Leaders from the Western Hemisphere called on their governments at the conclusion of a Carter Center conference to implement partial public funding of campaigns and fully disclose election donations and expenditures to help restore confidence in government.
Topic:
Conflict Resolution, Conflict Prevention, Development, and Peace Studies
Global Facilitation Network for Security Sector Reform
Abstract:
The meeting was held at German House and hosted by the Germany's Permanent Mission to the UN. The agenda for the meeting and the guiding questions for each panel are attached. David Malone (IPA) and Julia Taft (UNDP) gave opening remarks with UNDP in particular stressing the need to assess whether or not the UN was correctly balancing the three components of DDR. Julia Taft also stated that significant sums of money had been promised for DDR in the DRC but had not come through. For this reason, she was anxious to hear from the donors in the group to see if they could discuss their intentions for future funding. Lastly, both the IPA and UNDP were interested in developing standards and guidelines for DDR programmes if, during the seminar, it became clear that a demand existed for the production of such materials.
Topic:
Conflict Prevention, Development, Regional Cooperation, and United Nations
Contemporary Africa reveals a range of causes, consequences and responses to conflicts which are increasingly interrelated as well as regional in character, as around the Great Lakes/Horn. Their economic and non-state features are undeniable, leading to some promising possibilities in terms of 'track-two' diplomacy both on and off the continent, such as the 'Kimberley Process' around 'blood' diamonds. Development corridors and trans-frontier peace-parks may also constitute innovative ways to moderate and contain conflict. As often, changeable African cases challenge established assumptions, analyses and policies, such as those around civil society, governance, regional and security studies.
Topic:
Conflict Prevention, Development, Peace Studies, and Regional Cooperation
"The war is not yet over", an ICG mission to Côte d'Ivoire repeatedly heard in November 2003. There are ominous signs that the Côte d'Ivoire peace process initiated in January 2003 has broken down. If the country goes back to war, it could well take all West Africa with it, endangering even recent progress in Sierra Leone and Liberia. The UN Security Council needs to take a leading role in the peace process, initially by upgrading its current presence to a full peacekeeping mission. This could include subsuming some 1,400 West African troops under the umbrella of an expanded operation. The UN should also step up cooperation between its ongoing peace operation in Liberia and its Ivorian peace mission, MINUCI.
Topic:
Conflict Prevention, Security, International Cooperation, and Treaties and Agreements
It is projected that, at current rates, more than 100 million people worldwide will have been infected with HIV by 2005. Where the epidemic has hit hardest, Sub-Saharan Africa, experts believe AIDS will eventually kill one in four adults. Seven countries already have adult prevalence rates above 20 per cent of the population.
Topic:
Conflict Prevention, International Relations, Security, and Human Welfare
Political Geography:
Africa, Russia, China, Europe, India, Asia, and Southeast Asia