Crisis response, conflict prevention and peace building
- The EU has financed more than 1,000 crisis response and conflict prevention projects carried out worldwide over the past 10 years. They helped to alleviate tensions, prevent conflict through mediation, broker and implement peace agreements, reintegrate persons involved in conflict into society, and ensure transitional justice and accountability.
- The crisis response and conflict prevention actions are carried out around the world in conflict zones, in post-conflict environments and in emerging crisis settings in a fast and flexible manner.
- The EU is working with 63 partner countries in the context of eight regional EU CBRN Risk Mitigation Centres of Excellence to address chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) related threats to safety and security.
- Since 2013, the EU has funded more than 100 projects aimed at countering terrorism and preventing violent extremism.
The EU addresses conflict and post crisis situations, as well as longer-term peace building in countries around the world under the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument - Global Europe (NDICI-Global Europe), which came into force on 14 June 2021. Its response can include both short and mid-term actions to prevent conflict, respond to crises and build peace, as well as longer-term actions to address global and transregional threats. This approach builds on the EU’s past decade of similar work in crisis and conflict-affected countries.
The role of the Service for Foreign Policy Instruments
The Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI) works in close partnership with the EU Delegations, the European External Action Service and other Commission services, thereby contributing to an integrated approach to conflicts, one of the main objectives of the Global Strategy for the EU's Foreign and Security Policy.
The Service employs a team of specialised policy planners for this purpose, working both at Headquarters and in the FPI’s Regional Teams. The FPI Regional Teams are located in the EU Delegations in Brazil (covering the Americas), Kenya (covering Eastern and Southern Africa), Lebanon (covering the Middle East and North Africa), Senegal (covering Western Africa), and Thailand (covering Asia and the Pacific). Implementing partners predominantly include NGOs, the UN and other international organisations, EU Member State agencies as well as regional and sub-regional organisations.
The EU’s rapid response approach
The FPI puts the EU’s foreign policy in action in a tangible manner. Recent years have been marked by a challenging global environment for peace and stability, including in the EU’s neighbourhood. The EU’s rapid response approach allows to address fast and flexibly unexpected needs or political opportunities in conflict or crisis situations. These can stem from a political context, a specific conflict or a man-made or natural disaster.
‘Rapid response’ actions are intended to create the conditions for improved stability and security, addressing root causes of conflict and instability, to help the affected countries taking the road to peace. This can be achieved by various approaches, such as prevention of conflict through mediation, brokering and implementing peace agreements, reintegrating persons involved in conflict into society, increasing the involvement of civil society, addressing weak rule of law, or ensuring transitional justice and accountability. Flexibility is key as each crisis situation requires an appropriate response dictated by its context. Rapid response actions can, therefore, take many forms depending on what is needed in each specific situation.
Responding to global and transregional threats
Terrorism, violent extremism and organised crime affect countries and societies around the world. The competition for control over critical infrastructure and technology, the threats to people and infrastructure from chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear hazards, and the growing security risks driven by climate change are becoming increasingly significant. These global and transregional threats increase the risk of instability and violent conflict and undermine recovery and development efforts, the rule of law, and peace. They are placing new demands on the EU external policies.
Under the EU Global Threats programme, the Service for Foreign Policy Instruments identifies, prepares and implements longer-term actions to support partner countries outside of the EU to build and enhance their capacity to respond to global, transregional and emerging threats to stability, peace and security. It is providing capacity-building support and technical assistance, in particular for law enforcement, judicial and civil authorities, and promoting cooperation and exchange among these actors. Respect for human rights and the rule of law are strong components of all supported actions.
Support to transitional justice and constitution-building processes
Transitional justice and constitution-building contribute to sustainable peace in situations of crisis, emerging crisis, and post-conflict. With funding from the Peace and Stability thematic programme of the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument - Global Europe, FPI supports transitional justice and constitution-building processes in a range of contexts.
FPI actions are guided by the EU Policy Framework on Support to Transitional Justice, that describes transitional justice as the full range of processes and mechanisms associated with a society’s attempts to come to terms with a legacy of large-scale past abuses, to ensure accountability, serve justice and achieve reconciliation. The four essential elements of transitional justice are criminal justice, truth, reparations, and guarantees of non-recurrence. Each element can comprise a variety of judicial and non-judicial measures, aiming at ending impunity; providing recognition and redress to victims; fostering trust; strengthening the rule of law; and contributing to reconciliation.
The FPI-funded and managed Facility on Justice in Conflict and Transition (FJCT) supports transitional justice and constitution-building processes in third countries through the provision of short-term expertise in a wide range of thematic and geographic areas, coaching and training for governmental and non-governmental actors, and the development of knowledge products, comparative analyses and guidance to support country processes. Read the FJCT analysis on Mental Health and Psycho-Social Support (MHPSS) and Transitional Justice and on Transitional Justice in Peace Mediation.