European Peace Institute / News

In December 2016 Gambians took to the polls and successfully replaced longtime president Yahya Jammeh with current President Adama Barrow, ushering in a political transition. More than a year into this transition, the country is at a tipping point. Public expectations remain high, and the list of competing priorities, from increasing economic opportunities to implementing transitional justice, is long.

As the new administration plans the way forward, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development can guide policymakers in planning and implementing inclusive policies that address both peace and sustainable development; as noted in the agenda, “There can be no sustainable development without peace and no peace without sustainable development.”

This issue brief is part of the International Peace Institute’s (IPI) SDGs4Peace project, which seeks to understand how the 2030 Agenda is being rooted at the national and local levels and to support the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. The project focuses on five case studies: the Gambia, Greece, Guatemala, Lebanon, and Myanmar. Implementation of the 2030 Agenda provides each of these countries an opportunity not only to buttress existing aspirations but also to build new partnerships that transcend traditional approaches.

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Two years into its current crisis, Yemen is torn apart by an interlinked series of conflicts with intricate and mobile front lines. These have resulted in what the UN has called “the largest humanitarian crisis in the world.” While compounded by decades of conflict, violence, and underdevelopment, the major cause of the humanitarian crisis in Yemen remains the conflict between the two competing governments, along with the intervention of the Saudi-led coalition.

This report assesses the humanitarian situation in Yemen, including the impact of the country’s conflicts on its healthcare system, economy, and infrastructure, as well as the resulting population movements. It also examines current humanitarian actors and responses in Yemen and in neighboring countries. It concludes by exploring several challenges and opportunities for humanitarian actors in Yemen. These include:

• Enhancing respect for humanitarian norms and principles: A strong and unified initiative aimed at enhancing respect for international humanitarian law could not only protect populations at risk but also ease tensions among different communities within and outside of Yemen. The UN Security Council could help in this area by playing a more proactive role. Humanitarian actors also need to strengthen the perception of their neutrality.
• Strengthening the humanitarian response: The many actors involved in the humanitarian response should improve coordination, adopt existing tools for publishing and sharing data, and explore innovative uses of technology. International humanitarian actors should also directly involve local private sector actors in humanitarian action and include local humanitarian actors in coordination and decision making. In addition, humanitarian organizations could push blockade authorities to facilitate access for both humanitarian and commercial shipments.
• Looking beyond immediate humanitarian needs: While it remains critical to invest in the humanitarian response, the international community also needs to invest in prevention in order to stem humanitarian needs and prevent further deterioration of the humanitarian crisis. This includes supporting Yemen’s healthcare facilities to prevent their total collapse and addressing the economic and financial impact of the lack of liquidity. A gender-based approach to the humanitarian response is also needed, reflecting women’s roles as potential peacemakers.

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Danilo Türk, Chair of the Global High-Level Panel on Water and Peace, told a January 19, 2018 policy forum on global water management that at a time of growing scarcity of water and rising demand for it, insuring international water cooperation had become an essential “instrument of peace.”

Mr. Turk, a former President of Slovenia and UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, said that despite the creation of the panel three years ago aimed at strengthening the global framework to prevent and resolve water-related problems, the international response remained “painfully fragmented, and there is a need for much greater coherence and much more concentrated action.”

To that end, he said that a report produced by his panel had called for a “global observatory for water and peace” which, he said, would be “a kind of network type of international mechanism” to strengthen the cooperation of all of those already active on the subject and those likely to become active in the future when, he emphasized, the problem would become even greater. “It is important to understand that the world has to find ways to produce 50 percent more food in the next 25 years and to double energy production at the time when water is diminishing,” he said.

Sundeep Waslekar, President of the Strategic Foresight Group, a think tank based in India, said that the central message of the panel’s report was that “water cooperation is not only good for good water governance and sustainable development, but it is also essential for comprehensive peace and political stability.” He called water a “catalyst for political dynamics which go well beyond the traditional consideration of water.” He noted that, unlike oil which can be substituted by alternative sources of power like natural gas or solar energy, “the only alternative to water is water, and therefore water is a matter of survival.”

Mike Hammah, former Minister for Lands and Natural Resources of Ghana, cited the “undeniable fact that the lack of safe drinking water is not only a health issue but a security and development challenge as well.” In Africa, he pointed to the Volta Basin authority that balances the needs of three states, Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Togo, as the kind of cooperation that can insure that water becomes not a matter of conflict but one of keeping the peace. The key consideration, he said, was that no country should do anything with its water resource that cut into the resources of its neighbors. He said that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) had taken the matter a step further, creating a West African Coordinating Council to insure a “rational” water policy for the entire region.

Teresa Whitfield, Director of the Policy and Mediation Division in the UN Department of Political Affairs, said that UN operations had moved on from the days of having a general natural resources expert to one of having numbers of such experts to address specific needs. In the case of water, she said, the UN had been particularly active in Central Asia, an arid area of critical water need. She also noted the case of the Nile Basin “where you have questions of water and boundary use tangled up with broader geopolitical concerns.”

