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EU-CIVCAPNEWSLETTERVolume1,Issue3August2016
Editorial
ContentsEditorial...............................................1
ExpertNetwork...................................2
Events..................................................2
Publications.........................................3
BrexitBlog...........................................3
Contactus...........................................4
ComparingInternationalOrganisationsinConflictPreventionandPeacebuildingEU-CIVCAP is about developing EU civil-ian capabilities for sustainable peace.Most of our research therefore focuseson the EU and its activities in conflictprevention, crisis management andpeacebuilding, but EU-CIVCAP is notsolely about the EU. As our applicationnoted,theproject“willevaluatetheEU’srecordtodateandcompare ittothatofotherinternationalactors(UN,OSCE)”.Inone of our work packages, we take anexplicitly comparative approach. Whatcan be gained from comparing the EU’seffortswith those of other internationalorganisations?Threethings,Iwouldsay.
First, we can establish a better externalbenchmark,whichallowsusto'measure'the track recordof theEU.Does theEUdobetterorworsethantheUNandtheOSCE? It isnoteasy toevaluateEUpoli-cies, so such an external benchmarkhelpsustoputthingsintoperspective.
Second, the EU rarely operates alone insecuritymatters. It isalmostalwayspartof a broader international presence inhost countries, even if there are no for-mallinkswithotherinternationalorgani-sations.Itisthuscriticaltostudyinterac-tions,andtoanalyse theaddedvalueoftheEUaspartofabroaderpresence.
Third, the comparative approach allowsus to identify best practices in otherinternational organisations and applythemtotheEU.Thisgivesustheoppor-tunity to propose informed policy rec-ommendations and give EU policy-makersabetterperspective.
During the last six months, various EU-CIVCAP researchershave studied theEUextensively in comparison with the UN
and OSCE. We are now writing up ourfirst major report. Let me provide youwiththreekeyfindingsalready.
First, the EU, the UN and OSCE haveworked hard over the last decade toimprove their mechanisms to rapidlydeployciviliancapabilities.TheUNGlob-al Field Support Strategy (2010-15) wasperhaps themostambitiousproject,butthe OSCE has established rosters andframeworkcontractsaswell.TheEUhasmadecrisismanagement financingmoreflexible, initiated training modules, de-veloped a warehouse and agreed on aMissionSupportPlatform.
Second, it is striking that while the EUstillsweepsmanyoutstandingchallengesunder the carpet by citing the 'politicalunwillingness'ofmemberstates, theUNand OSCE have gone further, in variousaspects.AndtheUNandOSCEalsohavea 'complicated' membership, to say theleast. Lack of political will is too oftenusedasanexcuseforlackofprogress.
Third, the key challenge for the EU re-mainsmissionsupport.Mostof themis-sion support functions are currentlylocated within the crisis managementmissions rather than in Brussels (forfinancial reasons). These functions arecarried out by contracted staff. The EUprovides insufficient support in termsofpre-deployment and specialised trainingormorepermanentjobopportunities.Asaresult,missionsrunintofrequenttrou-ble with procurement, communication,ICT,andadministration.
Ourreportwillbeoutintheautumnanddiscusses these issues in depth. Onething has become clear to us as re-searchers: the more we study otherinternational organisations, the betterweunderstandtheEU.
HylkeDijkstra
Dr. Hylke Dijkstra is an Assistant Pro-fessoratMaastrichtUniversity,whichis leading the “Europeanand interna-tional responses to conflict” workpackage. His most recent book isInternational Organizations and Mili-taryAffairs(Routledge,2016).
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ExpertNetwork
Our experts have continued to provideinsightful analyses into key issues inpeacebuilding and conflict prevention.Toaccessa full listwith theEU-CIVCAPExpertNetwork.
EU-CIVCAP expert Andrea Malouf as-sesses the failure of stabilisation activi-ties that aim to contribute to policyobjectivesinSyria.Shecallsforarethinkof joint action on stabilisation andpeacebuilding, identifying four particu-lar factors that account for the failure:1) management of outsourced imple-mentation; 2) joint action, varied inter-ests,3)commitmentbiasandmeasuringsuccess; and 4) implementing blind.Clickheretoaccessthearticle.
Stefanie Kappler addresses the EU’sdoublestandardsinpeacebuildingvis-à-vis the European neighbourhood by
focusing on Bosnia-Herzegovina. Clickheretoaccesstheblog.
