August 2, 2011
Global Change, Peace & Security

Abstract:

Enthusiasts of human security argue that what is needed in the post-Cold-War period is a foreign policy agenda that is more ‘people-centred’ than the state-centred focus of security policy during the Cold War period. Among the most enthusiastic proponents of the human security paradigm in the 1990s was the Canadian government, which, in partnership with a number of other like-minded governments, sought to press the human security agenda, taking a number of human security initiatives. However, since the late 1990s, we have seen a paradox: the concept has attracted increased attention from scholars while its salience among policy-makers appears to be declining. Using the case of the Canadian government’s policy towards the crisis in Timor in September 1999, we explore the difficulty that policy-makers have had in moving human security from the rhetorical realm to the level of concrete policy that makes a difference to the safety of people whose security is threatened. We conclude that there was a significant gap between Canada’s human security rhetoric and Ottawa’s actual policy in Timor. While the Canadian government did eventually contribute troops to the International Force, East Timor (INTERFET), we show that Canada’s response was slow, cautious, and minimalist. There was neither the willingness nor the capacity to be at the forefront of the efforts to send a robust force to East Timor. This case demonstrates some important limits of the human security agenda, and why this agenda remained so firmly in the realm of the rhetorical in the 1990s. Efforts...

July 8, 2011
Peacebuild // Paix Durable

Abstract:

On June 2, 2011, Peacebuild, with the financial support of the International Development Research Centre, convened a day-long discussion on the tumultuous changes taking place in the Middle East and North Africa. Objectives for the roundtable were to share up-to-date information on current and longer-term political issues and dynamics, to assess areas for possible support for democratic transitions in the region, identify areas of relevant Canadian expertise – diaspora, NGO, academic, business sector, governmental -- and, based on the discussion, generate a set of policy options and/or recommendations for people-to-people support, NGOs, academics and the Government of Canada. Participants in Cairo, Ottawa and Montreal were linked into a wide-ranging discussion, which first focused on hearing activist and expert views from the epicentre of regional change – Egypt. Among the questions explored with human rights activist Hossam Baghat, strategic analyst Mustafa El-Labbad, activist author May Telmissany and IDRC regional expert Roula El-Rifai were the makeup of the reform movements in the region and their objectives, what is the real extent of political Islam’s influence in the Middle East and what has been the role of the armed forces in the transitions?...

July 6, 2011
Peacebuild // Paix Durable

Abstract:

On March 14, 2011, Peacebuild, with financial support from Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT), convened the first of a series of six workshops on various peacebuilding and conflict prevention policy issues. This policy brief synthesizes the findings and recommendations arising from the first workshop and from two issue papers prepared to inform the workshop discussion. It highlights policy and programming options aimed at improving Canadian and global responses to violent conflict....

June 30, 2011
MiningWatch Canada // CENSAT-Agua Viva for Inter Pares

Abstract:

Canadian foreign direct investment in Colombia has grown consistently since the 1990s, particularly in telecommunications, mining, and fossil fuel extraction. Canadian mining and oil companies are major players in Colombia.

Despite a concerted public relations campaign by the Colombian government, Colombia continues to suffer widespread human rights abuses, including extrajudicial executions, disappearances, extortion, and threats. Control over land, labour, and natural resources are integral to the war and violence in Colombia, and the past few decades have seen massive displacement and murder for political and economic ends. Striking correlations have been observed between where investment – both domestic and foreign – takes place and rights abuses, ranging from murder and massacres and related massive land and property theft to violations of the rights to freedom of movement and to a healthy environment.

Human rights violations are linked to efforts by those behind Colombia’s murderous paramilitaries to create conditions for investment from which they are positioned to benefit. There are also ongoing relations between the paramilitary forces and all levels of government and the armed forces, up to the highest officials, and there are clear indications that political cover for such human rights abuses and crimes will continue....

June 16, 2011
Government of Canada

Abstract:

Progress in Afghanistan has been achieved on a number of fronts at the national, provincial, district and local levels. The pace of change in Afghanistan however has been slow and not without setbacks. Sustaining progress—whether political, economic or social—will depend on continuing Afghan leadership, within government and in particular throughout Afghan society. While much remains to be done, Canada continues to be inspired by those Afghans who are fighting for change, for peace, for greater rights and freedoms for women and girls, and for improved quality of life for all Afghans.

This quarterly report, covering the period of January 1 to March 31, 2011, describes the progress made on Canada’s six priorities and three signature projects in Afghanistan, through a lens of how our priorities, projects and partnerships have worked to support Afghan leadership and ownership of their future. This report also provides insight into some of the progress that has been made in Afghanistan through the experiences and thoughts of the Afghan people themselves....

July 7, 2011
Peacebuild // Paix Durable

Abstract:

Peacebuild, in collaboration with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT) convened the third in a series of six workshops on peacebuilding and conflict prevention policy issues on 31st May 2011 in the CANADEM conference room in Ottawa. The purpose of the workshop series is to exchange current information and analysis among expert civil society practitioners, academics and Government of Canada officials aimed at developing policy and programming options to respond to new developments and emerging trends.

