The persistence of armed conflict and its effects lies at the center of current crises, precipitating concerns that global stability is at risk. Taking a long view of history, the world is less war-torn than in previous centuries. Yet while the overall number of armed conflicts continues to decline, the number of conflict-related deaths has risen dramatically in recent years, from 56,000 fatalities in 63 active conflicts in 2008 to 180,000 fatalities in 42 active conflicts in 2014. Since (…)
The ICM hosted a public consultation on May 26th on its discussion paper: “Armed Conflict: Mediation, Conciliation, and Peacekeeping.”
Watch the webcast:
Mediation and peacekeeping are some of the most visible United Nations activities and offer important conflict management tools for the multilateral system. The increased involvement of different actors, as well as the increased presence of organized crime in conflict settings, have made recent armed conflicts resistant to peaceful (…)
The UN undertook three major reviews related to peace and security in 2015 to ask whether the traditional tools of the multilateral system are adequate to the task at hand. This paper assesses these reviews and other challenges facing the multilateral system in relation to mediation, peacebuilding, and peacekeeping.