"Howcanweunderstandtheprocessesandoutcomes that arise from frictionalencounters in peacebuilding?" asksAnnikaBjörkdahl,anEU-CIVCAPexpert.Theauthorstatesthattheself-imageoftheEUasa‘normativepower’,a‘powerfor good’ and a ‘peacebuilder’ is basedon what the EU is rather than what itdoes. The EU’s efforts in peacebuildingcan be understood through ‘friction’that“isananalyticalconceptthatbringsto the fore how the EU, its ideas andpracticesengagewithlocalness,andarechanged through these interactions.”Clickheretoaccesstheop-ed.
Richard Jackson points out the limitedsuccess of the EU’s peacebuilding ef-forts in their commentary titled,“Peacebuilding:Themissingpieceofthe
puzzle?”Theauthorarguesthatgenuinepeacecannotbebuilt
when it isbasedon the fundamentalbelief in the instrumental utility offorce,andwhenit ispreparedtouseviolencetoachieveitsgoals.Suchlog-iccanonlyresult in theperpetuationof the broader cultural context thatproduces violence in the first place.As the last 15 years of the ‘war onterror’clearlydemonstrate,itisarec-ipe forperpetual violenceanda self-fulfillingprophesyofinsecurity.
The author identifies the need to ex-ploretherealisticpotentialityofnonvio-lence and pacifist forms of political lifeas themissing piece of the peacebuild-ing puzzle. This includes disarmamentandtherenunciationofviolence,aswellas civilian-based forms of national de-fence and the promotion of peace-based national cultures. Click here toaccessthecommentary.
Events
ForthcomingEvents:
Panel on EU Capabilities for ConflictPreventionandPeacebuilding
UACES Annual Conference, London,5-7September2016
Thegoalsofpreventingtheoutbreakofconflict and promoting sustainablepeace remain a fundamental challengeto policymakers and analysts alike. TheEU and its member states require anadequate set of capabilities if they aretoaddressthischallengeinatimelyandeffective manner. EU-CIVCAP is a largeHorizon 2020 project with 12 partners.It provides a comprehensive, compara-tiveandmultidisciplinaryanalysisofEUcivilian capabilities for external conflictprevention and peacebuilding. Thispanel presents early findings from thedifferentworkpackages,seekstomaketheUACEScommunityfamiliarwiththeproject,andwelcomes feedbackon the
project. Chair: Sven Biscop, EgmontInstitute,Brussels,Belgium
Presentations:AnaEJuncos,FilipEdjus,Michael E. Smith, Hylke Dijkstra, PetarPetrov,EwaMahr(EU-CIVCAP)
Panel on International BureaucraciesandSecurityGovernance
ECPR General Conference, Prague,7-10September2016
Thestudyof internationalorganisationsandbureaucracieshastraditionallybeendominated by scholars with a politicaleconomy background. After all, in thedomainofglobal trade, finance,health,development policy and environmentalaffairs, international organisations playa significant role. International bureau-craciesinthefieldofsecurityaffairsare,however, also rapidlybecoming subjectto academic interest. This is a logicaloutcome of the fact that internationalbureaucrats are playing an increasing
role in issues such as the planning ofpeacekeepingoperationsortheverifica-tion of disarmament agreements. Wenowknowmuchmoreaboutthecontri-butionof, for example, theUNDepart-mentofPeacekeepingOperationsortheEuropean External Action Service. Pa-pers inthispanelseektofurtherdevel-op this research agenda in threeways.First, the panel includes papers thatapply international organisation theo-ries more systematically to securitybureaucracies. Second, it includes pa-pers that take a comparative perspec-tive in analysing multiple security bu-reaucracies. Third, it includes papersthat focus on the role of security bu-reaucracies in termsof implementationofmandates.
Presentations Hylke Dijkstra, PetarPetrov,EwaMahr(EU-CIVCAP)
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Conflict Prevention and PeacebuildingForum: How to implement the EUGlobalStrategy
CEPS, Brussels, 29 September 2016,13:15-14:30
Conflict prevention and peacebuildingare at the heart of the EU’s externalaction. Both the Lisbon Treaty and thenew Global Strategy attribute specialresponsibilities and aims to the EU topromote and preserve peace, preventconflicts and strengthen internationalsecurity.LookingatthesecuritymapoftheUnion’souterperipheryandfurtherafield, it isclearthatthechallengesareimmense,atatimewheninternalpoliti-cal cohesion seemsweak.How can theEU as a collective make good on theloftygoalsthatthemainlegalandpolicyframeworksascribetoit?
