What role have Sri Lanka’s courts and judiciary played in the conflict between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)? How have formal constitutional and statutory rules and the practices of police, judges and government officials undermined the independence of the courts? This report from the International Crisis Group examines the role of Sri Lanka’s ...» more
Library
This e-library contains more than 4500 external publications on governance, social development, conflict and humanitarian issues. It includes academic and grey literature selected for its basis in good quality research and coverage of a range of perspectives. Policy-oriented summaries of each document are provided, plus links to the full text.
Pakistan Can Defy the Odds: How to Rescue a Failing State
Is Pakistan collapsing? Is there any hope to break the dangerous cycle of failure in Pakistan? This Institute for Social Policy and Understanding report analyses the issue as to why Pakistan is ranked as a failing state and what can be done to save it? The report first provides a brief history of Pakistan in order to set the context, followed by a discussion of the current ...» more
Military Defeat of the Tamil Tigers: From Velvet Glove to Iron Fist
How was Sri Lanka able to secure a military victory that is proving so elusive to the coalition forces in Afghanistan and Iraq? But will the recent ‘Iron-fisted’ approach of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces (SLAF) which successfully defeated the insurgencies in Sri Lanka translate to an enduring resolution? This article provides a brief discussion of the use of military action to ...» more
The impact of the judiciary on entrepreneurship: Evaluation of Pakistan’s
Entrepreneurship is often thought to be important for economic growth. But what makes people become entrepreneurs? This paper, published in the Journal of Public Economics, focuses on an institution frequently cited by entrepreneurs as a major obstacle to the creation of a business: the judicial system. It uses a reform as a source of variation in judicial speed in order to ...» more
Security Promotion in Fragile States: Can Local Meet National?
The connection between community security and Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR), is largely omitted in current policy and is unexplored in both academic and policy literature. This report, by the Peace Security and Development Network, reviews the existing literature on this link and identifies a number of weaknesses in DDR processes that stem from a lack of ...» more
Realigning Pakistan’s Security Forces
The United States sees Pakistani cooperation in defeating militants in the northwest of the country as crucial to winning the war in neighbouring Afghanistan. The Obama administration has focused on strengthening Pakistan's counterinsurgency capabilities, and is pushing for increased assistance for equipment and training for Pakistani forces. This article, by the Council on ...» more
What role for business in
How can the business community contribute to Post-Conflict economic recovery in Nepal? This paper is one in a series on strengthening the economic dimensions of peacebuilding published by International Alert. Strengthening relationships among members of the business community and employing a conflict sensitive approach to reconstruction will be instrumental for peaceful ...» more
Report of the Secretary-General on the request of Nepal for United Nations assistance in support of its peace process
What progress has recently been made in Nepal’s peace process? This report, by the United Nations Secretary General, reviews progress since January 2009 and gives specific consideration to the implementation of the mandate of the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN). It highlights the progress made on the constitution drafting process and the reintegration of Maoist army ...» more
On track for improved security? A survey tracking changing perceptions of public safety, security and justice provision in Nepal
Questions about peace and security remain critical both to national decision-makers and to the lives of ordinary people in Nepal. This report, by Interdisciplinary Analysts and Saferworld, analyses changing public attitudes to community safety and human security in the country. It is the second in a series of surveys that will track public perceptions of security over time. It ...» more
Nepal’s Faltering Peace Process
Despite successful elections and a lasting military ceasefire, Nepal’s peace process is facing its most severe tests yet. This report, published by International Crisis Group, argues that a number of major issues remain unresolved. There is little unity of effort amongst the governing coalition led by the Maoists, but the democratic alternatives are alarmingly weak. The parties ...» more
Nepal in Crisis
Are civil-military relations nearing a crisis point in post conflict Nepal? This insight piece published by the Institute of South Asian Studies explores this question by considering the recent disagreements between the Maoist government and the nepal army leaders. The Maoist government's poor handling of their decision to sack defiant Nepal Army leader, General Katawal reveals ...» more
The Long March: Building an Afghan National Army
What progress has the Afghan National Army (ANA) made in terms of manpower, infrastructure and equipment, training, operational proficiency and public perceptions? What challenges still remain in rebuilding the ANA? This report from the RAND Corporation offers an assessment of the progress of the ANA to date. It argues that the ANA remains a work in progress, but is an ...» more
Security Sector Reform in Afghanistan: The EU’s Contribution
What impact have European Union security sector reform policies had in Afghanistan? This paper from the European Union Institute for Security Studies analyses the evolution and impact of EU police and justice sector reform policies in Afghanistan. It argues that while the particular Afghan context poses considerable challenges for SSR, the fragmentation of both international ...» more
An Information Management and Organizational Plan for the Judiciary of Afghanistan
What options are available to the Afghan judiciary for improving its use of information and for organisational development? This United States Agency for International Development (USAID) report reviews information management planning and associated organisational development activities within the Afghanistan judiciary. It finds that the Afghan judiciary is affected by severe ...» more
The Challenge of Warlordism to Post-Conflict State-Building: The Case of Laurent Nkunda in Eastern Congo
The enduring presence of warlords and the influence of their international supporters are inadequately addressed by current post-conflict state building practices. This paper, published by The Round Table, discusses aspects of an east Congo rebel movement to illustrate some of the challenges warlordism poses to statebuilding. The international reluctance to recognise the ...» more
Nepal’s Future: In Whose Hands?
Nepal’s peace process, which has always been predicated on a fragile political consensus, is in danger of collapse. This paper, published by the International Crisis Group, discusses political and regional factors that threaten the 2006 peace settlement that ended the ten-year civil war. Averting a return to conflict requires cooperation between parties to address their ...» more
Afghanistan’s Alternatives for Peace, Governance and Development: Transforming Subjects to Citizens & Rulers to Civil Servants
There is an emerging consensus that United States (US) and international policies are wrong-headed and ineffective in delivering peace, stability and democratic governance to Afghanistan. This paper, published by the Centre for International Governance Innovation, is part of a signature research project exploring Afghanistan. The US and partners must adopt a regional approach ...» more
The Future of Security Sector Reform
Whilst a normative framework for security sector reform (SSR) has been well established, it has not been fully applied in practice and translated into effective programming. This report, published by the Center for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), summarises the main findings of an e-Conference discussion of unresolved SSR challenges. A new SSR research agenda needs ...» more
Review of Conflict Related International Policing
How can the British Government increase the effectiveness of conflict related policing missions? This study of conflict related international policing from the British Government’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office focuses on the key capacity gaps facing the policing elements of international missions. The study finds that the quality of officers deployed – their ability to ...» more
West Africa: Governance and Security in a Changing Region
How can the countries of West Africa improve their security environment? This paper from the International Peace Institute looks at West Africa’s daunting security challenges. It argues that with the region’s weak internal capacities and its peripheral status in the global market, the prognosis appears grim. However, through properly coordinated and calibrated measures aimed at ...» more
