Publications
Cela fait longtemps que l’extraction informelle et le commerce illicite des minéraux sont associés aux conflits violents qui secouent les provinces du Nord et du Sud-Kivu dans le Congo oriental. Le coltan extrait de ces provinces a gagné en proéminence à la fin des années 90, quand il a commencé à être utilisé dans la fabrication des téléphones portables. Ces provinces et le district adjacent de l’Ituri sont également riches en or, dont la valeur a explosé suite à la crise financière mondiale. La situation géographique des sites du Nord et du Sud-Kivu et de l’Ituri est maintenant bien connue, mais les données sur les sites miniers des provinces adjacentes sont beaucoup moins complètes. Ce rapport, qui se fonde sur plusieurs mois de recherches sur le terrain réalisées par l’International Peace Information Service (IPIS) et des partenaires sur le terrain pour International Alert, identifie les sites miniers dans le nord du Katanga, dans la province de Maniema et dans le district de Bafwasende. Il décrit les principaux modes de transport et les voies d’exportation passant principalement par les plates-formes commerciales de Bukavu, Goma et Butembo. Ces informations représentent une importante contribution aux connaissances internationales sur des quantités significatives de minéraux qui, bien qu’échangés dans des centres bien connus, proviennent de régions beaucoup plus éloignées.
Menée dans le cadre du programme d’"Appui à la paix et à la stabilisation à l’Est de la République Démocratique du Congo" de la Commission Européenne, cette étude vise à mieux comprendre le rôle de la société civile dans la construction de la paix. S’appuyant sur les résultats d’une recherche de terrain, l’étude a recensé plus de 150 organisations. Le rapport dresse les contours du secteur de la paix et aide à comprendre les enjeux auxquels les acteurs font face. Dans un deuxième temps, l’étude offre une analyse fine et documentée d’initiatives locales de paix, axés sur des méthodologies clés : la médiation, la recherche-action et le plaidoyer. Enfin, l’étude propose des recommandations visant à l’amélioration des pratiques de paix des acteurs de la société civile et de ceux qui les soutiennent.
This briefing paper aims to outline priorities for international community support for the effective and accountable provision of security and justice in Nepal. It aims to highlight the need for utilising a participatory approaches in the promotion of people-centred reform of the security and justice system. There is growing political will to address these issues on a national and international level, yet the international community could improve its response with improved coordination and increasing the capacity of local actors to participate in any future justice and security sector reform process.
This briefing paper focuses on Lofa County in northern Liberia, one of the areas worst affected by conflict in the Mano River Union. It forms part of International Alert’s work to address the current gaps in knowledge and understanding between local actors in the leeward counties and those in Monrovia. Each briefing in this series aims to outline current security and justice needs and challenges in a particular county and advance constructive recommendations for ways in which national and international actors could address these challenges. It is based on research undertaken as part of Alert’s work for the Security Cluster of the Initiative for Peacebuilding project.
This briefing paper focuses on Grand Gedeh County in southeast Liberia, one of the areas worst affected by conflict in the Mano River Union. It forms part of International Alert’s work to address the current gaps in knowledge and understanding between local actors in the leeward counties and those in Monrovia. Each briefing in this series aims to outline current security and justice needs and challenges in a particular county and advance constructive recommendations for ways in which national and international actors could address these challenges. It is based on research undertaken as part of Alert’s work for the Security Cluster of the Initiative for Peacebuilding project.
This briefing paper focuses on Bong County in central Liberia, one of the areas worst affected by conflict in the Mano River Union. It forms part of International Alert’s work to address the current gaps in knowledge and understanding between local actors in the leeward counties and those in Monrovia. Each briefing in this series aims to outline current security and justice needs and challenges in a particular county and advance constructive recommendations for ways in which national and international actors could address these challenges. It is based on research undertaken as part of Alert’s work for the Security Cluster of the Initiative for Peacebuilding project.
The aim of this publication is to help PSD practitioners to make better and timelier interventions in conflict affected environments (CAEs). Moreover, its aim is to ensure that PSD programming maximises the positive effect it can have on all aspects of conflict management and peace-building: on economic development; on governance; on building security, stability and trust, and on developing infrastructure.
