A. Specialized Institutions

 

A.1. United Nations System Agencies and Programs

 

United Nations System Agencies and Programs are directly & indirectly involved in crises management and post-conflict reconstruction

 

United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC)

The United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) is part of the international emergency response system for sudden-onset emergencies. UNDAC was created in 1993. It is designed to help the United Nations and governments of disaster-affected countries during the first phase of a sudden-onset emergency. UNDAC also assists in the coordination of incoming international relief at national level and/or at the site of the emergency. UNDAC team is a stand-by team of disaster management professionals who are nominated and funded by member governments, OCHA, UNDP and operational humanitarian United Nations Agencies such as WFP, UNICEF and WHO. Upon request of a disaster-stricken country, the UNDAC team can be deployed within hours to carry out rapid assessment of priority needs and to support national Authorities and the United Nations Resident Coordinator to coordinate international relief.

 

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United Nations Peacekeeping (UNDPKO)

United Nations Peacekeeping helps countries torn by conflict create the conditions for lasting peace. UNDPKO is comprised of civilian, police and military personnel. In addition to maintaining peace and security, peacekeepers are increasingly charged with assisting in political processes; reforming judicial systems; training law enforcement and police forces; disarming and reintegrating former combatants; supporting the return of internally displaced persons and refugees.
 

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United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is the arm of the United Nations Secretariat that is responsible for bringing together humanitarian actors to ensure coherent response to emergencies. OCHA also ensures there is a framework within which each actor can contribute to the overall response effort.
 

For more information, visit the following: 

Relief Web: http://www.reliefweb.int/

 

 

Crisis Prevention and Recovery (CPR) United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Crisis prevention and recovery is a cornerstone of the work of UNDP. In 2010 UNDP provided risk reduction, prevention and recovery support to 86 countries, stabilizing communities, supporting short-term employment and livelihoods, reestablishing governance and the rule of law, and promoting gender equality throughout. CPR supports countries to manage conflict and disaster risks, and to rebuild for resilience once crisis has past. UNDP’s crisis recovery work is based on carefully conducted joint needs assessments and acts as a bridge between humanitarian and longer-term development efforts.

 

For more information, visit the following: http://www.undp.org/cpr/

                                                                                                                                          http://www.undp.org/cpr/we_do/integrating_risk.shtml

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United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR)

UNISDR’s mandate is to serve as the focal point in the United Nations system for the coordination of disaster reduction and to ensure synergies among disaster reduction activities. For more information, visit: http://www.unisdr.org

 

United Nations Peacebuilding Office

The Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO), working with the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) and the wider United Nations system, supports countries emerging from conflict and those at risk of relapse into violence in their efforts to build and sustain peace by strengthening capacities to enhance safety and security, support political processes, provide basic services, restore government functions, revitalize economies and address root causes and drivers of violence. PBSO, in close collaboration with the United Nations system, adds value to peacebuilding efforts by providing high-caliber support, funding, analysis, lessons learned, facilitation, coordination, and by promoting innovative peacebuilding practices.

 

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World Food Programme (WFP)

The World Food Programme (WFP) is the food aid branch of the United Nations, and the world's largest humanitarian organization addressing hunger worldwide.

 

For more information, visit: http://www.wfp.org/emergencies

 

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)

UNRWA provides assistance, protection and advocacy for some 5 million registered Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the occupied Palestinian territory, pending a solution to their plight. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from UN member states. For more information, visit: http://www.unrwa.org/etemplate.php?id=30

 

United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT)

UN-HABITAT is the United Nations agency for human settlements. It is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all.

 

For more information, visit: http://www.unhabitat.org/categories.asp?catid=34

 

World Bank Post-Conflict Unit 

World Bank Post-Conflict Unit is a unique partnership to reduce poverty and support development. It is comprised of two institutions managed by 188 member countries: the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA). The IBRD aims to reduce poverty in middle-income and creditworthy poorer countries, while IDA focuses exclusively on the world’s poorest countries. For more information, visit: http://www.worldbank.org/conflict

 

A.2. Selected institutions dealing with governance and reconciliation in countries world-wide

 

Academia

 

The Quality of Government Institute (QoG)

The Quality of Government is an independet research institute within the Department of Political Science at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. The institue conducts and promotes research on the causes, consequences and nature of Good Governance and the Quality of Government (QoG) - that is, trustworthy, reliable, impartial, uncorrupted and competent government institutions.

The main objective of their research is to address the theoretical and empirical problem of how political institutions of high quality can be created and maintained. A second objective is to study the effects of Quality of Government on a number of policy areas, such as health, the environment, social policy, and poverty.

These problems are approached from a variety of theoretical and methodological angles. The institute brings together expertise from many fields, including political philosophy, media and opinion studies, public policy, political economy, public administration and public law. For more information, visit the institute’s web site for publications and downloadable data on the topic: www.qog.pol.gu.se

 

Harvard University - Harvard University Program on Negotiation

The Program on Negotiation (PON) is a university consortium dedicated to developing the theory and practice of negotiation and dispute resolution. As a community of scholars and practitioners, PON serves a unique role in the world negotiation community.  For more information, visit: http://www.pon.harvard.edu/

 

Standford University - Stanford Center on International Conflict and Negotiation (SCICN)

For more information, visit: http://www.stanford.edu/group/sccn/ 

 

Brown University - Watson Institute for International Studies/Brown University 

Brown University's Watson Institute for International Studies is a leading center for research and teaching on the most important problems of our time, especially in the areas of global security and international political economy. For more information, visit: http://www.watsoninstitute.org/

 

UN University - University of Ulster/UN University (INCORE) 

Combining research, education and comparative analysis, INCORE addresses the causes and consequences of conflict in Northern Ireland and internationally and promotes conflict resolution management strategies. It aims to influence policymakers and practitioners involved in peace, conflict and reconciliation issues while enhancing the nature of international conflict research.

