Disarmament and demobilisation (DD) programmes are vital components of strategic peacebuilding. DD provisions govern the collection and disposal of arms and ammunition, and oversee the discharge of active-duty combatants from the state’s armed forces, rebel groups, or both. Using data from the Peace Accords Matrix database, this report compares the five most recent cases of DD implementation: Nepal (2006), Liberia (2003), Macedonia (2001), Indonesia-Aceh (2005) and South Sudan (2005).

Balkans: Thousands still missing two decades after conflicts

If I could know where my son Albion is, and if I could bury him and put a flower on his grave and I would be in a better place

Nesrete Kumnova, from Kosovo whose son’s body is believed to be among those transported to Serbia, and reburied there, during the 1999 conflict.

Some 14,000 people remain unaccounted for in the countries that make up the former Yugoslavia – nearly half of the total number who disappeared in the decade since war broke out in 1991.

This report looks at the current state of volunteerism in South-Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). These countries are collectively referred to in this report as 'the Region'. It considers volunteerism as a very important form of pro-social behaviour. In particular, it focuses on volunteerism for development. It examines who in the Region volunteers, how they volunteer, and in what legal and social circumstances they volunteer. It also addresses the impact that this volunteerism has on the Millennium Development Goals. Finally,

RASR Initiative Issue Brief No. 1

With the decline in tensions in South-east Europe, and with the transition to NATO weaponry, many states are left with stockpiles of surplus small arms and ammunition.

Recognizing the need to manage these stockpiles, countries in the region have sought to participate in collaborative programmes with other states. The United States has supported a Regional Approach to Stockpile Reduction (RASR) Initiative to assist nine countries in South-east Europe to better manage their stockpiles, including through destruction where appropriate.

KEY FACTS

• In 2009, 17 multilateral peace operations were conducted in Europe, more than in any other region.
• Europe was the only region where the number of peacekeepers significantly decreased in 2009: numbers fell by 26 per cent, continuing a reduction since 1999.
• Despite the fall in personnel, Europe still ranked third in terms of deployment figures.
• Europe continued to be the only region where regional organizations conducted more operations than the UN.
• NATO remained the biggest deployer of

J. Nealin Parker

Center on International Cooperation

Introduction

Robust peacekeeping and, in particular, protection of civilians garnered significant attention in 2009. In January, the Australian and Uruguayan governments hosted a conference on civilian protection designed to convince wary member states. In November, the Security Council's open debate on protection of civilians in armed conflict considered the findings of an independent panel on implementing protection mandates. Looking ahead, the Council's mandate renewal for the UN Mission in the

OVERVIEW

After nearly two decades, in much of Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CEE/CIS) transition remains open-ended, and there is a considerable body of evidence suggesting that children have been - and continue to be - vulnerable in this process. However, the nature of the risks and deprivations experienced by children is changing, and the gaps between the least and most disadvantaged growing. Almost a decade of economic growth has brought about improvements in almost all average indicators of child well-being, but it has also made

BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC

The Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (PM/WRA) has released the 8th Edition of "To Walk the Earth in Safety," a report summarizing the accomplishments of the U.S. Humanitarian Mine Action Program, the world's largest such operation.

In 2008, the Department of State provided $123.1 million in mine clearance and weapons destruction assistance to 35 countries. Among the report's success stories is Cambodia, where U.S.

Executive summary

Some 2.5 million people are internally displaced in Europe in 2009. They are in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Georgia, Kosovo, Macedonia, the Russian Federation, Serbia and Turkey. Most fled their homes more than 15 years ago as a result of violence and armed conflict, and are living in situations of protracted displacement. Over time, many have become marginalised and have been unable to improve their situation. While the vulnerabilities of these internally displaced people (IDPs) are sometimes the same as the local population,