Tag Archives: peacebuilding

Time to rescue the EU’s External Action Service from the European Commission

Posted on November 22, 2010 | 2 Comments

The air in Brussels is thick with a storm over the European External Action Service, basically caused by the European Commission trying to break its word. Continue reading →

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Posted in Conflict & peace, Power

Tagged Ashton, EU, EU External Action service, European Commission, European Parliament, European politics, international politics, peacebuilding

From the UK gov’t, a good message on development and peace

Posted on September 22, 2010 | 1 Comment

The UK’s International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell made a speech in London on 16 September setting out his and DFID’s approach on development, security, conflict and peace issues. It was barely noticed by the press. That’s a shame because it was very important – far more so than what he and other members of the government are saying this week at (or about) the UN Millennium Summit in New York. Continue reading →

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Posted in Conflict & peace, International development

Tagged Afghanistan, Andrew Mitchell, conflict prevention, Conservatives, DFID, fragile states, human security, International development, MDGs, Millennium Development Goals, Nick Clegg, peacebuilding, poverty

So what’s wrong with the MDGs?

Posted on September 20, 2010 | 5 Comments

This week’s UN summit will call for a big renewed effort to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. But there are reasons for starting to think a bit further ahead. A new report from International Alert asks us to get ‘beyond the MDGs”. Continue reading →

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Posted in International development

Tagged food security, human security, International development, international politics, peacebuilding, poverty, trade, UN

DFID leaks about aid and security

Posted on September 7, 2010 | Leave a comment

As the UK government reviews its bilateral and multilateral aid programmes and moves towards reshaping aid policy, there have been a couple of leaks and a bit of background noise. So what do they add up to and what do they tell us about how the wind blows? Continue reading →

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Posted in Conflict & peace, International development

Tagged Afghanistan, Andrew Mitchell, DFID, fragile states, human security, International development, Iraq, multilateral aid review, Pakistan, peacebuilding, poverty, structural reform

The EAS: what it takes to succeed

Posted on August 23, 2010 | 2 Comments

Just before the summer shutdown, the last key decisions were taken to establish the EU’s new External Action Service – the European Parliament on 8 July and the Council of the EU on the 20th. As the EAS starts to become real, what can and should we expect from it? Continue reading →

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Posted in Conflict & peace, Power

Tagged adaptation, Ashton, carbon emissions, China, Climate change, Copenhagen, energy security, EU, EU External Action service, European politics, food security, fragile states, green economy, International development, Israel, Middle East, Palestine, peacebuilding, trade

The big beasts of development… – and peace

Posted on July 5, 2010 | 1 Comment

Under new leadership, the UK Department for International Development is emphasising results and accountability. And as part of that, the big multilateral beasts of development – to which the UK gives £3 billion a year – are coming under the efficiency microscope. It will be good to assess them not just for efficiency but for impact, and especially their impact on peace and conflict because it is the thing they have trouble taking into account. Continue reading →

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Posted in Conflict & peace, International development

Tagged Andrew Mitchell, Burundi, DFID, fragile states, Liberia, multilateral agencies, peacebuilding, PRSP, Somalia, UK government, UN, UN Peacebuilding Fund, World Bank

Water, conflict and peace

Posted on June 3, 2010 | 5 Comments

Water is a basic condition of life. We depend upon it for daily use, for agriculture, for industry and infrastructure. A shortage, an excess and deficient quality can all undermine welfare, impair human security, hold back economic development and in some circumstances generate conflict. The London-based Foreign Policy Centre has published Tackling the World Water Crisis, an edited collection of articles in which mine looks at the peace and security issues around water. Continue reading →

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Posted in Climate change, Conflict & peace, International development

Tagged adaptation, China, Climate change, food security, fragile states, human security, India, peacebuilding, poverty, Yemen

After the UK election (2): Three questions on international development

Posted on May 20, 2010 | Leave a comment

What does the advent of the new government mean for UK policy on international development? Continue reading →

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Posted in Conflict & peace, International development, The economic crunch

Tagged Andrew Mitchell, Climate change, coalition government, Conservatives, DFID, food security, fragile states, human security, Labour, Liberal Democrats, peacebuilding, poverty, UK government, UN

EU’s External Action Service: options remain open

Posted on March 28, 2010 | Leave a comment

This past week the EU High Representative Catherine Ashton presented “her” proposal for the new European External Action Service (quotation marks on “her” because, of course, it is not hers alone – even in draft it is already a compromise). So far she has not won all her battles but nor has she lost them. In fact, those battles are not over. All options are open still and those of us who want a genuine Action service need to keep our sleeves rolled up and engage in the arguments ahead. Continue reading →

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Posted in Conflict & peace, Power

Tagged Ashton, EU, EU External Action service, European politics, human security, international politics, peacebuilding

“Militarising aid” vs. “Running away from conflict”

Posted on January 27, 2010 | 3 Comments

The battle lines are starting to be drawn over how development assistance and peacebuilding do or don’t support each other, or can or can’t be made to work together, and about whether bad governance and insecurity are the right targets for international development policy and assistance. Continue reading →

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Posted in Conflict & peace, International development

Tagged DFID, fragile states, governance, human security, peacebuilding, poverty

Tag Archives: peacebuilding

Time to rescue the EU’s External Action Service from the European Commission

From the UK gov’t, a good message on development and peace

So what’s wrong with the MDGs?

DFID leaks about aid and security

The EAS: what it takes to succeed

The big beasts of development… – and peace

Water, conflict and peace

After the UK election (2): Three questions on international development

EU’s External Action Service: options remain open

“Militarising aid” vs. “Running away from conflict”

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