of regional cooperation formats has been established throughout the South Caucasus to foster cooperation across conflict divides in the areas of environment, economy and natural resource management. They aim at supporting dialogue, confidence-building and conflict transformation: Conflict parties share many interests and cooperation could satisfy them, while bringing estranged communities closer together. However, the web is often fragmented and asymmetric. Three issues are central to facilitating cooperation: (1) identifying authentic interests to assure ownership; (2) connecting agents of change capable of influencing their societies; and (3) tailoring formats of cooperation to the complex reality of the South Caucasus.

Author(s): Sebastien Babaud, Virginie Giarmana, Robert Parker and Simon Rynn
2009-04-06

This paper is a synthesis of research findings and conclusions emerging from the Security Cluster of the European Commission-supported Initiative for Peacebuilding (IfP). It is designed to help EU and Member State policy-makers improve the impact of their security-related programming by identifying the challenges that prevent policy being implemented as intended and recommending alternative strategies. Based on detailed analysis and case study research, the paper summarises the main gaps identified in relation to EU and Member State security-building programmes and provides detailed recommendations on addressing these gaps.

Author(s): Moira Feil, Diana Klein, Meike Westerkamp
2009-04-01

The cluster ‘Regional Cooperation on environment, economy and natural resource management’ has been looking at the role regional cooperation initiatives in these three areas can play in peacebuilding. The cluster’s work primarily focuses on researching initiatives in the Andean Region of Latin America, the Great Lakes Region of Africa, the Middle East and the South Caucasus. This synthesis report highlights and extracts common patterns from these case studies. The first and second sections of this synthesis report introduce different types of regional cooperation and briefly summarise the opportunities for each cooperation area. The third section discusses important obstacles to regional cooperation. The report then makes recommendations to policy-makers designing new or overseeing existing initiatives with the aim of contributing to peacebuilding.

Author(s): Jennifer Smith
2009-03-24

The democratisation process in the DRC has raised the hopes of Congolese people that long periods of poverty, weak governance and conflict would come to an end. Yet a case study of South Kivu province found that donor support to democratisation processes has tended to focus most heavily on central government levels, rather than on building a relationship of accountability between ordinary people and the leaders they face on a daily basis. This paper argues that donors should increase their support to local governance in a way that demonstrates concrete and visible changes in order to generate a strong national constituency for democratic reform.

Author(s): Denis Krivosheev, Mia Marzouk and Dorte Hvidemose
2009-03-16

Security sector reform (SSR) in Ukraine is a slow and complex process hindered by the Soviet legacy, competing political interests and lack of a clear national sector-based strategy. International donors’ support covers many aspects of Ukraine’s security system, but is far from well coordinated and strategic. Crucially, it often fails to focus its programming according to human security needs, which requires genuine public consultation during the planning and later stages. Two projects considered in this report, EUBAM and UPAC, illustrate how this gap can be partly addressed via engagement with communities and civil society in the course of project implementation.

Author(s): Ján Mihálik and Kristin van der Leest
2009-03-16

The Synthesis Report of the Capacity-Building and Training Cluster extracts main findings from case studies of seven surveyed EU Member States: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Greece, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain. The report finds that international development cooperation has received growing attention during the last decade. Donors and policy-makers at national and EU levels are also increasingly acknowledging the importance of peacebuilding to effective development assistance. Newer EU Member States are making progress in aligning their policy frameworks for ODA with international standards and enhancing institutional structures for managing and programming ODA. However, the Report highlights that more must be done to improve the participation of civil society in ODA planning and implementation processes, in increasing public awareness of and support for ODA and peacebuilding, and mainstreaming peacebuilding within all external action policies at national and EU levels.

Author(s): Laura Davis & Thomas Unger
2009-03-12

Justice in Peacebuilding: Towards a policy framework for the European Union

Author(s): Laura Davis
2009-02-23

The Congolese security system is incapable of defending the state and the state’s authority, and poses a serious threat to the population, particularly to women and children. Impunity within the security system allows serious human rights violations, including sexual and gender-based violence, to go unchecked. This paper argues that the EU should seek to incorporate justice-sensitive initiatives within SSR programmes, and encourage the prosecution of human rights violators. Only by tackling the culture of impunity and empowering the population to hold the security system to account, can it become a protector of Congolese citizens’ rights rather than a principal abuser.

