Peace-Building after Violent Conflicts and the Need to Reform International Organisations. Views from The Hague

12:30, 15 Sep 2008
RUSI, Whitehall, London, SW1A 2ET

Link to map: multimap

About the event:

International organisations are not truly fit for purpose. With regard to international or regional security, the United Nations, NATO, EU or OSCE all share some success, yet their remit is only as relevant as their ability to affect the next emerging crisis. Moving from a state of war to the rule of law in a post-conflict environment is a difficult path and enduring conflicts in the Caucasus, the Balkans and elsewhere all demonstrate some of the inadequacies of these stabilisation efforts.  In examining the institutional experience of some of these operations, it becomes apparent that current peace-building endeavours are often constrained by their own structural inhibitions.

During the lecture, our two distinguished speakers will address the Institute on the reform of international bodies as seen from the Netherlands and relate their country’s best efforts with regard to successful peace-building operations.

Mr Hans Wesseling is Deputy Director of the Peace Building and Fragility Unit at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Netherlands. He studied International Law at the University of Leiden, fulfilled his Military Service from 1980-82 and joined the Foreign Office afterwards. Postings abroad included Jakarta, Moscow, Kiev, Zagreb, Tbilisi (OSCE) and London.

Mr Joris Voorhoeve is Professor of International Organisations at Leiden University and of International Security at the Netherlands Defence Academy. Former Defence Minister of the Netherlands between 1994 and 1998, he is also a member of the Dutch Council of State (Raad van State) providing advice to the Netherlands Government. Mr Voorhoeve is chair of Oxfam Netherlands and the European Centre for Conflict Prevention.

A buffet lunch will be served from 1230.

To register for this event, please email Rachel Bowden at rachelb@rusi.org or call +44 (0)20 7747 2648.

 

 

Event manager: Rachel Bowden, +44(0)20 7747 2648