Policy Papers Archive

2003

Beyond Greed and Grievance: Policy Lessons from Studies in the Political Economy of Armed Conflict, by Karen Ballentine and Heiko Nitzschke, December 2003. This policy report provides a synopsis of the key findings from case studies on the political economy of armed intra-state conflicts, commissioned by the International Peace Academy's program on Economic Agendas in Civil Wars (EACW). These findings offer lessons for improved policies for conflict prevention and resolution.

You, the People: The United Nations, Transitional Administration, and State-Building, by Simon Chesterman, November 2003. Final Report of the Transitional Administrations project.

From Promise to Practice: Strengthening UN Capacities for the Prevention of Violent Conflict. By Chandra Lekha Sriram and Karin Wermester, May 2003. This report serves as the final report of IPA's multi-year conflict prevention project, From Promise to Practice: Strengthening UN Capacities for the Prevention of Violent Conflict, which has sought to inform policy development at the UN by identifying ways to increase opportunities and mitigate challenges for the effective prevention of violent conflict around the world. The purpose of the report is to take stock of the IPA’s research and policy development work on conflict prevention and in support of evolving UN policy and practice since 1999. The report seeks to identify achievements and advances at the UN, as well as highlight some of the opportunities, and key challenges, that remain for the future.

2002

The Infrastructure of Peace in Africa: Assessing the Peacebuilding Capacity of African Institutions. This project stemmed from the Ford Foundation's initial request that IPA's Africa Program generate a database of institutions managing conflicts and crises in Africa. After consultations, the scope of this project was expanded to comprise an assessment of capacity, and determination of the potential institutions to respond to crises and conflicts in Africa. This report is the outcome of that exercise and hopes to guide and facilitate the design of the Ford Foundation’s funding strategy for peacebuilding in sub-Saharan Africa. However, this report surveys only a sampling of civil society organizations in Africa, aiming to cover enough of them to serve as a basis for the analytical sections of the document. November 2002.

Economic Priorities for Peace Implementation, by Susan L. Woodward. Third in the IPA Policy Paper Series on Peace Implementation. CISAC–IPA Project on Peace Implementation, October 2002.

Justice Under International Administration: Kosovo, East Timor and Afghanistan, by Simon Chesterman (September 2002). A report from the Transitional Administrations Project, comparing the UN’s judicial reconstruction efforts in Kosovo, East Timor and Afghanistan.

Tiptoeing Through Afghanistan: The Future of UN State-Building, by Simon Chesterman (September 2002). A report from the Transitional Administrations Project, examining UNAMA’s involvement in state-building activities in Afghanistan.

NEPAD: African Initiative, New Partnership? As a prelude to a UN General Assembly plenary session on Africa on 16 September 2002, and mindful of the general lack of sufficient information on NEPAD, the Permanent Missions of Algeria, Egypt, Nigeria, Senegal, and South Africa to the UN, in partnership with the Permanent Mission of the Netherlands to the UN and the International Peace Academy, hosted a meeting on the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) in New York on 16 July 2002. The purpose of the meeting was to inform and focus the attention of the broader UN community on NEPAD in order to make the September 2002 General Assembly meeting more productive. The report discusses the dynamics of a new partnership between Africa and the group of eight (G8) industrialized countries, NEPAD's African Peer Review Mechanism, and relationships with key stakeholders and implementing partners. It concludes with policy recommendations for the G8, NEPAD's officials, and African governments to ensure the success of NEPAD.

"SHIRBRIG Deployment in UNMEE: Lessons Learned", July 2002. This IPA expert seminar brought together more than 100 representatives from member nations, United Nations Headquarters, in particular from DPKO, non-government organizations, and serving and past members of SHIRBRIG itself. The seminar examined the lessons learned from the formation’s deployment to Ethiopia and Eritrea in autumn 2000 as a framework for the UN mission headquarters, UNMEE, and as the core of the military mission. The seminar also broadened the deliberations to examine the concept of SHIRBRIG, as well as the concept of rapid deployment itself. The rapporteur was The Lester B. Pearson Peacekeeping Centre.

