Aim

The project seeks to enhance the capabilities of the EU in conflict prevention and peacebuilding by the best civilian means. First, it will assess the current capabilities of the EU to implement conflict prevention and peacebuilding measures, and identify gaps, best practices, lessons learned and research priorities. This will provide an evidence-base for recommendations to increase the future effectiveness of the EU's peace and conflict toolkit. Secondly, a ‘community of practice' and forums for dialogue will bring together policymakers, civilian and military practitioners, academic experts and the beneficiaries of EU interventions. Its purpose will be to validate and apply this evidence base, explore civil-military synergies, make best use of innovative technologies, and develop policy priorities which both crystallise past successes and explore options for change and improvement.

Premise

Contemporary global insecurity is driven by situations of extreme individual vulnerability, a broad range of threats and a complex network of local, regional and international stakeholders. The EU's ability to adequately address these situations is, on the one hand, subject to its internal political and policy dynamics, and on the other contingent on context-specific operational challenges in the field. This project intends to address some of the dilemmas and paradoxes that arise from this double challenge, and explore the options for enhancing the EU's capabilities from a practical and operational point of view. There is an emphasis on sustainability and ‘whole of society' approaches in this project, as perspectives which can bring added value and greater focus to EU conflict-related activities and enhance their long-term impact. The idea of sustainability implies that peacebuilding interventions address root causes, support genuine local ownership and take a long-term view by meeting the changing needs of the conflict cycle. The ‘whole of society' concept contributes to sustainability by dealing explicitly with issues of coordination, synergies and inclusion of peacebuilding efforts, where diverse stakeholders have a role to play in the process.  

Approach

The capabilities assessment will focus on three types of interventions ("clusters") which typify the full spectrum of conflict prevention and peacebuilding instruments available to the EU:  multi-track diplomacy, security sector and governance. This will be done through a combination of desk and field research in four case countries - Mali, Yemen, Georgia and Ukraine - which are characterized by a multilateral presence including the EU, key member states, the UN and regional organisations. The project will reflect on best practices will identify approaches  and tools that can match the EU's potential and opportunities for civilian conflict prevention, as opposed to any blueprint or one-size-fits-all approach.