Author(s): Julia Schünemann
2009-02-17

In spite of some generally acknowledged progress regarding the overall security climate in Haiti, stability and peace remain precarious. The peace dividend has still not translated into real livelihood improvement for the vast majority of Haitians who suffer severe levels of deprivation in terms of human development and human security. On the basis of a comprehensive security concept, this paper explores the EU’s response to Haiti’s situation of fragility and suggests that the role of a security-informed development actor is the most apparent opportunity for the EU to contribute to the larger ongoing peacebuilding process in the country.

Author(s): Natalia Mirimanova
2009-01-26

The paper on official and unofficial mediation explores difference and complementarities between official and unofficial formats of mediation and dialogue, and the relevance and effectiveness of these strategies in the context of protracted violent conflicts, with particular emphasis on the conflicts in the South Caucasus. Recommendations for the EU as a political mediator and as a donor and for the European peacebuilding NGOs as regards the design and application of mediation and dialogue include flexibility of funding, development of proper evaluation strategies, and support for innovative and cross-sectoral unofficial dialogue formats, such as on second-order issues across the conflict divide, through mass media and intertwined with practical peacebuilding projects.

Author(s): Minna Lyytikäinen
2009-01-26

This paper on building Inclusive Post-Conflict Governance: How the EU Can Support Women’s Political Participation in Conflict-Affected Contexts, identifies four fields where the EU can promote women’s political participation. First, it is crucial that the EU uses all its diplomatic power to promote the inclusion of women in peace negotiations to guarantee a more inclusive and representative settlement. Second, women’s access to political spaces should be increased through more gender-sensitive electoral laws and processes, implementation of specific quotas and capacity building programmes for female candidates, as well as awareness-raising among political parties and the general public. Third, the EU can play an important role in supporting women’s participation in civil society. Fourth, women’s participation in peace processes, political institutions and CSOs can only be meaningful if it leads to more representative and inclusive policy, practice and outcomes.

Author(s): Charlotte Watson with Rebecca Crozier
2009-01-12

The accessible and accountable provision of security and justice is a key requirement for ensuring sustainable peace and economic and social development. In Nepal, there is an urgent need to address issues related to security provision and the security sector as part of the ongoing peace process. Success in security sector reform (SSR) is vital in ensuring the improvements to governance, without which further violent conflict in Nepal is likely. However, given the sensitivities that SSR terminology evokes, thought needs to be given to what can be done in the short term under the banner of public security to lay the groundwork for SSR. If something is not done to address the current public security situation, then any longer-term SSR initiatives will be jeopardised.

This briefing forms part of the EU-financed Initiative for Peacebuilding (IfP) It aims to connect the public security and SSR agendas in Nepal in order to inform ongoing discussions amongst donors and to explore the role that the EU could play in future security-enhancing activities in Nepal.

Author(s): Marco Mezzera, Safiya Aftab
2009-01-09

The application of the State-Society Analytical Framework (SSAF) on the context of Pakistan helps revealing the complex historical interaction between formal and informal factors, and their eventual influence on the nature of the current relationship between the Pakistani state and its citizens. Structured around the three main analytical dimensions of the methodology, the analysis emphasizes the importance of factors such as the country’s colonial history, its geopolitical position, the deep-running social systems, and the main actors competing for power, in understanding the current situation of fragility affecting the country. In the midst of a rather bleak picture, some elements still emerge that if properly interpreted and acted upon, could offer the international community significant opportunities to support long-term processes of genuine democratization and building of substantive citizenship for most Pakistanis.

Author(s): João Portugal Vieira
2009-01-01

This paper analyses the historical trajectory of Portuguese policies on development aid from a colonial understanding to an European commitment. Within this framework, a special focus is put on explaining the persistence of absence of any autonomous status of the Portuguese policies concerning peacebuilding. In fact, the predominant approach remains that of a case-by-case strategy, followed both by the government and by civil society organisations. A relevant change has been introduced in 2006, when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs started to compile a new coherent and unified strategy for development aid, that for the first time highlights the importance of concepts like peacebuilding, human security and gender issues. The paper closes with conclusions and recommendations designed to help the Portuguese government and NGOs to take these issues to a new level of engagement.

