Noref Reports
26 August 2010
Failed bilateral talks have shown that a Middle East peace accord can never be reached by the parties themselves. Henry Siegman advises that addressing Hamas’ legitimate grievances could lead to a Palestinian coalition government that would provide Israel with a credible peace partner.
The reforms introduced by the Treaty of Lisbon to the European Union's crisis management architecture attempt to solve the problems of coherence that afflict the union's foreign action in conflict situations.
Augusto Varas details the main findings of the international conference – Latin America’s new power relations and their global influence – organised by Noref and the Department of Political Science at the Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, Colombia, in October 2009.
The seemingly neutral category of “failed states,” as applied to Yemen, constructs the country as a place in need of intervention. In obscuring more than it reveals about local realities, outside interference runs the risk of being counterproductive.
03 March 2010
International missions in crisis areas are often unsure of how to move forward. In an article published in the Broker, Mariano Aguirre and Chris van der Borgh provide an overview of current debate in which the idea of “revisioning” such interventions is gaining ground.
11 February 2010
Brazil is determined to become a major actor of the international reconstruction efforts in Haiti. The urge to contain an Americanisation of the assistance to Haiti has led the Brazilian government to request that all humanitarian relief operations be subordinated to UN coordination.
10 February 2010
Yemen’s problems are endemic and deeply rooted in the nature of society and its complex power relations. Ahmed Saif argues that state-building and rule of law is the only way to combat terrorism and prevent failure of the state.
18 January 2010
The continued expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank seems to have finally locked in the permanence of Israel’s colonial project. Outside intervention may offer the last hope for a reversal of the settlement enterprise and the achievement of a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, writes Henry Siegman. Since the US is no longer the likely agent of that intervention, it is up to the Europeans and to the Palestinians themselves to fashion the path to self-determination in the occupied territories.
The Obama administration and Nato must confront the reality that the Pakistani military views both the war in Afghanistan and the current US-Nato strategy by very different criteria than Western forces, and Pakistan’s cooperation in the coming military surge cannot be assumed.
Reluctant ally: Islamabad, the Pakistani media and public response to President Obama’s Afghan surge
13 January 2010
After Obama’s Afghan surge speech in December 2009, the Pakistani public denounced the notable absence of an approach to the political dimensions of the Afghan conflict, in particular the alienation of the Pashtun population.
15 December 2009
In this report Jon Harald Sande Lie examines the challenges for ongoing peacekeeping missions in the context of the UNMEE closure.
Violence and insecurity threatens peacebuilding in Southern Sudan and the 2011 referendum on self-determination.
19 November 2009
In response to the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, a troop surge is being called for, but what are the options? The objectives of the international force in Afghanistan and the timeframe for completing them were discussed with Bruce Riedel, of the Brookings Institute, in September 2009.
20 October 2009
The Madrid conference, held in March 2009, analysed the possibilities and pitfalls of developing a regional approach to the Afghanistan-Pakistan crisis. A key element was examining the pros and cons of forming a contact group that would develop a regional diplomacy to address the deteriorating security situation in both countries.
19 October 2009
Norway’s objectives in its cooperation with Haiti are to contribute to political and social stability and to reduce violence through the strengthening of democratic institutions and the promotion of conflict resolution.
12 August 2009
Why are Arabs indifferent to the Darfur crisis, and what strategies may be employed to engage the Arab world on this issue?
Since the unveiling of the new AfPak strategy by the Obama administration, the international media have focused on Pakistan. However, its legitimate security needs must be addressed if stability in the region is to be achieved.
Escalation in Taliban attacks in Afghanistan in the run-up to the Afghan presidential elections and swelling numbers of internal refugees in Pakistan in the aftermath of military operations to rout the Taliban.
05 August 2009
This report examines the validity of a taking a regional approach to the crises in Afghanistan and Pakistan and the utility – the benefits and pitfalls – of working through a regional contact group.
The report gives a quick analysis for the upcoming Afghan elections along with the trilateral meetings held in Washington between US, Afghan and Pakistani presidents for envisaging better policies of engagement in Pakistan and Afghanistan. This update also gives details of the current military operation in Pakistan’s Swat after the breakdown in the peace process.
Keywords
Afghanistan Africa algeria Americas arab argentina Armenia bolivia Brazil burundi central asia CFSP/CSDP chile China civilian and military missions Civilian/military relations climate coherence colombia conflict Conflict Transformation congo crisis management cuba darfur development assistance ecuador egypt elections energy eritrea ethiopia EU Gaza governance guinea-bissau haiti humanitarian assistance icc iran islam israel Jerusalem Kenya latin america Lebanon liberia mexico middle east morocco muslim nato Norway pakistan palestine paraguay peacebuilding peacekeeping polisario protection reconciliation regional approach resources sexual violence somalia sri lanka statebuilding sudan Syria taliban terrorism Treaty of Lisbon Turkey un un Peacebuilding Commission unmee uruguay usa usip venezuela west western sahara Yemen