The Role of Civil Society in National Reconciliation and Peacebuilding in Liberia, by Augustine Toure, May 2002. A case study report from IPA's Civil Society Project recounting the efforts of civil society actors – including human rights groups, media, and women's, religious, and student groups to foster peace, reconciliation, and democracy in Liberia.

Sharing Best Practices on Conflict Prevention: The UN, Regional and Subregional Organizations, National and Local Actors – Policy Paper, by Chandra Lekha Sriram, Albrecht Schnabel, John Packer and Augustine Toure. This report comprises the substantive papers developed to guide discussions on key issues at the 8-10 April 2002 Prevention program workshop in Alexandria, Egypt.

Sustainable Peace as Democratization: The Experiences of Haiti and Guatemala--IPA Policy Paper, by Chetan Kumar, Sara Lodge, and Karen Resnick. Drawing upon the experience of international attempts to build lasting peace in Haiti and Guatemala, and also upon IPA's research and facilitation work in Haiti, the report offers some conclusions regarding the circumstances under which democratization and peacebuilding can become mutually reinforcing in fragile societies.

From Promise to Practice: Strengthening UN Capacities for the Prevention of Violent Conflict, Case studies in prevention: policy report, by Dr. Chandra Lekha Sriram, January 2002. A report from the Project on Prevention, drawing out central lessons for the UN and other preventive actors from case studies on Kenya, Fiji, Tanzania, Tajikistan, Burundi, Georgia, East Timor, Liberia, and Colombia.

2001

Kosovo in Limbo: State-Building and "Substantial Autonomy" by Simon Chesterman, August 2001. A report from the Transitional Administrations Project, examining state-building under the aegis of UNMIK, and considering questions on Kosovo's autonomy.

The Challenges of Strategic Coordination: Containing Opposition and Sustaining Implementation of Peace Agreements in Civil Wars, by Bruce D. Jones. Second in the IPA Policy Paper Series on Peace Implementation. CISAC-IPA Project on Peace Implementation, June 2001.

Implementing Peace Agreements in Civil Wars: Lessons and Recommendations for Policymakers, by Stephen John Stedman, First in the IPA Policy Paper Series on Peace Implementation. CISAC-IPA Project on Peace Implementation, June 2001.

East Timor in Transition: From Conflict Prevention to State-Building by Simon Chesterman, May 2001. A report of the Transitional Administrations Project.

Competing Claims: Self-Determination and Security in the United Nations, by Simon Chesterman, Tom Farer, and Timothy Sisk, 2001. A report of the project on "Self-Determination, Security, and the United Nations," Graduate School of International Studies, University of Denver, and the International Peace Academy.

1995 through 2000

An Assessment of the OAU Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management, and Resolution, 1993-2000, by Margaret Vogt and Monde Muyangwa, 2000. An assessment of the Mechanism, which was informed by the now completed OAU/IPA Joint Task Force on Peacemaking and Peacekeeping in Africa.

Project on Policy Advocacy and Facilitation in Haiti, by Chetan Kumar and Marlye Gélin-Adams, September 1999.

Prospects for Peace in Afghanistan: The Role of Pakistan, by Ameen Jan, February 1999.

Peacebuilding in Democratic Republic of Congo, by Musifiky Mwanasali, April 1998. Preliminary assessment of the progress of peacebuilding efforts in the Kivu province in DRC. Also available in French.

Peacebuilding in Cambodia, by Michael W. Doyle, December 1996.
Preliminary assessment of the progress of ongoing peacebuilding efforts in Cambodia.

Peacebuilding in Somalia, by Ameen Jan, July 1996.
Preliminary findings of a case study of peacebuilding in Somalia.

Peacebuilding in Haiti, by Chetan Kumar and Elizabeth M. Cousens, April 1996. Preliminary findings of a case study of peacebuilding in Haiti.

Burundi: Conflict Prevention & National Reconciliation, 1995. Report of an exploratory mission to Burundi undertaken in December 1994 to investigate the mounting inter-ethnic tensions.