Chair:AnaJuncos,BristolUniversity
Presentations:
‘Implications of the EU Global Strategywith regard to conflict prevention’,Anna Penfrat, Senior Policy Officer,EPLO
‘The role of mediation and EU SpecialRepresentatives’,ErwanFouéré,Associ-ateSeniorResearchFellow,CEPS
‘Joining up forceswith the institutions:what role for the member states?’,Ambassador Carola van Rijnsoever,PermanentRepresentativetothePoliti-calandSecurityCommittee(tbc)
Inauguralseminar:‘Researchmeetspolicy’
European Peacebuilding Liaison Office(EPLO),Brussels,25October2016
Themainobjectiveofthefirst‘Researchmeetspolicy’seminar istoengagepoli-cymakers,practitionersandresearchersin discussions about how the research-policy-practice nexus can be strength-ened.This innovativeseminarwill iden-tify present and future research needs,assess policy and research capacities,and chart a way forward to bettermatch research outputs with policyneeds.
On 17–18 November 2016: ExecutiveBoardMeeting,Rome.
On17–18November2016:ConsortiumAssembly,Rome.
On17–18November2016:WorkshoponTechnologies,ProceduresandPer-sonnelinConflictPreventionandPeacebuilding,Rome.
Publications
Hylke Dijkstra, Petar Petrov and EwaMahrpublishedanarticleon'DecivieleEU missies in het buitenland’inMagazine Nationale Veiligheid enCrisisbeheersing14(3):26-27.ThearticleisinDutchandcanbeassessedhere.
EU-CIVCAP member Hrant Kostanyanand Stefan Meister published a CEPSWorking Document titled “Ukraine,Russia and the EU: Breaking the dead-lockintheMinskprocess”.
EU-Russia relations are at their lowestpoint since the Cold War: the Ukrainecrisis continues, and the EU renewedsanctions against Russia for failing toimplement the Minsk agreements.
The paper evaluates the lack of imple-mentationoftheMinskagreementsandargues that the EU should maintainsanctions against Russia, push for therenegotiation of Minsk II, widen the‘Normandy format’andbolster reformsinUkraine.
ClickherefortheWorkingDocument.
BrexitBlog
A dedicated section of the EU-CIVCAPwebsite continued publishing articlesabout the implications of Brexit for EUconflict prevention and peacebuildingduring May and June (http://www.eu-civcap.net/category/brexit/).
If youwish topublish anyblogson theconsequencesofBrexitfortheUKortheEU’sabilitytodealwithconflicts,[email protected].
Ana E. Juncos and Gilberto Algar-Fariaassess “The EU Referendum and its
Impact on European Security – the insand outs”. They argue that the UKwillonlybeabletomanagerefugeeflowsifit is able to dealwith the internationalconflicts that are causing migration inthe first place. The authors thereforesuggest lookingatBrexitand its impacton theUK’s ability todealwith conflictmore broadly, rather than focusing onmigration and refugee issues alone.Toreadthearticleclickhere.
Simon Duke and Silvio Rossignoli ad-dress the following question: “What
wouldBrexitmean for theUKandEU’sability to deal with conflict?” Beingoutsideof theEUwillnotallow theUKto convince EU member states that itsnational interests are shared interests.TheUKmightevenstruggletoconvincethe US to defend its interests.In addressing challenges suchasmigra-tionorcyberattacks,theUKwillhavetoseek cooperation with European allies.Toreadthefullarticleclickhere.
Gilberto Algar-Faria and Ana E. Juncospublishedanarticle titled“Whatwould
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Brexit mean for the UK’s conflict pre-vention and peace-building influence
outsidetheEU?”TheauthorsarguethatoutsidetheEUtheUKwouldbeweaker,
both in terms of soft and hard power.To read the full article click here.
Contactus
Website:http://www.eu-civcap.net/ Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/eucivcap
Email:[email protected] Twitter:https://twitter.com/eucivcap
Horizon2020funded
ThisprojecthasreceivedfundingfromtheEuropeanUnion’sHorizon2020researchandinnovationprogrammeundergrantagreementno.:653227.Thecontentreflectsonlytheauthors’views,andtheEuropeanCommissionisnotresponsibleforanyusethatmaybemadeoftheinformationitcontains.
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