‘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. Between 2016 and June 2021, we discussed how to target these investments towards better crisis prevention, conflict management and peacebuilding on this blog. Many contributions are in German, but occasionally international experts shared their views in this English-language section. Editorial responsibility for this blog was with the Global Public Policy Institute (GPPi) in Berlin until June 2021. The German Federal Foreign Office plans to continue the PeaceLab platform and will inform you in due course.
Artikel Western Sahara: Can Trump’s Tweet Generate International Leverage to Broker a Credible Solution? Donald Trump’s decision to recognise Morocco’s sovereignty over the contested territory of the Western Sahara was a game changer in the decades-long conflict. While inconsistent with international law, paradoxically, it could open up a way for international actors to press Morocco and pro-independence Sahrawis to negotiate a lasting political solution. Haizam Amirah-Fernández, Isabelle Werenfels • 31 March 2021
Artikel Bridging Silos at the Climate-Gender-Conflict Nexus International security agendas must account for the overlapping threats of climate change and conflict, and their unequal impacts on women. Similarly, climate action must integrate a gender and security lens. To accelerate progress, policymakers must harmonize efforts to address conflict and climate change and promote inclusive approaches at domestic and international levels. Jessica Smith, Lauren Olosky, Jennifer Grosman Fernández • 30 March 2021
Artikel Vectors of Violence: Climate Change and Security in South Asia In South Asia, where rising sea levels and drought permanently destroy livelihoods, internal displacement increases. To prevent a growth of extremist armed groups and a surge of violence, the EU and Germany should strengthen their support for disaster preparedness in the region, tap into their experience with transregional approaches, and fund research for adaption measures. Omair Ahmad • 24 March 2021
Artikel Competitors or Partners? How Germany and the UAE Can Cooperate on Stabilization The UAE’s and Germany’s approaches towards stabilization are fundamentally different in their relation to national authorities, non-state actors, and multilateral cooperation. Nevertheless, cooperation can be furthered in specific key areas where common interests prevail, such as police training and demining activities in Afghanistan and Yemen. Eleonora Ardemagni • 23 March 2021
Artikel Climate and Conflict in the Sahel: A Rule of Law Perspective The Sahel faces one of the world’s most serious humanitarian crises, as rising insecurity intersects with climate change. Resulting competition over land and natural resources exacerbates violence across the region. Efficient, accountable and inclusive institutions, especially for land governance and dispute resolution, are key to improving stability in the Sahel. Marco Lankhorst • 22 March 2021
Artikel Climate Insecurity: Undermining Rural Livelihoods in Niger Nigerien farmers and pastoralists are particularly exposed to security threats reinforced by climate impacts, making them vulnerable to food insecurity and recruitment through extremist groups. To reduce these risks, Germany should expand its support for participatory methods and climate adaptation measures geared towards marginalized groups and bolster early warning systems. Stefanie Wesch, Janna Rheinbay • 17 March 2021
Artikel A Storm on the Horizon: How to Translate Climate-Security Early Warning Into Action To address climate-security risks in a timely manner, Germany should enhance actionable forecast capacities. The government should strengthen climate- and conflict-sensitive programming by linking global climate data with conflict mapping, and expand its funding for inclusive, regional, and cross-border approaches. Jessica Caus, Adam Day • 23 February 2021
Artikel Protecting the Amazon by Empowering Its Women Climate change and environmental crime endanger food, health, and economic security in the Amazon region. This disproportionately affects women who play an important role in agricultural production, yet are excluded from resource governance. Germany should support community-based initiatives and include climate security when implementing the Women, Peace and Security agenda. Maiara Folly, Adriana Erthal Abdenur • 17 February 2021
Artikel Bridging Needs and Amplifying Voices: The Peacebuilding Commission and Climate-Related Security Risks To include climate change permanently in the UN’s peace and security pillar, Germany should reinforce the Peacebuilding Commission’s role. By fostering the Commission’s cross-pillar mandate and identifying political opportunities to strengthen its advisory role to the UN Security Council, Berlin can support the UN system in adapting to climate-related security challenges. Jake Sherman, Florian Krampe • 16 February 2021
Artikel Multilateralism Needs Democracy The German government should put collaboration among democracies at the heart of the Alliance for Multilateralism. Germany’s forthcoming White Paper on Multilateralism is an opportunity to spell out credibility, solidarity, and the inclusion of partners outside the “old West” as core principles of cooperation among like-minded democratic states. Thorsten Benner • 10 February 2021
