The purpose of this document is to give guidance to those interested in initiating or supporting a national‐level process to implement the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights. The Fund for Peace (FfP) and International Alert (IA) have joined in this effort as two of the participant NGOs in the international‐level dialogue of the VPs, with funding from the Government of Norway and support from the Government of the Republic of Colombia, two of the governments formally involved in the process.
This document aims to provide guidance to those interested in initiating or supporting a national‐level process to implement the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights.
Two thousand representatives of governments, the UN, other multilateral organisations and NGOs will shortly convene in Busan, South Korea, as the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness to discuss the effectiveness of overseas development aid.
It’s countries affected by armed conflict that face the toughest development challenges. What would success at Busan look like for them?
New thinking on development and conflict
In our 25th anniversary year, International Alert invited a group of influential and highly respected peace advocates to become Patrons. We are greatly honoured to have the support and endorsement of two Nobel laureates Archbishop Dr Desmond Tutu and Wole Soyinka, and of Brian Eno and Mark Stephens CBE.
Brian Eno's photograph: © Nick Robertson

This summer, two amazing fundraisers (Will Gibbs and Thomas Samuel) took on the challenge of sailing around Britain, and raised some much needed money for International Alert. We managed to catch up with Will to find out how it went…
1. How does it feel now that you have completed your sail around Britain?
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.
A review of different approaches to the implementation of international Women, Peace and Security frameworks, focusing particularly on UN Security Council Resolution 1325.
Watch International Alert’s powerful new video. Help spread the word that talking to one another can help stop violence and conflict. Thanks to Massive Attack, David Morrissey and HMDG for their help!
Peace Talks.
'The World Development Report 2011: Conflict, Security and Development' is shifting the language of international policy on supporting peace and development in fragile and conflict-affected countries. In a briefing for the Bretton Woods Project, Monica Stephen of International Alert examines how the World Bank’s operations need to adjust to support peace and development.
This briefing has been published by the Bretton Woods Project on 16 September 2011.
Why is development progress difficult in fragile and conflict-affected countries? International Alert conducted a series of studies in Burundi, Liberia and Nepal to explore this question in terms of how international institutions channel aid to support peace and development progress. The studies focused on two multilaterals: the World Bank and the United Nations.
Why is development progress difficult in fragile and conflict-affected countries? This report presents institutional challenges and opportunities experienced by two multilaterals, the World Bank and the United Nations, drawing on case studies of their peace and development work in Burundi, Liberia and Nepal.
International Alert’s new Impact Report uses the metaphor of a marathon to explain our work in 2010. Focusing on four regions that we work in, we show in this report how investing time and effort in understanding the local context, dealing with complex challenges as they arise, remaining flexible to adapt to changing circumstances, and staying focused, ensuring that what we achieve is lasting and meaningful, are four principles that guide the work we do.
International Alert’s new Impact Report uses the metaphor of a marathon to explain our work in 2010 and focuses on four regions: Rwanda, Lebanon, The Philippines and Georgia/Abkhazia.

This month, rioting and looting gripped England. At a time of uncertainty, it seemed salient (and perhaps inevitable) to ask, if the UK were a fragile state, how would we approach the events of last week, their aftermath and the future?
Building stability overseas
Photo: Peckham, Peace Wall - August 2011, © International Alert

International Alert is pleased to invite you to attend the second in a series of Peace Talks on Tuesday 27th September in Brussels on "The Post-Soviet World: 20 Years on the Road to Peaceful Statehood".

This item is taken from an article originally published by chinadialogue.
Photo: © International Alert/Niranjan Shrestha