For more information, visit: http://www.incore.ulst.ac.uk/

 

Foundations and Non-governmental Organisations 

 

Arias Foundation for Peace and Human Progress

The Arias Foundation for Peace and Human Progress is a non-governmental, nonprofit, based in Costa Rica. It was created in 1988 with the financial support of the Nobel Prize, awarded to its founder and then president of Costa Rica, Dr. Oscar Arias Sanchez, in recognition of his efforts to achieve a “firm and lasting peace” in Central America. It was created to encourage a culture of peace and is dedicated to promoting democracy, gender equality, disarmament and demilitarization.

For more information, visit: http://www.arias.or.cr/en

 

Brookings Institution

The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit public policy organization. Their mission is to conduct high-quality, independent research. For more information, visit: http://www.brook.edu/

 

Carnegie Commission on Preventing Deadly Conflict

Paper on preventing deadly conflict strategies and instituitons. 

For more information, visit: http://carnegie.org/fileadmin/Media/Publications/PDF/Preventing%20Deadly%20Conflict%20Strategies%20&%20Institutions.pdf

 

Carter Center

The Carter Center is a charitable organization, founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, in partnership with Emory University, aims to advance peace and health worldwide. For more information, visit: http://www.cartercenter.org/

 

Center for Defense Information 

The Center for Defense Information (CDI) seeks to contribute alternative views on security to promote wide-ranging discourse and debate. CDI educates the public and informs policymakers about issues of security policy, strategy, operations, weapon systems and defense budgeting, and pursues creative solutions to the problems of today and tomorrow.

For more information, visit:  http://www.worldsecurityinstitute.org/showorganization.cfm?name=2.htm

 

Center for Strategic and International Studies 

Since its founding, CSIS has been at the forefront of solutions to the vexing foreign policy and national security problems of the day. Today, CSIS is one of the world’s preeminent public policy institutions on foreign policy and national security issues. CSIS is an independent not-for-profit organization since 1987. For more information, visit: http://www.csis.org

 

Conflict Management Group

CMG is a think tank with close ties to Harvard University and a reputation for innovative peace-building work in troubled regions worldwide. CMG was founded in 1984. For more information, visit: http://www.cmgonline.org/

 

Council on Foreign Relations

The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher. For more information, visit: http://www.cfr.org/

 

InterAction 

InterAction is the largest alliance of U.S.-based international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), with more than 190 members working in every developing country.  Members are faith-based and secular, large and small, with a focus on the world’s most poor and vulnerable populations. For more information, visit: http://www.interaction.org/

 

International Committee of the Red Cross

The ICRC, established in 1863, works worldwide to provide humanitarian help for people affected by conflict and armed violence and to promote the laws that protect victims of war. An independent and neutral organization, its mandate stems essentially from the Geneva Conventions of 1949. For more information, visit: http://www.icrc.org/

 

International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world's largest humanitarian organization, providing assistance without discrimination as to nationality, race, religious beliefs, class or political opinions. For more information, visit: http://www.ifrc.org/

 

International IDEA 

The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) is an intergovernmental organization that supports sustainable democracy worldwide.

International IDEA’s mission is to support sustainable democratic change by providing comparative knowledge, and assisting in democratic reform, and influencing policies and politics. For more information, visit: http://www.idea.int/

 

International Peace Institute 

The International Peace Institute is an independent, international not-for-profit think tank with a staff representing more than 20 nationalities, located in New York across from United Nations headquarters.  IPI is dedicated to promoting the prevention and settlement of conflicts between and within states by strengthening international peace and security institutions.  To achieve its purpose, IPI employs a mix of policy research, convening, publishing and outreach. For more information, visit: http://www.ipacademy.org/

 

Minority Rights Group International

Minority Rights Group International has over 40 years experience of working with non-dominant ethnic, religious and linguistic communities, often in conflict ares. For more information, visit: http://www.minorityrights.org/

 

National Endowment for Democracy

The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is a private, nonprofit foundation dedicated to the growth and strengthening of democratic institutions around the world.  For more information, visit: http://www.ned.org/

 

Soros Foundation , Open Society Foundation

The Open Society Foundations work to build vibrant and tolerant societies whose governments are accountable and open to the participation of all people. For more information, visit: http://www.soros.org/

 

Stockholm International Peace Research Institute

SIPRI is an independent international institute dedicated to research into conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament. Established in 1966, SIPRI provides data, analysis and recommendations, based on open sources, to policymakers, researchers, media and the interested public.  For more information, visit: http://www.sipri.se/

 

 

International and Governmental Organisations

 

 

OECD-Development Assistance Committee 

Through inclusive partnerships for development, the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) helps ensure better lives for people in the developing world by tracking development finance, making sure it is invested effectively and promoting good policy. For more information, visit: http://www.oecd.org/dac/

 

 

BBC - Country Profiles

Country profiles provide a guide to history, politics and economic background of countries and territories, and background on key institutions.  For more information click on this picture: