As oil and gas exploration gathers pace on Uganda’s north western border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, efforts are being made to minimise conflicts among border communities but also to ensure that the border remains tension-free.

International Alert, in collaboration with one of the local partners - Rural Initiatives for Community Empowerment – West Nile (RICE – WN) - recently organised the first ever cross-border dialogue meeting between officials from both Uganda and DRC with the aim of promoting better information sharing.

Thank you from the International Alert team.

In 2001 – a different time and a different world – the EU Gothenburg summit agreed to make the prevention of violent conflict a priority for the EU. Measured by money, it’s now the world’s biggest player in peacebuilding. But look around Europe now and we can ask, should peacebuilding also start to be a priority inside the EU?

The decision to set up the UN Peacebuilding Commission, Peacebuilding Support Office and Peacebuilding Fund was taken in September 2005 and bit by bit the new architecture was ready for business in 2006 and into 2007. I have just finished four years on the Fund’s independent Advisory Group, the last two as its chair, so here are my reflections.