‘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 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 July 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 July 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 July 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 June 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 June 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 June 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 June 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 June 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 May 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 May 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 May 2019
Artikel Making Power-Sharing Work: The Role of Mediation While the promise of power-sharing is often necessary to reach peace agreements, power-sharing institutions are unlikely to function effectively in post-conflict settings. Mediation can help making power-sharing work – if it improves inter-elite relationships, addresses issues unresolved in peace agreements, and provides a framework for local conflict resolution. Alexandre Raffoul • 15 May 2019
Artikel International Rule of Law Assistance: Learning from Failures in Afghanistan 18 years of rule of law assistance in Afghanistan provide key lessons for donors: Ensure that assistance for security and assistance for justice go hand in hand and make fighting corruption a priority. In supporting local organizations, Germany should combine clear criteria for funding with the flexibility needed to work in a country like Afghanistan. Lutforahman Saeed • 08 May 2019
Artikel Lessons from German Rule of Law Support in Sudan and South Sudan Establishing access to justice for all in fragile states requires looking into practical realities and understanding where people actually seek justice. Experiences from Sudan and South Sudan show that Germany should (1) support more informal justice providers; and (2) more women at the community level; and (3) combine rule of law promotion with the fight against inequality and discrimination. Noha Ibrahim Abdelgabar, Pall Davidson • 07 May 2019
Artikel Civil Society and Rule of Law Assistance in Fragile States: Lessons from Libya When working with civil society, donors need to be flexible, provide regular psychological and security support and advocate for official channels for civil society participation in the design of rule of law initiatives. “Civil society” is not a homogenous entity. Projects therefore need to factor in time and space for debate within civil society. Rebecca Wright • 06 May 2019
Artikel Global Consultations on the World Bank Group’s Strategy for Fragility, Conflict and Violence By 2030, at least half of the world’s poor will be living in fragile and conflict-affected settings. To address this challenge, the World Bank Group is developing its first Strategy for Fragility, Conflict and Violence. Now it is looking for input: How to best invest in prevention? How to enhance operational effectiveness in the most insecure environments? How to maximize impact on the ground? Join the discussion! Franck Bousquet • 03 May 2019
Artikel Rule of Law Assistance to the Palestinian Authority: Challenges Ahead In the Palestinian context, rule of law is severely hindered by the Israeli occupation, the internal Palestinian division and the lack of a democratic process. Thus, rule of law programs should address internal and external factors, e.g., through assisting in conducting free and fair elections, empowering citizens and strengthening civil society organisations which educate the public about their rights. Karam Omar, Jamil Salem, Asem Khalil • 30 April 2019
Artikel Prioritizing Legitimacy, Anti-corruption and Accountability for Serious Crimes at the National Level Three rule of law issues require increased support and innovative approaches by the UN and key member states like Germany: (1) rule of law assistance to reinforce the legitimacy of state; (2) rule of law initiatives with a clearer anti-corruption lens; and (3) enhanced technical, financial and political support for national-level investigations and prosecutions of serious crimes. Charles Briefel • 24 April 2019
