Engaging armed groups in peace processes
International policy is unclear on how, whether and when to talk to armed groups. But strategic engagement can be an essential part of ending violent conflicts and saving lives. Our updated Accord policy brief Choosing to engage: armed groups and peace processes (October 2009) gives policymakers useful guidance on the options, challenges and tactics for engaging with armed groups at different stages of a peace process. This brief summarizes lessons from Accord 16 (2005).
The brief is also available in Español, Рyccкий and Français.
Conciliation Resources regularly organises discussions with governments on our findings. A recent example is an expert seminar we supported with the German government on “Engagement with Non-State Armed Groups in Peace Process” which took place 1-15 September 2010 in Berlin.
Proscription and mediation
Through our work we have found that proscription - or the act of putting an armed group on a list of designated terrorist organizations – can present obstacles for engagement in mediation and peace processes. Read news articles written on this topic by Conciliation Resources staff on BBC News and Open Democracy.
Conciliation Resources organized a series of workshops bringing together mediators, civil society experts and counter-terrorism professionals to discuss the impact of proscription on mediation and peace processes and to explore options of addressing this:
• London, November 2010 with Chatham House. Read the report.
• Brussels, October 2010 with Berghof Peace Support. Read the report.
• Washington D.C, October 2009 as part of the Mediation Support Network. Read the report.