François Münger, Director of the Geneva Water Hub, pointed out the importance of having reliable and broadly credible data, particularly in potentially contentious situations like the dispute been Mauritania and Senegal over the Senegal River. “Data sharing is a key part of the cooperation,” he said.

The event was co-sponsored by IPI and the Geneva Water Hub.

The moderator of the conversation was IPI Vice President Adam Lupel.

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An IPI policy forum considered how to operationalize UN Security Council Resolution 2286, which condemned attacks against medical facilities and personnel in conflict situations and called on all parties to adopt practical measures to prevent and end violence against medical care and ensure accountability for violations. The January 16th discussion took place over a year and a half after the adoption of the resolution.

Attacks on healthcare workers and facilities touch “on the very basis of humanity and are at the core of humanitarian law,” Jürg Lauber, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the UN, said in opening remarks. He lamented that despite the adoption of the resolution in 2016, the rising trend of attacks on healthcare had not been reversed.

He also said that while terrorist groups posed a problem, it is essential to “ensure that counter-terrorism measures do not have adverse effects on the implementation of resolution 2286.”

“Counter-terrorism measures can put limitations on the provision of impartial healthcare in areas where groups labeled as terrorists are present.” he said. To illustrate where access to healthcare in conflict areas had been compromised, he offered the examples of “targeting and arresting healthcare workers, or deliberately denying assistance to the wounded and sick, if they are affiliated with listed armed groups or groups that are labeled as terrorists.”

Els Debuf, Deputy Head of Regional Delegation for Southern Europe, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and former Head of Humanitarian Affairs at IPI, presented highlights of a report she compiled with Alice Debarre of IPI, noting that 2286 was a landmark resolution and was having a positive effect even if it is hard to see that on the ground. ”We have a strong resolution and a strong framework that is battle-tested and still relevant,” she said.

Dr. Debuf said there were already a large number of mechanisms that could be used to investigate attacks on healthcare, and the report detailed them and their application. “We don’t need new mechanisms, we need to use existing mechanisms more systematically and strategically,” she said.

The report also considers the purpose of conducting investigations, listing prevention, accountability, justice for the victims, and dispute resolution among the motivating factors, and spurring political action as one key outcome.

The report puts forward key recommendations for the international community to implement the resolution, beyond just paying lip-service to an important issue, or “to walk the talk,” as she described it. Most require member state initiative: providing resources to those working on the ground, following up with the necessary political support to be successful, and establishing a platform that makes possible the regular interaction with other stakeholders.

Christine Monaghan, Research Officer, Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict, said that civil society has “an important role to play in holding groups accountable after attacks.” She argued that “the mere spectre of accountability can serve as a preventative measure.”

Luis Bermúdez Alvarez, Deputy Permanent Representative of Uruguay to the UN—which has just finished two years as a member of the Security Council—said the Council “has a legal and moral responsibility to do everything in its power to avoid the violation of the most basic human rights, including access to healthcare.” He added, “We must be realistic; the attacks will not stop, but we must do a lot more in order to get them reduced.”

Jason Cone, Executive Director, Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF), said that recent events in Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, and the Central African Republic remind us of the human toll of those trapped in conflict zones.

He listed three priorities for his organization to function: countering the “criminalization” of healthcare; negotiating the terms of deconfliction, and undertaking independent fact-finding. “We need to be able to identify what happened and how so that groups such as MSF can establish if it is safe to return to work in the area,” he said.

Adam Lupel, IPI Vice President, moderated the conversation.

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Nickolay Mladenov, the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO), detailed a decade of deteriorating conditions in Gaza, noting that it had “de-developed” over the past ten years of governance under Hamas and that a new agreement promising a reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah had stalled.

“Hope was created with the agreement, but it seems to have been taken away,” he said, referring to a pact signed in Cairo in mid-October between the two Palestinian parties. “This is where we are in Gaza,” he said, adding the grim prognosis that if “you take hope away, violence follows.”

Mr. Mladenov was speaking at a Dec. 19 event in IPI’s “Leading for Peace: Voices From the Field” series, just days after a decision by President Trump had roiled the already troubled waters of peacemaking in the Middle East by declaring that the United States would now unilaterally recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

“We’re certainly at a critical crossroads of the Middle East peace process,” he said. “It’s not just the American decision, but it’s also the stalled peace process itself, the situation in Gaza, and the political dynamic among Israelis and Palestinians that is creating a very different situation than we have had in a long time. The international architecture dealing with this is collapsing.”

He enumerated some stark figures to illustrate the desperation of life in Gaza. He said that in the year 2000, 98 percent of the water flowing in Gaza’s pipes had been drinkable but that today only 10 percent is. With the local aquifer becoming increasingly polluted, he said, the situation would be “irreversible” by 2020.

Desalinization is declining and hospitals are failing because normal electricity is available only 12 hours a day, he said. He noted that overall unemployment is now at 45 percent, and, for youths, at 67 percent, and 40 percent of the residents of Gaza live in poverty.

By contrast, he said, in the West Bank, where the Palestinian Authority governs, there has been progress, and international assistance exists. He compared that to Gaza, under Hamas governance, where there is no access to development financing, and institution-building has stopped.

