‘Preventing Crises, Resolving Conflicts, Building Peace’ are key challenges for Germany’s and Europe’s evolving international role. Berlin is investing in the field, both financially and conceptually. On this blog, we discuss how to target these investments towards better crisis prevention, conflict management and peacebuilding. Most contributions are in German, but we occasionally ask international experts for their views. This section collects contributions in English. You are warmly invited to join the discussion: Subscribe to our weekly email-updates (in German), share and comment on posts on social media (@PeaceLabBlog, #PeaceLab), read our summary of the preceding “PeaceLab2016” debate or send us an email at peacelab@gppi.net.
Artikel Countering Fake News? Learn from Cognitive Science! Cognitive science has shown that if people know that they might be misled before any misinformation is presented, they become more resilient to being misinformed. To successfully debunk fake news, the German government could enhance its horizon scanning capabilities to identify the strategies and tools of disinformers. It should also support NGOs that tackle misinformation. Stephan Lewandowsky • 05. November 2019
Artikel Strategic Communications in Conflict and Stabilisation Interventions During recent years, communications have evolved into an integral component of UK conflict and stabilisation interventions. This article presents excerpts of a 2016 paper by the UK Stabilisation Unit that aims to provide practical advice about strategic communications in conflict and stabilisation interventions. Stabilisation Unit • 17. Oktober 2019
Artikel Strengthening Conflict Prevention: An Agenda for Germany’s EU Presidency During its EU Council presidency, Germany should boost the EU’s attention to conflict prevention. Berlin should share its own lessons on getting better at preventing violent conflicts, promote more exchange between thematic experts on conflict prevention and country experts, and encourage more adequate human resources arrangements across the EU. Anna Penfrat • 10. Dezember 2019
Artikel From Paper to Practice: Working Towards Gender-Transformative Programming Germany‘s new interministerial strategies on Promoting the Rule of Law, Security Sector Reform, and Transitional Justice all include gender-responsive language. The Federal Government should now ensure that gender will figure prominently in the implementation process by investing in training and taking steps towards gender-responsive and -transformative programming. Christina Bermann-Harms, Melanie Coni-Zimmer, Sonja Katharina Schiffers • 20. November 2019
Artikel Germany’s EU Council Presidency: Kick-Starting the Search for European Security under Multipolarity Strengthening the EU’s Common Security and Defense Policy should be a top priority for the German Presidency of the EU Council in 2020. Berlin should step up its partnership with France, stick to its PESCO commitments and help initiate big picture thinking about European defense, including a more constructive discussion about European strategic autonomy. Barbara Kunz • 24. Oktober 2019
Artikel Better Early than Sorry: How the EU Can Use its Early Warning Capacities to their Full Potential The European Union has put instruments and tools in place to improve its early warning mechanisms. Member states must now work with EU institutions to make them more effective. One concrete step that Germany could take is to push the new EU leadership to regularly put countries ‘at risk’ on the agenda of the Foreign Affairs Council. Lisa Musiol • 09. Oktober 2019
Artikel A National Solution to the Algerian Crisis? There is great concern about outside interference in the current situation in Algeria, tying the hands of external actors. The German government is best advised to offer indirect support through the African Union and Tunisian civil society actors. It should take a decisive stance against human rights violations and stop arms exports into the country. Isabelle Werenfels, Luca Miehe • 20. September 2019
Artikel The EU and the Balkans: Moving beyond Failure Over the last years, EU policy towards the Balkans has contributed to – rather than mitigated – instability in the region. It is time for a policy shift. Under its new foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, the EU needs to take a decisive stand against any attempted border changes in the region. Germany should lead this effort. Toby Vogel • 11. September 2019
Artikel EU Weapons Exports Will Backfire The European Peace Facility (EPF) is designed to make EU foreign policy stronger and more flexible. However, handing weapons to volatile states comes with great risk. The EU’s resources would be better spent on UN Peace Operations and independent monitoring of arms flows. Klem Ryan • 27. August 2019
Artikel Discover the Security Council’s Informal Tool for Crisis Management As a member of the UN Security Council, Germany should convene Arria-formula meetings more frequently to address specific impending crises and conflicts. In doing so, it should also strengthen cooperation with countries from the Global South. This would grant additional expertise and flexibility to the Council and diversify the included voices and preferences. Melanie Coni-Zimmer, Anton Peez • 19. August 2019
