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Crisis and post-conflict management - A two-phase process

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Nearly 45 percent of conflicts flare up again within five years of their initial outbreak, a fact that illustrates the importance of long- and short-term post-conflict management for guaranteeing a permanent return to stability.
Key facts
• The nature of conflicts has changed since the 1970s: traditional wars have given way to vague wars involving clashes between several armed groups of all kinds and with different allegiances.
• Between 1990 and 2005, armed conflicts in Africa have cost 353 billion francs, an amount that roughly corresponds to the total figure spent on international development cooperation in Africa over the same period.

Thus, the concept of "post-conflict management" covers both slow operational areas such as peace building, reconciliation and rebuilding the State, and fast ones, such as reconstruction in the wake of wars or natural disasters. Work on preparing these two phases often begins when the conflict is still in progress.

Simultaneous reconstruction and reconciliation
 Failure to take account of these two temporal factors seriously jeopardizes the sustainability of support measures because – as the statistics show – the absence of war does not automatically mean the existence of sustainable peace, However, it is a fact that once a conflict is over, international aid is in principle quickly withdrawn, leaving national players to tackle reconstruction on their own, even though the basis for peace is still shaky.

The SDC focus: Long-term commitment

Armed with its experience of problem situations, the SDC undertakes long-term commitments when necessary. Its support for the creation or consolidation of legitimate, effective State structures in the areas of law, politics, administration and the economy helps prepare the ground for the governance that ensures smooth functioning of the State returned to peace.

Theme contact: Jean-François Cuénod

Additional Information and Documents

Documents
  • Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) / (OECD)
    Thematic Tip Sheet CSPM
    Download (PDF, 158 KB) :  [en]  
  • Peacebuilding
    SDC Guidelines
    Download (PDF, 596 KB) :  [de]   [en]   [fr]   [it]   [es]   [ru]  
  • Gender, Conflict Transformation & the psychosocial Approach
    Toolkit
    Download (PDF, 3873 KB) :  [de]   [en]   [fr]   [es]   [ru]  
    Order
  • Achieving development results in a fragile and conflict affected context - insights from Nepal
    Asia Brief - April 2011
    Download (PDF, 818 KB) :  [en]  
  • Un seul monde
    Disponible seulement en Suisse
    No. 2/2006: Conflits oubliés
    Download (PDF, 1488 KB) :  [de]   [fr]   [it]  
    Order
  • Un seul monde
    Disponible seulement en Suisse
    No. 1/2007: Grands Lacs
    Download (PDF, 1486 KB) :  [de]   [fr]   [it]  
    Order

External Links