The key, therefore, to alleviating this humanitarian crisis, he said, was bringing the legitimate Palestinian national authority back to Gaza–which is the stated purpose of the Cairo agreement.

He said that there were commonly acknowledged steps to be taken to put the agreement into practice, like clearing closures and moving to restore services and bringing back legitimate governance, but that neither side had followed up on them. What was missing, he was asked. “Political will,” he said.

He argued that there was movement in some Arab governments to building “centers of moderation” in the troubled region that could resist radicalization and start to create internal capabilities to deal with threats.

“However, it’s easy for the people of Gaza to blame everything on Israel if things are going wrong and not blame Hamas,” he said. “If you want to protest against the occupation, you are welcome to do so, but if you want to protest the rising prices of food or the lack of work, you’ll find yourself in a dark spot.”

In conclusion, he said, “People adapt to worsening situations, that is the way human nature is structured. I say that the situation is unsustainable, yet it’s gone on for half a century.”

Warren Hoge, IPI’s Senior Adviser for External Relations, moderated the conversation.

A delegation from UAE International Tolerance Institute in Dubai—an initiative of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation and the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Tolerance Award—visited IPI’s central office in New York on December 14, 2017 to discuss opportunities for cooperation and strategic partnerships.

Present at the meeting were IPI President Terje Rød-Larsen; IPI-MENA Director Nejib Friji; and members of the UAE International Tolerance Institute delegation, Ahmed Khalfan Al Mansouri, Secretary-General, and Khalifa Shaer Al Suwaidi.

Related Coverage (in Arabic)

“The UAE International Tolerance Institute Delegation visits IPI in New York” (Alkhaleej.ae, December 18, 2017)
“Cooperation between The UAE International Tolerance Institute Delegation and IPI in New York” (Al Bayan Newspaper, December 18, 2017)
“A Delegation from the UAE International Tolerance Institute in Dubai visits IPI in New York” (Emirates News Agency, December 17, 2017)
“A Delegation from the UAE International Tolerance Institute in Dubai visits IPI in New York” (Al Watan Newspaper, December 17, 2017)

On December 7th, IPI together with the Permanent Missions of Italy and the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the UN cohosted an event on “Reframing the Protection of Civilians Paradigm for UN Peace Operations.”

The Security Council first established protection of civilians (POC) as an explicit mandate for a peacekeeping operation in 1999. Since then, POC has gained prominence both conceptually and in practice, and has been institutionalized as a central paradigm for peace operations. The UN Secretariat has developed policy and guidance documents on POC, designed innovative tools, mechanisms and activities, and deployed dedicated personnel to enhance the multidimensional implementation of protection of civilians by its military, police, and civilian personnel in the field.

However, missions mandated to protect civilians face increasingly challenging environments in theatres where there is little peace to keep, no viable political process, and state authorities unwilling or unable to fulfill their own protection responsibilities. In this context, and in the context of a lack of a unified vision around POC, criticism over the potential tension between protection of civilians, political processes, and exit strategies has arisen.

IPI’s latest issue brief, which will serve as a backdrop to the discussion, analyzes these debates and explores possible directions to reframe the protection of civilians paradigm for peace operations, identifying several factors limiting effective delivery of POC mandates.

As the DPKO/DFS Policy on Protection of Civilians will be updated in 2018, and with the prospect of the secretary-general defining a new POC vision, this policy forum explored specific considerations on how the POC paradigm should be redesigned to fit hostile environments where peacekeepers are targeted, obstructed, manipulated, or sidelined. Participants also discussed ways in which to reconcile POC with political processes and exit strategies, and reinforce accountability.

Opening Remarks:
H.E. Mr. Inigo Lambertini, Deputy Permanent Representative of Italy to the United Nations
H.E. Ms. Lise Gregoire, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to the United Nations

Speakers:
Dr. Namie Di Razza, Post-doctoral Fellow, International Peace Institute
Mr. Baptiste Martin, Former POC Advisor to the United Nations Mission in DR Congo and the United Nations Mission in CAR
Mr. Kevin S. Kennedy, Consultant
Ms. Ayaka Suzuki, Director of Strategic Planning and Monitoring, Executive Office of the Secretary-General
Ms. Naomi Miyashita, Division of Policy, Evaluation and Training, UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations

Closing Remarks:
Mr. Jonathan Allen, Chargé d’affaires of the Permanent Mission of the United Kingdom to the United Nations

Moderator:
Mr. Jake Sherman, Director of the Brian Urquhart Center for Peace Operations

The Speaker of Bahrain’s House of Representatives, Ahmed bin Ibrahim Al-Mulla expressed strong interest in cooperation between the House and IPI-MENA on challenges to peace in the MENA region and beyond at a December 6th meeting in Manama.

Speaking with Nejib Friji, Director of IPI-MENA, and Abdulrahman Boumjid, Chairman of the Commission on Human Rights and Member of the Arab Parliament, Mr. Al Mulla called for a research and capacity building partnership on human rights and other priorities to achieve sustainable development and peace in the region.