This report reviews different approaches to the implementation of international Women, Peace and Security frameworks, focusing particularly on UN Security Council Resolution 1325. It focuses on how the resolution can be incorporated into concrete policy guidelines and programmatic initiatives and highlights good practices and lessons learnt over the last decades. It is expected that the information and examples contained in the review will support and advance the formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of more and stronger Women, Peace and Security action plans that will turn Resolution 1325 into a living reality to improve the situation of women affected by conflict.
This practice note offers options for economic development planners and practitioners for promoting accountable and conflict-sensitive governance of natural resource wealth. The presence of significant natural resource endowments has been documented as contributing to the outbreak of conflict as different parties compete for control over resource-rich territory, fuelling conflict through revenues generated by extractive resources, and undermining peace processes as powerful individuals or groups refuse to give up what they regard as their fair share of the spoils. In such contexts, sustainable peace is often difficult to bring about as vulnerable groups most impacted by the conflict and living in proximity of natural resources (or even participating in their extraction) can feel aggrieved when they are not directly benefiting from them.
These ‘snapshot’ briefings are part of a longer-term initiative by International Alert to help address the current gaps in knowledge and understanding between those actors at the district level and those in Kathmandu. Each briefing aims to outline current security and justice needs and challenges in a particular district, and advance constructive recommendations for ways in which national and international actors could address these challenges. The briefings are based on research undertaken as part of Alert’s work for the Initiative for Peacebuilding project.
This snapshot focuses on Rukum, a district in the western hill region at the heart of the Maoist conflict. This briefing examines the security situation in the district four years after the signing of the peace agreement.
These ‘snapshot’ briefings are part of a longer-term initiative by International Alert to help address the current gaps in knowledge and understanding between those actors at the district level and those in Kathmandu. Each briefing aims to outline current security and justice needs and challenges in a particular district, and advance constructive recommendations for ways in which national and international actors could address these challenges. The briefings are based on research undertaken as part of Alert’s work for the Initiative for Peacebuilding project.
This snapshot focuses on Dang, a district in the western Terai where political party youth wings are increasingly blamed for exacerbating insecurity.
These ‘snapshot’ briefings are part of a longer-term initiative by International Alert to help address the current gaps in knowledge and understanding between those actors at the district level and those in Kathmandu. Each briefing aims to outline current security and justice needs and challenges in a particular district, and advance constructive recommendations for ways in which national and international actors could address these challenges. The briefings are based on research undertaken as part of Alert’s work for the Initiative for Peacebuilding project. This snapshot focuses on Bara, a district in the central Terai where the activities of armed groups are contributing to feelings of insecurity.
This practice note presents the possible impacts of political peace processes on post-conflict economic recovery and implications for economic development planning during these transition periods. Peace processes are a development concern because they often set out future political and economic orders that frame post-conflict economic recovery and long-term economic development. Development agencies can be strategic actors for peace processes, especially as these near their conclusion and the parties craft new economic futures. They are also important for the implementation phase and how ex-combatants and local populations experience life after armed conflict.
This practice note explains what economic development planners and practitioners can do to support the socioeconomic reintegration of former combatants. It will assist you in your efforts to mobilise economic actors to play a constructive role in reintegration processes. The socioeconomic reintegration of former combatants is important and relevant for economic development planners and practitioners as successful reintegration will increase security and stability; both necessary pre-conditions for economic development, business expansion and the reduction of costs and risks of doing business. Simultaneously, economic recovery and business expansion are essential preconditions for successful socio-economic reintegration, as most ex-combatants will need to find employment in the private sector.
A UN Summit in September will review progress towards the Millennium Development Goals. It will find that they are not going to be met by 2015 as planned. But rather than push for an “MDG Rescue Plan” as some are proposing, it is time to ask some hard questions about how societies change, and what we really mean by "development". This report proposes a new model for defining and measuring development progress, and makes practical recommendations about how aid can become more effective in promoting, supporting and enabling human progress, especially in so-called fragile states.