Artikel The Responsibility to Prepare and Prevent: A Framework for Action to Manage Climate-Linked Conflict Climate change comes with a range of security risks. However, with the right preparation, they can be managed and mitigated. Germany should push for the implementation of the Responsibility to Prepare and Prevent framework by promoting the institutionalization and harmonization of risk assessments, as well as better coordination between climate and security governance. Erin Sikorsky • 08 February 2021
Artikel Advancing Human Protection Through Multilateralism The agenda to protect populations in situations of violent conflict faces an uphill battle in today’s multilateral institutions. Germany can prevent a backsliding on the agenda by pursuing pragmatic multilateralism that starts with an acknowledgement of its own responsibility for protection and a willingness to form coalitions with a new set of partners. Jennifer M. Welsh • 03 February 2021
Artikel Renewing Multilateralism by Protecting the Planet: Achieving Two Global Goals in One Fell Swoop Protecting the planet depends on international cooperation – but the environmental regime also contributes to the progress of multilateral governance. Germany should use this synergy effect to promote multilateralism by investing in negotiations to expand ecological approaches among trade partners and building up regional cooperation based on shared environmental commons. Lucien Chabason, Sébastien Treyer • 28 January 2021
Artikel Managing the Risks of Stabilization: Germany’s New Assessment Tool Investing money to prevent crises, support stabilization, and build peace carries major risks. Taking such risks is necessary to achieve anything, but they need to be professionally managed. How does the German government’s new “stabilization risk assessment” tool compare to other approaches, and what may other actors learn from it? Philipp Rotmann • 12 January 2021
Artikel Multilateralism: A View From Poland If multilateralism is in crisis today, it is because individual states turn away from it. Democracies should do their part to mitigate this by defending the values intrinsic to multilateralism. To make its White Paper a success, Germany should pursue new formats of multilateral cooperation across continents and sectors, and tap into the potential of existing ones. Maciej Pisarski • 17 December 2020
Artikel Germany, Multilateralism and the Climate Crisis: How Cooperation Can Strengthen Climate Policy For climate policy to be successful, cooperation among big emitters is essential. Germany should use its political weight to help bring initiatives in the EU and the G20 to fruition while initiating and strengthening alliances aiming at concrete transformative measures and innovation. It can also help build knowledge systems that are fit for instigating and supporting change. Camilla Bausch • 16 December 2020
Artikel A Cooperative Brand of Sovereignty for Multilateralism In its new White Paper, Germany should promote a cooperative brand of sovereignty, support multi-stakeholder approaches, and strengthen the EU’s role in the multilateral system. As multilateralism is an instrument shaping the global order, Berlin should push for reforms on the climate crisis and security, and seize the COVID-19 crisis as an opportunity to forge a new global consensus. Manuel Lafont Rapnouil • 14 December 2020
Artikel Multilateralism Needs Reinventing, Not Resurrecting The multilateralism of the second half of the 20th century has become outdated, and no viable alternative has been found. Instead of trying to go back to old principles, governments should reinvent a multilateralism that is viable under current conditions: a project-based multilateralism that is inclusive to non-state actors, with shared values as a goal, not a precondition. Andrey Kortunov • 07 December 2020
Artikel New Rules of Multilateralism: Minilateral and Multilateral Formats in the Indo-Pacific and Beyond Germany’s engagement in the Indo-Pacific has relied on bilateral efforts with major countries in the region. Such efforts should now be supplemented with flexible mini- and multilateral formats of cooperation centred around like-minded partners. The success or failure of these formats in the Indo-Pacific will be crucial for multilateralism beyond the region. Michito Tsuruoka • 03 December 2020
Veranstaltungsbericht Summary Report: The Annual Conference of the Advisory Board for Civilian Crisis Prevention and Peacebuilding On 2 October 2020, the Advisory Board to the Federal Government for Civilian Crisis Prevention and Peacebuilding hosted its second annual conference in a virtual format. Under the motto “What do Crises Teach us?” almost 300 participants discussed the lessons learned from the EU’s and Germany’s civilian crisis prevention, above all in the Sahel region. A review. Advisory Board to the Federal Government for Civilian Crisis Prevention and Peacebuilding • 02 December 2020
Artikel Defence and Deterrence in Europe: Beyond Multilateralism as We Know It Multilateralism has reached its limits as a guiding principle for relations with Russia in security and defence. Germany should open up to multilateral military cooperation formats in addition to NATO to reinforce deterrence and defence on the eastern flank and to strengthen regional security. This requires an increase in defence spending and in military engagement. Justyna Gotkowska • 26 November 2020