Mr. Friji briefed Mr. Al Mulla on IPI’s role in managing risk and building resilience, as well as IPI-MENA’s projects and activities ranging from regional integration, social peace, and the culture of peace to world heritage and interfaith dialogue.

Mr. Al-Mulla affirmed that the culture of peace, tolerance and coexistence is one of the pillars of Bahraini society and its authentic culture. He also pointed out that the coming period will witness joint cooperation with IPI, to support the Arab Parliament in achieving the goals of sustainable development.

Related Coverage in Arabic:
http://akhbar-alkhaleej.com/news/article/1100202
https://www.instagram.com/p/BcWhZIilYid/
http://alwatannews.net/article/747533
https://twitter.com/BhParliament/status/938304246927196160

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The diverse perspectives among five informal partners—Mexico, Indonesia, the Republic of Korea, Turkey, and Australia (MIKTA)—help these countries to develop policies which promote their shared interest in an effective, rules-based global order. During a seminar on December 5th at the IPI MENA office in Manama, MIKTA government representatives told an IPI audience that their “innovative partnership” illustrates the efficiency of soft power diplomacy as a path to build inclusive societies. This coordination ultimately benefits international peace, they said.

In a rapidly changing world, new global issues have emerged which challenge efforts to cultivate stability and prosperity. It was against this backdrop that these countries came together in 2013. Since then, the coalition has worked together to build consensus in the areas like finance and economics, security, the environment, and sustainable development.

MIKTA officials including Hatun Demirer, Turkish Ambassador; Muhsin Syihab, Director for Development, Economic & Environmental Affairs, Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Yoon Jiwan, Director of Policy Analysis, Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, highlighted the progress made by their group on sustainable development, as one of their seven priority themes at the December 5th seminar.

Hatun Demirer emphasized Turkey’s focus on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), citing his country’s commitment to its “leave no one behind” principle. This “is not only a principle for an inclusive society in our countries, but it also means an inclusive international society,” she said, adding that rule of law, good governance, and strong institutional capacity are the “main pillars of sustainable development.”

As MIKTA Chair in 2017, Turkey “organized high level and expert meetings for keeping the dialogue atmosphere active among MIKTA countries,” Ambassador Demirer said. This deepened MIKTA cooperation in line with its core issues.

Muhsin Syihab said he could see the importance of MIKTA partnership to build inclusive societies. Indonesia “is attached to SDGs at the international level,” he said, and intends to use its upcoming MIKTA chairmanship to advocate for its members to complete all of their National Plans for the SDGs by January 2018. “We will also be holding several programmes like the MIKTA Interfaith Dialogue,” he said.

Yoon Jiwan said Korea considers MIKTA a key forum for “discussing global affairs and strengthening relations with like-minded countries.” He added, “We feel the need to do more to make the world a better place, whether through MIKTA, the G20, the UN, or the OECD.” Korea, he promised, “will strive to make inroads” to achieve the SDGs”.

Nejib Friji, Director of IPI-MENA, noted that MIKTA’s aim of strengthening multilateralism and global governance structures was much like IPI’s own strategic goal of managing risk and building resilience for a more peaceful world. “Today’s presentations on sustainable development priorities are timely, as we at IPI continuously seek to broaden engagements with various stakeholders to achieve sustainable development,” he said.

Mr. Friji concluded the presentation by calling for a “strong and sustainable collaboration with MIKTA in terms of building durable relations.” The speakers also shared their desire to engage with IPI on MIKTA’s seven priority themes—international energy governance and energy access; global security and counter-terrorism; peacekeeping; trade and the economy; gender equality; democracy, human rights and good governance; and sustainable development.

Ambassador Demirer also spoke to the shared values of IPI and MIKTA. “MIKTA aims to combat global problems, and as an informal gathering, we’re trying to contribute to global peace, which is the motto of IPI as well.” For his part, Mr. Syihab said, “IPI is the right entity to introduce MIKTA because of its credibility and credentials. The priorities of MIKTA align with those of IPI.” Mr. Yoon Jiwan said, “MIKTA looks forward to more of such opportunities. By involving IPI, we can benefit a lot by getting new perspectives and ideas.”

The presentation was followed by an interactive session with the audience. Shaikh Abdulla bin Ahmed al Khalifa, the Under-Secretary for International Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bahrain said, “It is interesting to see how MIKTA nations have moved together since September 2013, in addressing a number of international issues. These five great nations have worked collectively to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, and have a lot to offer.”

The seminar was attended by government officials, ambassadors, members of parliament & the Shura Council, representatives of civil society, the private sector, the media, and academia.

The event was co-organized with MIKTA.

Nejib Friji, Director of IPI-MENA, moderated the discussion.

Human rights violations and lack of accountability for such violations are often drivers of conflict. Monitoring human rights, therefore, could provide early warning of and help prevent destabilization of societies. Secretary-General António Guterres alluded to this in his April 2017 address to the Security Council, where he observed that “upholding human rights is a crucial element of prevention,” and “human rights are intrinsically linked to sustaining peace.”

