UK Government wants to lead on Conflict Prevention

'We want to be the world leader in terms of making a real impact in this absolutely vital area.'

The words of Henry Bellingham MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, speaking for the government during the Westminster Hall debate on 21 June 2011.

Co-Chair of the APPGCI Simon Hughes MP led the 90-minute debate, only the second-ever in Parliament devoted to conflict prevention, and was praised by the minister: '

I'd like to congratulate him on the work he's done with the All-Party Group [on Conflict Issues] and the honourable colleagues who have been supportive of that group, which I think is one of the most important groups in Parliament.'

The key points and commitments made by the minister in response to the debate include:

Programme resources in the Conflict Pool will rise from £229m to £309m by 2014-15
The Stabilisation Unit will be refocused to give more

attention to upstream conflict prevention
By 2014-15 HMG will increase to 30% the proportion of UK overseas development assistance that supports
conflict-affected and fragile states
HMG will seek to improve its early-warning and

early-response capabilities
HMG will seek to improve its cooperation on conflict prevention with partner countries and organisations
HMG supports the suggestion to convene a ministerial

seminar on conflict prevention that involves a wide

range of stakeholders

A full recording of the debate can be watched here. The Hansard report can be read here.

Thanks to all those who provided briefing material, which is available on the Resources page of our website.

Tags: Government, Parliament, UK, all-party, conflict, early-response, early-warning, prevention, stabilisation, unit

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Comment by Egwuatu U ONYEJELEM on July 27, 2011 at 1:16pm: Saying it in the face of the camera is one thing, doing it is another. the words sound so " romantic" as prof. Galtung always describes with sense of humour. it doesn't matter how much money is put in "conflict prevention" I do not have problems so long us it is used for the sole purpose for which it is been promised. Not sending 100 British a broad to administer it the money (call them experts). what happens? the money is taken back to Uk inform of salaries. what have you done to prevent conflict? Good luck with the ambitions to lead in "CONFLICT PREVENTION"

Iryn got it – They hardly employ the locals, and my question is, how would you build the local capacity and how would you promote local ownership of peace-building projects when you do not give them opportunity to prove their work and get corrected? Why not make use of local human resources and see how much you would be saving and how much you would be achieving?

Many thanks!

Egwu

Comment by Iryn Dawa on June 28, 2011 at 3:43am: Saying it in the face of the camera is one thing, doing it is another. the words sound so " romantic" as prof. Galtung always describes with sense of humour. it doesn't matter how much money is put in "conflict prevention" I do not have problems so long us it is used for the sole purpose for which it is been promised. Not sending 100 British a broad to administer it the money (call them experts). what happens? the money is taken back to Uk inform of salaries. what have you done to prevent conflict? Good luck with the ambitions to lead in "CONFLICT PREVENTION"

Comment by ROSE NOO on June 27, 2011 at 10:14am: such pronouncements from the mighty quarters touches my heart. The selection of words like Prevention are key words in that gesture. probably very little focus is placed around the word prevention when it comes to conflict.

a lot of resources is put down stream or rather the garage model of broken fix. WE ARE ALREADY AT WAR every one is running around with soldiers and machinery to resolve the conflict. so every lip is talking RESOLUTION.

Comment by William TARPAI on June 26, 2011 at 6:43pm: Writing from across the pond, it is truly pleasing to see funding being placed where it can best avoid having to put soldier on the ground in faraway countries...

Comment by zirhumana saidi crepin on June 26, 2011 at 1:02pm: i trully believed that God still acting through some people, this is the genuine idea that we long for, please we need to this materialized...

Comment by Potre Dirampatan Diampuan on June 25, 2011 at 12:35am: Pronouncements such as those coming from first world and powerful countries impact on global peace efforts. Kudos to Henry Bellingham MP, UK Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. God bless you!

Comment by William Boto on June 24, 2011 at 1:41pm: What an intelligent and innovative pronouncement in its timing and benefit to mankind. History has clearly demonstrated that guns, bombs and submarines alone will not add peace to what we already have. But preemptive, well intentioned civil actions of all parties will.

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