Author(s): Ilona Iłowiecka-Tanska, PhD, Marta Pejda
2008-12-18

Polish ODA is channelled to support sustainable development, including peacebuilding activities such as the promotion of democracy, human rights, good governance, independent media and strong civil society; indeed, authorities recognize and support peacebuilding as a component of Polish ODA strategy. However, Poland’s capacity to meet EU-mandated levels of ODA are severely constrained by the lack of legislation to regulate ODA procedures; the absence of a centralised body responsible for management of ODA; and reliance on annual planning and budgeting phases which limits strategic and coherent planning. These issues limit the impact of Polish ODA and hinder establishment of effective partnerships with civil society.

Author(s): Annika Kramer
2008-12-01

This case study seeks to deepen the understanding of how the peacebuilding effects of regional water cooperation can best be harnessed, supported and sustained. It analyses two existing initiatives involving Jordanians, Israelis and Palestinians: the Good Water Neighbors (GWN) project and the Regional Water Data Banks Project. The case analysis focusses on the design and implementation of cooperative processes, as both the form and content of cooperation are critical for peacebuilding. Building on the analysis of the two cases, as well as on broader knowledge on water cooperation, the report concludes with recommendations for funding agencies and third parties.

Author(s): Mabel González Bustelo and Mariano Aguirre
Translated by Fionnuala Ní Ëigeartaigh
2008-11-03

This paper analyses Spanish capacities in peace-building and how these capacities relate –in the policies and practices of official and non official actors- with the issues of human security, gender and transitional justice. With that purpose, the historic perspective in the process of building up the current foreign policy has been examined, as well as the main actors and factors involved. The same has been done in relation with ODA (historic perspective and current situation). Following this there is an insight at the non-Governmental world (NGOs, think tanks, research centres, the media), and their strengths and weakness regarding these issues. Finally the text closes with conclusions and recommendations towards the EU, the Spanish Government and the non-Governmental world in Spain.

Author(s): Ruby Gropas
2008-11-03

Greece has become a donor country particularly active in emergency humanitarian assistance. To meet its declared targets by 2010, priority lies in further developing an integrated and participatory approach to Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) and tripling current funding in fighting poverty and promoting human development, peace and security. This report presents the factors that have influenced Greece’s approach to development and human security. It identifies the areas where there is a need for capacity-building and puts forward policy relevant recommendations for Greek and EU authorities and for the Greek NGO community active in the field of development and peacebuilding.

Author(s): Stéphane Mora
2008-11-03

Since its independence in 1962, Burundi experienced sustained periods of conflict and power competition during which the imbalances and the discriminations based on ethnic background, political affiliation, geographic origin and gender were institutionalized including within the defence and security forces. Following the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement of August 2000, and in an always very fragile social, economic, political and security context, the Security Sector Reform was begun with the increasing involvement of the international community. This study examines the level of coordination of the international actors’ SSR programs, their consideration of the communities’ security needs and concerns as well as their links with the other key processes associated.

Author(s): William Godnick, Diana Klein, Camilo González-Posso, Ivan Mendoza, Sebastián Meneses
2008-11-03

This paper seeks to deepen the understanding of the intersection between the management of non-renewable natural resources and diverse forms of conflict in three countries of the Andean region (Colombia, Ecuador and Peru). It looks in particular at the root and proximate causes of conflict around oil and mining projects as well as voluntary mechanisms to govern private sector behaviour in zones with high levels of armed and/or social conflict. It concludes with recommendations as to how the EU and its member states can contribute to strengthening these mechanisms and the overall governance of non-renewable resources in the Andean region.

Author(s): Antje Herrberg
2008-11-01

The purpose of this issue paper is to reflect on the perceptions and understandings of EU policy-makers, MEP, and some key peacebuilding and conflict resolution experts, pertaining to the role of international peace mediation, and to provide recommendations on how some of these needs can be addressed in a coherent way.

Author(s): David Lanz, Martin Wählisch, Lars Kirchhoff, Matthias Siegfried
2008-11-01

This paper proposes a general framework for evaluating international mediation activities. Its main purpose is to provide a tool for observers, donors and desk officers to achieve better quality control of mediation processes, while also facilitating critical reflection and lessons learnt among mediators.