Artikel Invest in Peace: Five Priorities for the Next EU Budget In the upcoming period, Brussels will focus on the EU’s budget for 2021-2027. There are five things actors concerned with conflict prevention and peacebuilding should keep in mind in the budget negotiations. The first one: be prepared to build alliances with unusual bedfellows! Andrew Sherriff, Pauline Veron • 06. August 2019
Artikel Effectiveness: The Missing Word in Civilian Crisis Management? The shift in the EU’s crisis management towards internal security needs and away from local needs might decrease the effectiveness of civilian missions. To bolster their effectiveness, the EU and its member states should improve training and secondment mechanisms and be open for external evaluations. The Finnish and German EU Presidencies can pave the way for this. Jyrki Ruohomäki • 24. Juli 2019
Artikel First Things First: Prioritize Mass Atrocity Prevention The EU has to mainstream mass atrocity prevention into its security, development, and trade policies which requires political prioritization. Conducted seriously, this would lead to structural prevention and sharpened warning-response mechanisms. Germany could improve the coordination in Brussels to anticipate risks in regions that contribute most to refugee flows. Chiara De Franco • 18. Juli 2019
Artikel Preventive Diplomacy: Invest in the Skills of Frontline Diplomats In conflict-prone countries, diplomats must employ a special skill-set that allows them to escape from biased conventional wisdoms and balance the personal and the professional in negotiations. Ministries and international organizations should foster mechanisms such as structured spaces for reflection and frequent exchange with fellow diplomats from relevant missions in the region. Gerrit Kurtz • 04. Juli 2019
Artikel No More Cherry-Picking: The EU’s Internal and External Security Arms Should Streamline Operations Due to a growing overlap, the civilian missions of the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy fear being eclipsed by EU home affairs agencies. Agencies should start to share work with the missions because, due to their geographical range, third country involvement, and advanced cooperation with military actors, they are key boosters of the EU’s global footprint. Roderick Parkes • 27. Juni 2019
Artikel Conflict in Cameroon: EU and African partners should not count on France European and African partners should not wait for France to move diplomatically to address the growing crisis in Cameroon. Rather, they should foster an international debate from which Paris will not be able to hide. Marie-Emmanuelle Pommerolle • 12. Juni 2019
Artikel Civilian CSDP Compact: Boosting Crisis Management and Strategic Autonomy Its blend of civilian and military instruments make the EU a unique security actor, but challenges in decision-making, implementation, and political will might impede its goal to become a stronger global player. Germany is in a strategic position to influence these processes and should use its diplomatic network and civilian know-how to better coordinate EU external action. Tania Laţici • 11. Juni 2019
Artikel Towards Citizen-Oriented SSR: A Needs Assessment with Syrians in Germany A security needs assessment conducted with Syrian nationals residing in Germany demonstrated that citizens view themselves as central to SSR processes. Not only do they have clear visions and demands for security provision, they also expect it to respond to their needs. SSR processes should follow security needs assessments, which aim to understand what reforms are necessary to ensure citizens feel safe and secure, particularly in post-conflict environments. Nora-Elise Beck, Lars Döbert • 06. Juni 2019
Artikel Directorate ISP: No Deus Ex Machina for the EU’s Integrated Approach Due to improved managerial strength and operational implementation, the new Directorate Integrated Approach for Security and Peace (ISP) will clarify and strengthen the chain of command in implementing the EU’s Integrated Approach. However, the new structure fails to merge the operational level with the political level. In this regard, the EU could learn lessons from recent UN reforms. Loes Debuysere, Steven Blockmans • 05. Juni 2019
Artikel Justice for Peace: Closing the Global Justice Gap to Prevent Conflict and Instability Over 5.1 billion people worldwide do not have meaningful access to justice. Preventive approaches in justice strategies are an effective way to tackle this global justice gap. Germany should invest in justice data and innovation as well as smarter justice financing. Successful examples should be showcased at the UN’s High-level Political Forum in July. Maaike de Langen • 29. Mai 2019
Artikel Sustaining Peace, Building Justice: Lessons from the International Development Law Organization Strong rule of law institutions are crucial for preventing conflicts and building peace. Effectively promoting the rule of law requires sustained and context-sensitive engagement, quick wins, grassroots partnerships and empowered citizens. Such work needs to involve informal justice mechanisms, combat violence against women and stay engaged during all phases of conflict. International Development Law Organization • 20. Mai 2019
Artikel Attacking the Rule of Law as a Peril for Democracy The rule of law is under attack – in Europe and elsewhere. This has destructive consequences for democracy as well since both are inseparably connected. The German government must not underestimate the fragility of the rule of law and should closely study the concrete political and legal instruments that undermine it. Matthias Mahlmann • 16. Mai 2019
