Presentation of the Peace Report 2023: Peacebuilding in times of geostrategic reasoning

EU countries are still among the biggest donors of humanitarian aid worldwide

Currently, the EU deploys 13 crisis management missions to promote global security and respond to crises. They aim to strengthen partner countries’ civilian security capacities, monitor borders in conflict zones, provide advice to national institutions or in certain cases take on an executive role. HR/VP Josep Borell underlines that civilian crisis management missions are an essential component of the EU's engagement in the world. Moreover, the EU countries are still among the biggest donors of humanitarian aid worldwide.

Humanitarian aid, development cooperation and peacebuilding belong together. Still, given for example the wave of military coups in recent months in several African countries, the effectiveness of these measures is put into question. Without real reform and transformation, resilience remains a hollow concept.

Due to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, there is a danger that military logics take more space in the context of international interventions and of humanitarian aid being linked to security interests.

How can we ensure that development cooperation, humanitarian aid and crisis management effectively increase the governance quality and accountability of governments? Which lessons can be learned from past experiences? Is there best practice at hand to build on?

Against this background, we would like to discuss the findings and recommendations of the Peace Report 2023. The Peace Report is the joint yearbook of the German Institutes of Peace and Conflict Research (BICC/HSFK/IFSH/INEF). Researchers from various disciplines investigate the realities of conflicts in various countries around the world. Their analyses call for a new concept of European and cooperative security and a strategy for the time after the war in Ukraine.

Programme: 

12:00 Registration and light lunch

12:30 Welcome remarks by:

• Katrin Hatzinger, Director the Brussels Office of the EKD
• Christiane Kesper, Director of the FES EU Office

12:40 Panel discussion with: 

• Prof. Dr. Tobias Debiel, Vice-Director of the Institute for Development and Peace
• Prof. Dr. Michael Köhler, Deputy Director-General of DG Echo
• Lorenzo Angelini, Senior Policy Ofiicer, European Peacebuilding Liaison Office

Followed by a discussion with the audience chaired by Sidonie Wetzig, Policy Officer at the FES EU Office

14:00 End

If you are interested in joining the event, please register here. 

Venue address: Office of the EKD (Rue Joseph II 166, 1000 Brussels)

The panel discussion will be held in English only. There will be no interpretation.

For more information please contact Sidonie Wetzig, Policy Officer at the FES EU Office: sidonie.wetzig(at)fes.de