This issue brief seeks to demonstrate that connecting the human rights and sustaining peace agendas offers a unique, strategic entry point to help shift from a culture of crisis management to one of prevention. It reflects on three countries that, in part through their commitment to uphold and safeguard the rule of law and human rights, have managed to remain relatively peaceful, despite internal vulnerabilities and external pressures: Mauritius, Senegal, and Tunisia.

This issue brief is part of the International Peace Institute’s (IPI) attempt to reframe prevention for the purpose of sustaining peace through a series of conversations. Other conversations have focused on how to approach the UN’s regional political offices, peace operations, the SDG on gender equality, and entrepreneurship from the perspective of sustaining peace, as well as on what sustaining peace means in practice.

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On December 1st, IPI hosted the latest event in its series featuring United Nations Humanitarian Coordinators and other senior humanitarian leaders from the field. This discussion with Mr. Philippe Lazzarini, Officer in Charge of the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon, focused on the humanitarian and development situation in Lebanon, and the way it is coping with the ongoing refugee crisis.

Since the beginning of the conflict in Syria, Lebanon has seen a huge influx of Syrian refugees, adding to the already existing population of Palestinian refugees in the country, and putting a strain on the country’s public services. In addition, Lebanon is still coping with the consequences of its own civil war, and the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.

This event helped to raise awareness of the obstacles and challenges faced by the UN and other humanitarian actors in Lebanon in delivering a multifaceted range of interventions, from emergency aid to development assistance.

Speaker:
Mr. Philippe Lazzarini, Officer in Charge of the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon, and Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon

Moderator:
Dr. Adam Lupel, Vice President at IPI

Since the late 1990s, POC has continuously gained prominence, both as a concept and in practice, and has become the mandated priority for most UN peacekeeping operations. However, while POC has become a centerpiece of peacekeeping for many stakeholders, it has also become diluted as a consensual label used to justify diverse actions and approaches.

This issue brief explores debates around the concept and practice of POC to reframe protection of civilians for UN peace operations. As the secretary-general intends to lay out his vision for POC and to launch a campaign to champion the agenda, and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations is expected to update its official policy on POC, this is an opportune moment to readjust perspectives.

It concludes that, when framing his vision for POC, the secretary-general should reassign meaning and legitimacy to POC as the core of sound political solutions, reinvest in the full range of armed and unarmed protection tools, favor tailored interventions in a context of budgetary cuts, and establish a meaningful accountability system.

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Mapping of Mechanisms (Click for full graphic)

Comprehensive List of Investigations (Click for full list)

Author

Els Debuf, Former Head of IPI Humanitarian Affairs

Dr. Els Debuf is the former head of IPI’s Humanitarian Affairs. Her work focused on the delivery of healthcare in situations of armed conflict, forced displacement…

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Email: debuf@ipinst.org

Staff

Alice Debarre, Policy Analyst

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Email: debarre@ipinst.org

IPI’s research project on mechanisms to investigate attacks on healthcare aims to assist the Security Council, relevant UN organs, member states, and other stakeholders in operationalizing Resolution 2286 and the UN secretary general’s recommendations for its implementation. The project focuses on recommendations regarding the use of international mechanisms to ensure that the “full, prompt, impartial and effective investigations” required by Resolution 2286 are carried out when parties to the conflict are unable or unwilling to do so themselves.

Through a combination of desk research, key informant interviews, and an expert meeting bringing together stakeholders in the implementation of Resolution 2286 and experts on international fact-finding and investigation into violations of international humanitarian law, the project developed a set of tools, available on this page. These include:

• A general mapping of mechanisms that can or have been used to investigate attacks on healthcare (facilities, personnel, patients, and means of transportation);
• An interactive graphic of the mechanisms evaluated in more detail for the project, with detailed fact sheets on each of these them;
• A comprehensive list of investigations carried out by these mechanisms, highlighting those that looked into attacks on healthcare; and
• A research paper to supplement this broader set of tools, which should be read in conjunction with them.

Apart from introducing the topic and the research project and commenting on the project’s tools, the paper presents the project’s general findings on whether and how different mechanisms can be used to investigate attacks on healthcare. It also discusses their respective advantages and disadvantages and some of the inherent challenges in investigating violations of international law in situations of armed conflict. Finally, it submits a number of conclusions and a set of concrete recommendations to ensure existing mechanisms that could have a positive impact on the ground are used more systematically and effectively.

Detailed Factsheets for Selected International Mechanisms (Click on each mechanism below for their detailed factsheet)

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Peace and regional stability are at stake in the pensions crisis, Nejib Friji, Director IPI-MENA, warned an expert audience at the second annual TAKAUD Pensions Conference in Manama. The pressure on pension payouts is increasing with the regional and global elderly population expanding due to longer life expectancy, extended contribution in the labor market, and reduction in family sizes, Mr. Friji stressed. “This exacerbates generational tensions over limited public resources, which subsequently jeopardizes social peace in the long-run,” he said.

Mr. Friji said that if these issues are left ignored, by 2050, the projected 70 million elderly people in the MENA region alone will have no income, let alone the billions of people globally without pensions.