Author(s): Vladimir Prebilič, Uroš Svete, Janja Vuga
2008-11-01

During the period of its independence, Slovenia has transformed from a beneficiary of democracy-building assistance to a donor country. Since this transformation was achieved in a very short period of time, there are many deficiencies in the process of international assistance. Consequently, it’s quite clear that all stakeholders understand peacebuilding very differently. Although the resources provided mainly through Slovenian governmental institutions are considerable, better coordination between all stakeholders has to be improved. This might change fairly low public support towards peacebuling efforts of Slovenia. Better management with a greater transparency supported by focused promotion of the peacebuilding process could result in a better public awareness.

Author(s): Vessela Gertcheva
2008-11-01

Bulgaria has taken great strides to align its international development cooperation strategies with EU and international ODA frameworks and peacebuilding is increasingly supported by Bulgarian authorities as a strategic component of ODA processes. However, the government’s ODA and peacebuilding policies are insufficiently communicated to the public and there are limited prospects for effective consultation with civil society actors. With little publicly-available information, it is difficult to assess the impact of Bulgarian ODA, or to properly evaluate the effectiveness and quality of ODA processes. The majority of the public is not aware that Bulgaria is a donor country and few actually support this role, making public awareness-raising a key challenge for Bulgaria to address in the future.

Author(s): Partners Czech
2008-10-01

The Czech Republic’s ODA system is currently undergoing profound reform, providing an opportunity for both government and civil society actors to press for improved planning, management and assessment processes and an increased profile for peacebuilding. Czech ODA priorities are influenced by the international framework for development assistance, including OECD-DAC criteria and the Millennium Development Goal’s focus on the eradication of poverty. However, the country still faces significant challenges which include: improving coordination among ministries involved in ODA planning; developing impact assessments of ODA; enhancing consultation with civil society and recipients; and increasing public awareness of and support for ODA processes.

Author(s): Sébastien Babaud and Evert Kets
2008-09-01

This document summarises the findings of a 'mapping' of the current EU institutions and Member State policies, debates and capacities in the field of SSR, with references to DDR and SALW where appropriate. It addresses the issues of policy and strategy development, institutional and financial arrangements and coordination and harmonisation among donors.

The document also intends to focus on the mainstreaming of crosscutting issues (human security, gender and transitional justice) within security policies in order to measure whether and how these institutions and Member States take into account the people's security needs and concerns.

Author(s): Dr. Antje Herrberg and Heidi Kumpulainen
2008-09-01

The purpose of this mapping exercise is to portray the activities, methods, values and ways of operation of a number of ‘private diplomacy’ actors in Europe. It allows readers to consider the multifaceted nature of ‘private diplomacy’, including mediation, dialogue processes, democratisation processes or advice to parties engaged in armed conflict.

Author(s): Karen Campbell-Nelson, Ed.D.
2008-09-01

This study outlines some of the experiences of Liberian women in their quest for gender justice in the aftermath of the country's brutal 14-year civil war. A number of questions guide this report. To what extent have Liberian women participated in and benefited from transitional justice processes that establish the truth about past human rights violations, demand accountability for them, and support reforms to ensure such violations are not repeated? What do Liberian women have to say about these mechanisms and do they satisfy women's sense of justice? What recommendations can be made to strengthen the engagement of women with these processes in the future?

Author(s): Karen Barnes and Minna Lyytikäinen
2008-06-02

This briefing outlines the key findings of the recent study on Enhancing the EU Response to Women and Armed Conflict commissioned by the Slovenian Presidency of the EU, and discusses the recommendations in relation to the European Commission. Although the EU has repeatedly committed itself to the need for the full implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security, current EU interventions in conflict-affected contexts lack a clear gender and conflict analysis and women continue to be marginalised from peacebuilding initiatives.

Author(s):
2008-05-01

Donors tend to promote better governance by promoting capacity in executive government, representation and accountability through parliament, an autonomous civil service, and an active civil society. These are largely conceived out of Western experience and can be overly ‘supply-driven’. Many experts, inside and outside of donor agencies, are now trying to improve these approaches by looking more closely at power dynamics and incentives for change. In line with these efforts to ‘take context as the starting point’ for engagement, the State-Society Analytical Framework (SSAF) directs attention towards (i) the Foundational Factors, (ii) the Rules of the Game, and (iii) the ‘Here and Now’ issues which determine the nature of the challenges. Over the coming months, the IfP partners in this cluster will apply this common methodology in four focus countries: Angola, the DRC, Georgia and Pakistan. The learning will then be brought together to provide generic lessons for improving external assistance in fragile and conflict-affected countries.