As part of national and international counter-terrorism efforts, Tunisia’s highly marginalised border regions have been the focus of the Tunisian state and international partners in attempts to strengthen security in the country and the region. However, the experience of people living in these areas shows that restrictions on border trade as a result of these […]

In the light of the peace and reconciliation process, in November 2016, Search for Common Ground (SfCG) conducted a conflict assessment in North Okkalapa, Yangon; and Lashio, Shan State, in Myanmar. This study, entitled ‘Urbanization & Conflict in Myanmar’, yielded fascinating insights into conflict dynamics at the national level in Myanmar, as well as the […]

The 2015 electoral season in Burundi saw protests, violence and open political conflict at the local level, with a particular concentration in Bujumbura. In 2016, the country settled into a “new normal” characterised by low-level insecurity with regular disappearances, arrests and imprisonments, as well as severely restricted freedom of expression. This context has evolved against […]

Jordan is a key Western ally, whether as part of the Middle East Peace Process, as a partner against Da’esh and in counter-terrorism, as a haven for refugees. Yet this role often leads partners, such as the EU, to overlook “Jordan-as-Jordan”. The Civil Society Dialogue Network (CSDN) discussion paper entitled ‘the EU and conflict prevention […]

The importance of integrating gender and human rights in the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) has been recognised by the EU and its Member States in several policy documents, most recently in the EU Global Strategy and the Council of the EU’s ‘CFSP Report – Our priorities in 2016’. Its most visible translation […]

The rise in terror attacks worldwide has increased political pressure to respond effectively. Governments have earmarked more funding for counter-terrorism (CT) measures and programmes countering or preventing violent extremism (CVE/PVE). But what impact do these programmes actually have on preventing conflict and building peace? In its recent research, Saferworld has critically reviewed CT and CVE/PVE […]

In this EPLO Brown Bag Lunch discussion, Saroj Kumar Jha, World Bank Director for the Mashreq region, and Harun Onder, lead author of the report, will present and discuss the World Bank’s findings on the economic and social impact of the war in Syria. The report entitled ‘The Toll of War: Economic and Social Consequences […]

Human rights, the women, peace and security (WPS) agenda and gender equality are key elements to ensure human security. They are increasingly taken into account in the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions. In the ‘CFSP Report – Our priorities in 2017’, the EU and its Member States committed to continue ‘promoting the […]

The Kosovo Specialist Chambers and Specialist Prosecutor’s Office, widely referred to as the “Kosovo Specialist Court”, is a hybrid international court established within Kosovo’s judicial system and located in The Hague. Its purpose is to try cases of war crimes which occurred between 1998 and 2000, involving the mainly ethnic Albanian Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). […]

Relations between the African Union (AU) and European Union (EU) reached a nadir in 2016 following serious disagreements over European payments to AU peacekeepers in Somalia. The fifth AU-EU summit, which will take place on 29-30 November in Abidjan, presents a chance to reinvigorate the partnership if both sides can deal openly with disagreements, and […]