This workshop examined the dynamics of peace and conflict, including drug violence and crime, in Latin America. This policy brief provides a synopsis of the findings and analysis from discussion and the papers presented during the event, highlighting key recommendations to improve prevention and responses to conflict and crime that emerged from the workshop....

July 7, 2011
Peacebuild // Paix Durable

Abstract:

Femicide, the killing of women by men because they are women, is a worldwide phenomenon. Victims of femicide are often mutilated, raped and tortured before their deaths. These acts of extreme violence are most likely to occur in environments where every day forms of violence are accepted, and impunity is facilitated by the government’s refusal to deal with the problem. Femicide is considered to be the most extreme form of misogynistic violence, one which stems from the violation of human rights of women in the public and private sphere. In Mexico, particularly on the Mexico-US border, the killing of women first made international headlines in 1993, as a growing number of female bodies started to emerge at the outskirts of Ciudad Juárez. Since then, the number of femicides continues to rise despite international pressure and government-led initiatives. In 2007, for example, the federal government promulgated a law that sought to prevent all forms of violence against women, La Ley General de Acceso a las Mujeres a una Vida Libre de Violence. Four years after the passing of the law, the levels of gender-based violence remain the same, while the number of femicides continues to increase, rendering the law inoperable. From 1993 to 2005, approximately 370 women were killed in Ciudad Juárez and Chihuahua City....

July 5, 2011
International Crisis Group

Abstract:

Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) moved into North Sudan's South Kordofan state capital Kadugli at the start of the month, triggering large-scale fighting with Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) units from the region. The UN reported heavy bombardment of villages by the SAF, widespread civilian casualties and at least 73,000 people forced to flee. It also accused the government of blocking aid deliveries and intimidating peacekeepers.

Violence spilled over into South Sudan, with several villages bombed by the North. On 28 June the government and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (North) signed an agreement on political and security arrangements for South Kordofan and Blue Nile states.

In Afghanistan, a standoff between parliament and President Hamid Karzai threatens to deepen the country's political crisis.

Proposals by Senegal's ruling party to amend the constitution were condemned by opposition politicians as undemocratic and sparked unprecedented violent protests. Myanmar/Burma saw its worst clashes since 2009, as fighting broke out between government forces and the Kachin ceasefire group. Tens of thousands have been displaced and some 20 reportedly killed.

In Mexico, a number of incidents highlighted the deterioration in security around Monterrey, the country's second city, industrial hub and capital of Nuevo León state.

In Venezuela, speculation about President Hugo Chávez's health intensified, leading to infighting within his ruling PSUV party and highlighting the country's lack of alternative leadership.

...

June 16, 2011
RAND Corporation

Abstract:

Colombia currently accounts for the vast bulk of cocaine produced in Latin America. In 2009, the country produced 270 metric tons (MT) of cocaine, making it the principal supplier for both the United States and the worldwide market. Besides Colombia, Peru and Bolivia constitute two additional important sources of cocaine in Latin America. In 2009, these two countries generated enough base material to respectively yield 225 and 195 MT of refined product.

Between 60 and 65 percent of all Latin American cocaine is trafficked to the United States, the bulk of which is smuggled via the eastern Pacific/Central American corridor. The remainder is sent through the Caribbean island chain, with the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Haiti acting as the main transshipment hubs. In both cases, Mexico serves as the main point of entry to mainland America, presently accounting for the vast majority of all illicit drug imports to the United States....

June 15, 2011
United States Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control

Abstract:

This report urges Congress and the Administration to strengthen firearms laws to stem drug-relating violence, citing report that 70% of weapons recovered in Mexico originated from the United States.

Firearms are trafficked from the United States to Mexico and into the hands of the country’s drug trafficking organizations. Congress has been virtually moribund while powerful Mexican drug trafficking organizations continue to gain unfettered access to military-style firearms coming from the United States.

In a June 2009 report, the Government Accountability Office stated that around 87 percent of firearms seized by Mexican authorities and traced over the previous five years originated in the United States.

In a June 9, 2011 response to an inquiry from Senator Feinstein, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Acting Director Kenneth Melson stated that of the 29,284 firearms recovered in Mexico in 2009 and 2010 and submitted to the ATF National Tracing Center, 20,504 were United Statessourced. A country of origin for the remaining firearms could not be determined by ATF. A copy of this letter and the request letter from Senator Feinstein are attached in the report appendix.

In 2009, according to tracing data from the ATF, the most frequently recovered caliber of firearms in Mexico included .223 caliber, 7.62 mm, 9 mm, .22 caliber and 5.7 mm. Other than the .22 caliber, these firearms are the most commonly found assault rifle and assault pistol calibers in the United States.

Firearms recovered in Mexico overwhelmingly come from the Southwest border. The Government Accountability Office found that between Fiscal Year 2004 and 2008, approximately 70 percent of firearms traced in Mexico to an original owner in the United States came from Texas (39 percent), California (20 percent), and Arizona (10 percent)....

