Developmentality and the anthropology of partnership (DevAnt)
The concept of partnership is central to the organisation of international development aid. This project will study the concept of partnership in theory and practice....
The Chinese story: Historical narratives as a tool in China’s Africa policy
The rise of China as a key actor on the African continent not only challenges the Western dominance in economic and political terms, Beijing is increasingly also offering a challenge on a different level, by contesting the Eurocentric history that has underpinned the West’s policies towards African countries throughout the modern era. In order to bolster the Sino-African relationship, this article argues that Beijing is propagating towards African publics a range of historical narratives about African history and the Sino-African relationship. Developing and testing a theoretical framework for analysing these historical narratives, the research finds that this Chinese history of Africa represents China’s recent actions on the African continent as incarnations of a long historical tradition of friendship and anti-colonial support, thus serving the role of legitimizing Chinese policies as well as delegitimizing Western powers’ economic and political strategies.
Armed groups tax collectives in DR Congo
NUPI has the pleasure of inviting Kasper Hoffmann from University of Copenhagen to talk about armed groups in DR Congo, and how they use taxation in their constitution of public authority.
Preventing Violent Conflict
The project is commissioned by the World Bank and seeks to better understand how the interplay between international actors and domestic political actors affects efforts to prevent violent conflict....
Peace Enforcement in Africa: Doctrinal distinctions between the African Union and United Nations
When the United Nations (UN) Security Council needs to authorize a peace enforcement operation in Africa, its partner of choice is the African Union (AU). Africa has developed significant peace operations capacity over the past decade. In addition to deploying eight AU operations, Africa now contributes 50% of all UN peacekeepers. African stability operations, like its mission in Somalia, are often described as peace enforcement operations. In this article, the author questions whether it is accurate to categorize African stability operations as peace enforcement? This article answers the question by considering what the criteria are that are used to differentiate between peace enforcement and peacekeeping operations in the UN context. The author then uses the peace enforcement criteria to assess whether AU stabilization operations would qualify as peace enforcement operations. In conclusion, he considers the implications of the findings for the strategic partnership between the AU and the UN.
Protecting governments from insurgencies: the DRC and Mali
This edited volume offers a thorough review of peacekeeping theory and reality in contemporary contexts, and aligns the two to help inform practice. Recent UN peacekeeping operations have challenged the traditional peacekeeping principles of consent, impartiality and the minimum use of force. The pace and scope of these changes have now reached a tipping point, as the new mandates are fundamentally challenging the continued validity of the UN peacekeeping’s core principles and identity. In response the volume analyses the growing gap between these actual practices and existing UN peacekeeping doctrine, exploring how it undermines the effectiveness of UN operations, and endangers lives, arguing that a common doctrine is a critical starting point for effective multi-national operations. In order to determine the degree to which this general principle applies to the current state of UN peacekeeping, this book: - Provides a review of conceptual and doctrinal developments in UN peacekeeping operations through a historical perspective - Examines the debate related to peace operations doctrine and concepts among key Member States - Focuses on the actual practice of peacekeeping by conducting case studies of several UN peacekeeping missions in order to identify gaps between practice and doctrine - Critically analyses gaps between emerging peacekeeping practice and existing doctrine - Recommends that the UN moves beyond the peacekeeping principles and doctrine of the past Combining empirical case-based studies on UN peace operations, with studies on the views and policies of key UN Security Council members that generate these mandates, and views of key contributors of UN peacekeepers, this volume will be of great use to policy-makers; UN officials and peace operations practitioners; and academics working on peace and conflict/security studies, international organizations and conflict management.
Overcoming Legal and Support Obstacles to Peacekeeping Strategic Force Generation (OLSOPSFG)
The projects looks at a a joint collaboration between Norway and other UN member states for a rotational agreement to provide a transport plane to MINUSMA....
Protection of civilians in the absence of peace agreements: Darfur, Chad/CAR, and Côte d’Ivoire
This edited volume offers a thorough review of peacekeeping theory and reality in contemporary contexts, and aligns the two to help inform practice. Recent UN peacekeeping operations have challenged the traditional peacekeeping principles of consent, impartiality and the minimum use of force. The pace and scope of these changes have now reached a tipping point, as the new mandates are fundamentally challenging the continued validity of the UN peacekeeping’s core principles and identity. In response the volume analyses the growing gap between these actual practices and existing UN peacekeeping doctrine, exploring how it undermines the effectiveness of UN operations, and endangers lives, arguing that a common doctrine is a critical starting point for effective multi-national operations. In order to determine the degree to which this general principle applies to the current state of UN peacekeeping, this book: - Provides a review of conceptual and doctrinal developments in UN peacekeeping operations through a historical perspective - Examines the debate related to peace operations doctrine and concepts among key Member States - Focuses on the actual practice of peacekeeping by conducting case studies of several UN peacekeeping missions in order to identify gaps between practice and doctrine - Critically analyses gaps between emerging peacekeeping practice and existing doctrine - Recommends that the UN moves beyond the peacekeeping principles and doctrine of the past Combining empirical case-based studies on UN peace operations, with studies on the views and policies of key UN Security Council members that generate these mandates, and views of key contributors of UN peacekeepers, this volume will be of great use to policy-makers; UN officials and peace operations practitioners; and academics working on peace and conflict/security studies, international organizations and conflict management.
Statsbygging, sårbare stater og internasjonal krisehandtering
(Available in Norwegian only): Dette kapitlet går gjennom og skisserer de viktigste utfordringene det internasjonale samfunn står ovenfor i forsøk på krisehandtering i fattige og sårbare stater. Dette betyr at den type krisehandtering som dette kapitelet er opptatt av er knyttet til internasjonale operasjoner i land hvor statsmakt er svært svekket og omstridt. Dette er land som befinner seg i en langvarig politisk, sosial og økonomisk krise. Slike land er ikke kun fattige, men også i tilstand av stor politisk og sosial sårbarhet preget av en eller flere politiske konflikter som har en voldelig karakter. Dettte innebærer at kapitlet vil først diskutere hva det innebærer å være en sårbar stat. Deretter vil ulike konseptuelle posisjoner innenfor debatten om statsbygging, internasjonale intervensjoner og krisehandtering presentert. Dette vil også gi leseren et kort riss av hovedtrekkene i debatten mellom posisjoner som grunnleggende er positive til dagens regime av internasjonale liberale intervensjoner og de som stiller kritiske spørsmål ved selve fundamentet for dette regimet. Kapitlet skisserer deretter utfordringene det internasjonale samfunn står ovenfor gjennom empiriske eksempler fra internasjonale intervensjoner og krisehandtering som på ulike måter griper inn i eller påvirkes av statsbyggingsprosjekter og prosesser.