TAKAUD—a specialist provider of savings, investment and pension solutions for the MENA region—convened the conference on November 28th. Mr. Friji moderated a panel session, “Can Expat Pensions be introduced in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)?” Participants included Mohamed Suoodi, Chairman, Social Insurance Fund for the Government Sector, Egypt; Montserrat Pallares-Miralles, Senior Social Protection Specialist, World Bank Group; Martin McGuigan Partner, AON Hewitt Middle East and Mr. Philip Wheeler, Senior Manager, MENA Pensions Advisory, Ernst & Young.

“The need to retire in comfort and security is universal,” emphasized Supreme Council of Health president and chairman of the Al Hekma Society for the Retired, Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdulla Al Khalifa. He also urged the retirement age to be increased to 65-67.

“Global experience shows that pensions require multiple pillars—among the government, corporate and individual sectors—to be more sustainable. Building effective local models and institutional frameworks for pensions would be key prerequisites to move in this direction, which is the focus of this conference,” said Ebrahim K. Ebrahim, TAKAUD’s Chief Government Business & Communications Officer. “It is certainly time for the region to create a wider framework for more sustainable retirement options for people,” he added.

Mr. Friji said he was alarmed by a World Bank and International Labor Organization (ILO) finding that only 15% of the global population are covered by pensions. To put this in context, he added, “most people nowadays and in the future study for 30 years, work for 30 years and then retire around the age of sixty or more, for another 30 years or so. The World Bank estimates that there are currently over 600 million retirees in the world. Future estimations predict that this number will increase to 2.1 billion by 2050.”

“The MENA region has millions of expatriates with potential that has yet to be tapped vis-à-vis pension schemes,” he stressed. Recognizing expatriates’ contribution to the economic development of their host country can, according to Mr. Friji, change some perceptions and attitudes towards these guest-workers by national governments and societies and vice versa.

In addition to this, he said that in some developing and industrialized countries, pensions are the only source of income for a household, which may be home to three generations. Therefore, their very survival is predicated and dependent on these pension schemes. The threat this presents to social peace has regional and global implications, Mr. Friji said.

Of the 17 million foreign employees in the GCC, a staggering $80 billion was transferred from those foreign workers in the GCC to their home countries in 2014 alone. “Wouldn’t the billions in funding transferred externally constitute a hemorrhage to the economic development of a country?” Mr. Friji wondered while recognizing that the employee has the right to manage his or her funds. “With pensions, nations have been able to mobilize pension savings into large pools of assets, through creating jobs and employment,” he noted.

Evidently, solving this acute pension crisis is a prerequisite to maintaining a collective peace, Mr. Friji said. At the same time, the UN found the total number of migrants constituted 3.3% of the global population in 2015. These 244 million migrants were a 41% increase since the year 2000.

Mr. Friji said that fostering a positive outlook towards foreign workers could have the ripple effect of cultivating a more attractive local labor market and improving preconceived perceptions between guest-worker and host-countries.

Mr. Friji said it is the duty of both the state and private sector to equip the salary-makers to first meet the expatriates’ rights, but also to work on sustainable development and peace to avoid and prevent social unrest.

The “pension-less” population will constitute a challenge if not a threat to social peace, Mr. Friji warned.

Mr. Friji called on the multilateral system, the UN and Bretton Woods institutions to work on a preventive plan like the Marshall plan which could, in effect, serve as a mitigation plan that solves the current pension funds crises and could be aimed at preventing this crisis from becoming a serious threat to social peace and stability.

The second annual Pensions Conference was organized by TAKAUD.

Mr. Friji moderated the panel session.

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To prevent civil strife and reinforce social unity, Muslim countries need to engage in a culture of mediation at the domestic level, Nejib Friji, Director, IPI Middle East & North Africa, told an audience at the first Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Member States Conference on Mediation in Istanbul, November 23rd.

The conference, organized by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, brought together an audience of representatives of government, civil society, media, academia, and diplomacy to discuss the “Surge in Mediation: The Role of the OIC.” The Istanbul Conference established the need for strengthening and enhancing the capacity for mediation by including new actors at the community level, and women and youth in the mediation processes. Considering the peaceful resolution of conflicts and mediation as highly important, Turkey maintains that greater engagement in mediation by regional organizations would have a positive effect on overall peace and stability.

Mr. Friji noted that the number of fatalities in the MENA region increased six-fold between 2011 and 2015 as a result of conflict. He emphasized the effects of the OIC’s mission priorities in mediation and conflict resolution. For Iraq, Syria, Israel, Palestine, Nigeria, Somalia, and the Central African Republic (CAR), the OIC plays a significant role “in facilitating the diplomacy of prevention,” he said.

He drew attention to the OIC’s Group of Friends in Mediation, founded in 2010, as a crucial example of promoting the culture of mediation and engaging more regional organizations and women in mediation. Mr. Friji also emphasized the diversity of the OIC member-states as a “reflection of pluralism within Islam,” which enables them to “offer a model for non-violent, sectarian cooperation and collaboration in cases of violence pertaining to Islam or Muslims–whether it be states, non-state actors, or minority communities.”

He highlighted the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet, which steered the country away from the brink of civil war, as a prime example of the way in which “an effective mediation process at the domestic level responds to the specificity of the conflict.”

In line with the Final Report of the Independent Commission on Multilateralism, and IPI’s Lost in Transition publication by Francesco Mancini and José Vericat, he affirmed that “instigating mediation on the national level increases inclusivity and has direct impact on the ground.” He underlined the need to create a quality education system to help establish a culture of constructive behavior, mediation and social partnership— with a curriculum that could be incorporated at the primary and secondary school levels, as well as by universities. He reiterated the need to develop a good governance strategy based on participatory, inclusive, and rights-based sustainable development strategies to establish effective preventive mediation.

Noting the importance of increasing the involvement of women in mediation efforts, he pointed out the Nordic Women Mediators Network (NWMN), the African Union-led FemWise-Africa, the recent formation of the Mediterranean Women Mediators Network, and the Tunisian Quartet as prime examples of initiatives led by women which brought about lasting peace agreements.

Mr. Friji stressed the need to prioritize homegrown mediation roadmaps and establish a structure that facilitates dialogue between regional and sub-regional organizations, educators, mediation practitioners and researchers to form the foundations of a culture of national mediation.

Turkey, as the current Chair of the Summit and the Executive Committee of the OIC, organized the First OIC Member States Conference on Mediation in Istanbul on November 21, 2017.

Organized in collaboration with the OIC General Secretariat, the conference was opened by Ahmet Yıldız, Turkish Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Abdallah Alim, Assistant Secretary General of the OIC for Political Affairs.

Nejib Friji, Director of IPI-MENA (Second from right) calling on OIC Members to promote preventive mediation

Panelists from left: Turkish Amb. Burak Akçapar, Esra Albayrak, Sociologist & TÜRGEV ​​Board Member, Nigerian Amb. Mohammed Lawal Rafindadi, Nejib Friji, Director of IPI-MENA, Berat Albayrak, Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources

The audience at the First OIC Member States Conference on Mediation

On Wednesday, November 29th, IPI together with the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) are cohosting a policy forum event on “The Global State of Democracy.” At this event, which will feature opening remarks by H.E. Mr. Jan Eliasson, former Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, and Chair of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, speakers will discuss the global state of democracy, exploring its resilience and discussing the importance of implementing targeted and active inclusion in peacebuilding processes.

Remarks will begin at 3:45pm EST*

Recent media reports and public opinion polls point to apparent growing threats to democracy. They suggest that democracy is in decline. Indeed, given the recent wave of populist, anti-democratic governments in Europe and Asia, the rise of semi-authoritarianism, and continued violence marking many African elections, there are reasons to be concerned.

In contrast, International IDEA’s biennial publication, “The Global State of Democracy” (GsoD), suggests that four out of five key aspects of democracy, including the establishment of representative government, the protection of fundamental rights, checks on government, and participatory engagement, have seen progress since 1975. Despite these optimistic trends, however, the report warns that democracy requires continuous nurturing to maintain robust and resilient institutions. Indeed, delving deeper into specific experiences within countries and regions, the report finds several challenges and critical threats to democracy.

Post-conflict settings present an opportunity to build democratic institutions that can help prevent future conflict. If transitional processes are inclusive, nationally owned, and transparent, the resulting democratic system will be resilient. Inclusion, however, must go beyond quotas and numerical representation. It should be placed at the center of constitution-building processes, elections, and political settlements in order to enable access to decision making and foster the growth of local stakeholders.

*If you are not logged into Facebook, times are shown in PST.

Over the past year, political and military actors and agendas in South Sudan have increasingly fragmented, and the political process has stalled. These developments have undermined the security of civilians, the stability of the country, the humanitarian situation, and the viability of efforts to pursue sustainable peace. The population’s mistrust toward international actors has further curtailed the ability of the UN Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS) to implement its mandate.

In anticipation of the release of a review of UNMISS commissioned by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the expected renewal of its mandate by December 15, 2017, the International Peace Institute (IPI), the Stimson Center, and Security Council Report co-organized a workshop on November 9, 2017. This workshop aimed to help member states and UN actors develop a shared understanding and common strategic assessment of the situation on the ground in South Sudan. It was the seventh in a series of workshops analyzing how UN policies and the June 2015 recommendations of the High-Level Independent Panel on Peace Operations (HIPPO) can be applied to country-specific contexts.

Participants suggested that UNMISS should postpone activities associated with classic peacekeeping operations in favor of those focused on local mediation, engagement with the South Sudanese population, and reduction of widespread violence against civilians. To accomplish these increasingly difficult tasks, the mission needs renewed support from the international community and the members of the Security Council.

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Ahmed Bin Mohamed Aljarwan, President of the Global Council for Tolerance & Peace (GCTP), expressed strong support for IPI and pledged cooperation on the “Culture of Tolerance and Peace” through joint programs, initiatives and events at a November 12th meeting in Manama.

Nejib Friji, Director of IPI-MENA, and Mr. Aljarwan stressed the need for a partnership “contributing to the dissemination of the culture of tolerance and peace,” calling on IPI’s cooperation with GCTP for the same. On the same occasion, Ebrahim Nonoo, representative of the Jewish community in Bahrain, explored cooperation with both IPI and GCTP.