August 16, 2011
Chatham House

Abstract:

This is a transcript of an event held on 5 October at Chatham House. The panellists, drawn from the Middle East and North Africa Programme's regional experts, examined the latest round of negotiations aimed at resolving the Israel-Palestine conflict.

As the latest round of negotiations aimed at resolving the Israel-Palestine conflict was embarked on in September 2010, the regional ramifications of the much-interrupted peace process have never appeared more important. State actors close to the conflict such as Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, and non-state actors such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, all have a stake in the outcome of the peace talks. Together with the wider Arab League membership and Iran, not all of them wish the process to succeed, or succeed on the terms envisaged by the US and its allies in the European Union.

This panel drawn from the Middle East and North Africa Programme's regional experts will examine what is at stake for the regional neighbours of Israel and the Palestinians. What influence have they had over the initial progress of the negotiations? Are their actions critical in helping or hindering the outcome of the bilateral talks? What alternatives or reactions might they envisage should this latest attempt at peace fail?...

August 15, 2011
Global Witness

Abstract:

For decades, the trade in conflict minerals has fueled human rights abuses and promoted insecurity in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The Dodd Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, passed in July 2010, includes a provision that addresses the need for action to be taken to stop the national army and rebel groups in the DRC from profiting from the minerals trade. Section 1502, the Conflict Minerals provision, is a disclosure requirement that calls on companies to determine if their products contain conflict minerals and to report this to the SEC.

This legislation has the potential to make a significant impact on the ground in the DRC; however, there has been considerable misinformation and fear-mongering spread about its requirements and likely impact. This document seeks to clarify some of the most common misconceptions....

August 5, 2011
The White House // Council on Foriegn Relations

Abstract:

This U.S. strategy document regarding combatting transnational organized crime was released on July 25, 2011. President Obama's opening letter states, Despite a long and successful history of dismantling criminal organizations and developing common international standards for cooperation against transnational organized crime, not all of our capabilities have kept pace with the expansion of 21st century transnational criminal threats. Therefore, this strategy is organized around a single, unifying principle: to build, balance, and integrate the tools of American power to combat transnational organized crime and related threats to our national security – and to urge our partners to do the same. To this end, this strategy sets out 56 priority actions, starting with ones the United States can take within its own borders to lessen the impact of transnational crime domestically and on our foreign partners. Other actions seek to enhance our intelligence, protect the financial system and strategic markets, strengthen interdiction, investigations, and prosecutions, disrupt the drug trade and its facilitation of other transnational threats, and build international cooperation....

August 5, 2011
Center for Strategic and International Studies

Abstract:

Zimbabwe presents a set of critical, immediate challenges for U.S. policy. Different scenarios, including an unsanctioned snap election, a military coup, and President Robert Mugabe’s early death, could precipitate a sharp, even violent, crisis later this year. The United States can best respond by reinvigorating its active engagement with southern Africa and with the volatile and rapidly changing situation in Zimbabwe. This report details possible scenarios and offers options for strengthening Washington’s immediate and medium-term leverage in partnership with South Africa and the Southern African Development Community. Beyond Mugabe: Preparing for Zimbabwe’s Transition draws on a series of discussions by a CSIS Working Group on Zimbabwe as well as the author’s travel to Zimbabwe and intensive additional consultation with civil and political society within Zimbabwe....

August 4, 2011
International Crisis Group

Abstract:

After a decade of major security, development and humanitarian assistance, the international community has failed to achieve a politically stable and economically viable Afghanistan. Despite billions of dollars in aid, state institutions remain fragile and unable to provide good governance, deliver basic services to the majority of the population or guarantee human security. As the insurgency spreads to areas regarded as relatively safe till now, and policymakers in Washington and other Western capitals seek a way out of an unpopular war, the international community still lacks a coherent policy to strengthen the state ahead of the withdrawal of most foreign forces by December 2014. The impact of international assistance will remain limited unless donors, particularly the largest, the U.S., stop subordinating programming to counter-insurgency objectives, devise better mechanisms to monitor implementation, adequately address corruption and wastage of aid funds, and ensure that recipient communities identify needs and shape assistance policies.

As early as 2002, the U.S. established Provincial Reconstruction Teams that gave the military a lead role in reconstruction assistance in insecure areas and somewhat expanded civilian presence but without setting any standards for where and when they should shift from military to civilian lead and when they should phase out entirely. The 2009 U.S. troop surge, aimed at urgently countering an expanding insurgency, was accompanied by a similar increase in U.S. civilian personnel – attempting to deliver quick results in the same areas as the military surge, but without rigorous monitoring and accountability. In their haste to demonstrate progress, donors have pegged much aid to short-term military objectives and timeframes. As the drawdown begins, donor funding and civilian personnel presence, mirroring the military’s withdrawal schedule, may rapidly decline, undermining oversight and the sustainability of whatever reconstruction and development achievements there have been....