The civilian contribution to peace and stability operation
Sharing the findings of the SIPRI project
- When?
- Wednesday 18 January 2012, 15.30 to 17.00
- Where?
- Room 21 AC03
- Open to:
- Public, Staff, Students
- Speaker:
- Dr Stephanie Blaire
Dr Stephanie Blaire, Co-director of the SIPRI project "Civilian contribution to peace and stability operations"
In 1999 the Brahimi report acknowledged the deficit of civilians specialists in peace operations. Since then it is encouraging to note that progress has been made, particularly with regard to training and recruitment through the setting up of national and international rosters. However, the main challenges identified in the report, including the paucity of finding suitably qualified civilians at either the right time or in the number required, remains. The SIPRI project entitled The Civilian Contribution to Peace and Stability Operations: Assessing Progress and Addressing Gaps took stock of the international architecture of civilian dimension of peace operations through a comparative assessment of international and regional organization's civilian structures. It highlighted how individual governmental initiatives contribute to more effective international policies and structures and strengthen multilateral coordination. The project offered recommendations on how organizations and governments can develop—and implement—a coherent strategy for planning and implementing civilian missions and the civilian components of multidimensional UN peace operations. To that end, one of the principal aims of the project was to broaden and deepen the policy debate on civilian capacities beyond Western Europe and North America and beyond the English language. It focussed on harnessing the potential of Southern partners in Africa, Asia and Latin America, including the AU, ASEAN, Brazil, Egypt, India, Japan, and la Francophonie. Although perhaps we have passed the golden era for the civilian dimension, this project is apposite and timely given that national and international organizations are struggling to meet the demand for civilian capacity.
More about SIPRI (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute)