The concept of the “Culture of Tolerance & Peace” seeks to shape a global platform to ensure that security, peace and stability can be integrated in a meaningful way for all human beings by overcoming the prevalent culture of prejudice, discrimination, religious sectarianism, xenophobia and the rise of nationalism and violent extremism in societies.

The Malta-based GCTP aims to achieve this objective through strategic conferences, cultural exchange programs and communication programs involving government bodies, academia and international organizations. IPI has coordinated initiatives like “Art for Peace,” in which prominent artists from the MENA region promoted the culture of peace earlier this year, as well as, regular interfaith dialogues and global conferences aimed towards creating roadmaps to cultivate a permanent culture of gender equality, tolerance and peace.

To that end, Mr. Friji welcomed GCTP President Aljarwan and stressed the need to institutionalize mutual cooperation in line with IPI’s mandate—highlighting that such partnership would meet the aspirations of the peoples of the MENA region and reinforce efforts to generate genuine tolerance and sustainable peace and development.

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With the participation of Miroslav Lajčák, President of the UN General Assembly, Bahrain hosted the World Entrepreneurs Investment Forum (WEIF) from October 31 to November 1, 2017. Nejib Friji, Director of IPI-MENA, chaired the First Plenary Session held under the theme of “Entrepreneurship for Development & Innovation Towards Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals” with an audience of hundreds of government officials, entrepreneurs, representatives of the private sector, financial institutions, regional and international organizations, government, and media.

Thanking the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) for organizing the event, Mr. Friji, in reference to the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the UN General Assembly, stated that, “Entrepreneurship is not only critical to achieving the SDGs on economic growth, but it also catalyzes progress towards the twin goals of prosperity and peace.”

He drew attention to the fact that “regardless of social, political, religious or any other differences, the need and desire to prosper economically constitutes common ground between groups,” thus stressing that entrepreneurs are those who drive systemic change and foster inclusive growth in society. He quoted the example of Jusoor, an entrepreneurship program in Lebanon aimed at teaching the next generation of Syrian business owners to rebuild what the conflict has destroyed, with the long-term objective of encouraging sustainable development, and in turn, peace.

Mr. Friji stressed the importance of empowering women and further enabling their participation in the global entrepreneurial arena to not only actualize the SDGs, but to drive the exponential growth of the economic sector. He concluded by reiterating the importance of shaping “peaceful and resilient societies” by empowering youth, both men and women alike.

Panelists included: Nael Kabriti, Chairman General Union for Arab Chambers, Sh Ebrahim Al Khalifa, Honorary Chairman of UNIDO, Arab International Centre for Entrepreneurship & Investment, Yousif Al Bassam, Chairman Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, Hala Al Ansari, Secretary General, Supreme Council for Women, Bahrain, Amin El Sharkawi, UN Resident Coordinator, Bahrain, Adnan Ahmed Yousif, President & CEO of Al Baraka Banking Group, Dan Liang, Chairperson of Board of Directors, UN Maritime-Continental Silk Road Cities Alliance, Sheikha Hessa Al Sabah, President, Arab Businesswomen Council, Galina Karanova, Deputy Chairperson of the Council of the Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Marcello Pittella, President Basilicata Region- Italy, Dr. Ebrahim Mohammed Janahi, Chief Executive, Tamkeen, Philip Auerswald, Co-chair and Executive Director Global Entrepreneurial Research Network, Recep Ali Erdogan, Vice President KOSGEB, Turkey.

The Central African Republic (CAR) has earned an undesirable reputation as one of the most troubled spots on earth. Many international and regional mediation efforts have attempted to resolve the conflict in CAR. Less discussed, however, are a multiplicity of local mediation efforts aiming to bring about tangible immediate change.

This report focuses on these local efforts, looking at who is involved, the nature of the deals, and their prospects. It also asks whether these constitute new approaches to conflict resolution and discusses the links (or lack thereof) between the various mediation tracks in CAR. Lastly, it addresses the role that the UN, particularly the UN peacekeeping mission (MINUSCA), ought to play in supporting or conducting these efforts. Based on this assessment, it offers several recommendations to the UN mission, the UN Secretariat, and the Security Council:

• Explicitly make mediation support a priority: The Security Council should mandate MINUSCA to direct all the necessary resources to support local and national mediation initiatives.
• Develop a mission–wide mediation support strategy: MINUSCA should adopt a whole-of-mission approach that explicitly connects support for local and national mediation initiatives.
• Better leverage existing MINUSCA assets: UN leadership should leverage MINUSCA’s countrywide presence, military, and logistical capabilities in support of local mediation.
• Build up appropriate human resources and skills: MINUSCA should be provided enhanced mediation expertise, mediation training for relevant staff, and increased resources for analysis.
• Urge the government of CAR to take the lead in mediation and reconciliation efforts: The Security Council should encourage the government of CAR to shoulder its responsibilities.
• Compel armed groups to shoulder responsibility: The Security Council should effectively implement sanctions and possibly impose new ones against armed group leaders responsible for fomenting violence.

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