The small-scale cross-border trade in agricultural products between DRC and Rwanda constitutes a survival economy sustaining thousands of people on both sides of the border. This report analyses this trade between the towns of Goma (DR Congo) and Gisenyi (Rwanda) and the relationship between Congolese and Rwandese women traders, in order to understand the impact that improving this trade would have on good neighborly relations, peace and security. The report is based on extensive field research and the findings are used for dialogue between Congolese and Rwandan women traders, aiming to strengthen trust through addressing issues of common interest. The report makes recommendations to the traders, to Congolese and Rwandese authorities as well as to regional institutions on establishing cross-border markets, signing small-scale trade cooperation agreements and establishing a network of Congolese and Rwandese traders.
The five years of relative peace in Northern Uganda has enabled the majority of former Internally Displaced Persons to return to their home areas and begin rebuilding their lives. During and after the long war in Northern Uganda, women have emerged as critical economic actors, taking advantage of economic opportunities to secure their families’ livelihood, security and advancement. This report explores gender dynamics in the peace economy, particularly focusing on women’s economic and political status, and the extent to which government and development partner recovery interventions are sensitive to these issues.
Cette note de synthèse a pour but de faire connaître plus amplement la Résolution 1325, en se fondant sur le travail de International Alert dans la région de l’URM au cours de ces dernières années. Le premier chapitre expose brièvement la nécessité d’adapter la mise en oeuvre de la Résolution 1325 à des contextes particuliers, comme la Sierra Leone et le Libéria en situation de post-conflit, et la Guinée souvent exposée à des situations de conflit. Après avoir examiné les questions essentielles et les thèmes prioritaires sur l’ensemble des trois pays, le chapitre suivant esquisse les grandes lignes d’un programme de mise en oeuvre de la Résolution 1325 dans la région de l’URM. Les trois volets composant ce programme abordent les besoins des femmes en matière de sécurité, leur participation politique et la mise en œuvre d’une législation et de politiques visant l’égalité des genres. Cette note de synthèse se termine par les quatre recommandations suivantes pour pérenniser et mettre en valeur le travail effectué autour de la Résolution 1325 en Guinée, au Libéria et en Sierra Leone.
1. (Mieux) tirer parti de ce qui existe : engager le dialogue avec les responsables du système juridique coutumier.
2. Considerer les violences sexuelles et liées au genre : mobiliser les communautés par l’intermédiaire d’agents de changement.
3. Questions économiques : aborder la dimension économique du genre, de la paix et de la sécurité.
4. Passer de la théorie à l’action : investir intelligemment dans la société civile.
- Working (better) with what exists: Engage custodians of the customary justice system.
- Address sexual and gender-based violence: Mobilise communities through change agents.
- Economics matters: Address the economic dimension of gender, peace and security.
- From plans to action: Make smart investments in civil society.
Dans le district de l’Ituri, en République Démocratique du Congo, les conflits fonciers sont considérés comme étant à la fois la cause, et la manifestation visible d’un conflit brutal qui a ébranlé la région dans la dernière décennie. La centralité de la question foncière au Congo demande des études et des plans d’action adaptés. Le réseau congolais Haki na Amani et International Alert ont compilé un guide pratique de prévention et de résolution de ces conflits fonciers pour mieux les comprendre, et mieux répondre à ce type de conflit. Ce guide est destiné aux communautés locales qui sont confrontées, au quotidien, à ces conflits complexes.
This briefing note seeks to contribute to the knowledge on Resolution 1325, building on International Alert’s work in the MRU region during the last few years. The first section briefly discusses the need to adjust the approach to implementing Resolution 1325 in challenging contexts such as post-conflict Sierra Leone and Liberia and conflict-prone Guinea. Based on a brief discussion of salient issues and thematic priorities across the three countries, the subsequent section sketches the contours of a comprehensive agenda for implementing Resolution 1325 in the MRU region. The three components of this agenda are addressing women's security needs, enhancing their political participation, and implementing gender equality legislation and policies. The briefing note ends with the following four broad recommendations to sustain and enhance work on Resolution 1325 in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone:
1. Working (better) with what exists: Engage custodians of the customary justice system.
2. Address sexual and gender-based violence: Mobilise communities through change agents.
3. Economics matters: Address the economic dimension of gender, peace and security.
4. From plans to action: Make smart investments in civil society.
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