International Parliamentary Conference on Peacebuilding

International Parliamentary Conference on Peacebuilding: Tackling State Fragility

If you are a Member of Parliament and you would like to register your interest for the conference, or find out any additional information, please contact Elspeth Macdonald on 020 7219 4882 or macdonalde@parliament.uk

Introduction
The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK Branch is proud to announce that from 31 January - 6 February 2010, it will host the International Parliamentary Conference on Peacebuilding: Tackling State Fragility.

The event is organised in partnership with the Northern Ireland Assembly and will be held at the Houses of Parliament, London (Monday 1 - Wednesday 3 February) and at the Northern Ireland Assembly, Belfast (Wednesday 3 - Friday 5 February).

Please view the International Parliamentary Conference on Peacebuilding Preview Programme.

Background
40% of civil wars are post-conflict relapses within a decade of the outbreak of peace [1]. Unable to provide economic opportunities and security for their populations, the effects of state fragility (human displacement, disregard for law and order) also impact profoundly on regional and global stability. State fragility is therefore both a local and international concern calling for regional cooperation and international assistance.

Alongside the judiciary, civil society and media actors, parliamentarians counter-balance the power of the executive as it approaches peacebuilding at home and overseas. Parliamentarians play an instrumental role in shaping and realising sustainable peace. However until fairly recently international peacebuilding efforts have emphasised and advanced the importance of good governance via the executive branch of government and civil society with little investment in parliaments.

The International Parliamentary Conference on Peacebuilding seeks to redress this blind spot by bringing together parliamentarians from across the Commonwealth and beyond to exchange knowledge and experience with one another and international experts. The event will strengthen the contribution of parliamentarians to processes such as the International Dialogue on Peacebuilding and Statebuilding and, in so doing, will assist the development of global and local strategies for sustainable peace, security and development.

Conference Aim
To strengthen the role of parliamentarians in promoting sustainable peace, security and development.

Conference Objectives

Delegate parliamentarians will be challenged to:

• Hold Executives to account on their strategies to tackle state fragility and re-establish the basic functions of the state - security, rule of law and economic management;

• Negotiate the tensions of transitional justice without compromising fragile peace;

• Establish strong citizen-state relations for non-violent dispute mediation and greater political transparency and accountability, especially through engagement with civil society and media;

• Employ human rights principles and instruments to support peacebuilding initiatives with specific attention to redressing gender inequalities;

• Improve the responsiveness, appropriateness and coordination of peacebuilding initiatives through parliamentary networking and alliance-building across party lines and local, national, regional and international levels

Delegates

Parliaments in the following countries and regions will be sending delegates to participate in the Peacebuilding conference.

Amani Forum
Austria
Bangladesh
Cameroon
Canada
Cyprus
Georgia
Ghana
India (National)
Kenya
Kosovo
Latin American Parliament
Lesotho
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Malta
Mauritius
Namibia
New Zealand
Norway
Pakistan (Balochistan)
Pakistan (National)
Pakistan (Peshawar)
Pakistan (Sindh)
Peru
Rwanda
The Seychelles
Somaliland
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Swaziland
Uganda
United Kingdom (Northern Ireland)
Zambia

________________________________________
[1] Collier, Hoeffler and Soderbom, 2008.