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Press Release

14 March 2007

UK plans to tackle conflict

Hilary Benn, Secretary of State for International Development, today published a new policy paper Preventing Violent Conflict(685 kb). It calls for more collective action from the international community, through the United Nations (UN), African Union (AU) and other bodies to deal with conflict and it sets out the steps that the Department for International Development (DFID) will take, including:

putting more effort and resources into preventing conflict

responding more effectively to armed conflict, including through support for peace processes, and

making our development work more 'conflict-sensitive' by better risk and governance assessment, increased resources and expertise in countries affected by conflict.

Hilary Benn said:

“We all need to do more to reduce violent conflict if we are to succeed in reducing poverty. On average, it takes twenty years for a country to recover from a conflict, and nearly 40% of all civil wars start again within a decade.

“With increasing pressure on natural resources the world faces a potentially devastating downward spiral of conflict. By 2010 half of the world’s poorest people could be living in states affected by, or at risk of, violent conflict.

“If we are to cut global poverty and give people a safer future we need to break this cycle. DFID will work to ensure UK aid is used to stop conflict happening in the first place or reduce the impact of ongoing conflicts.”

Estimates suggest that a civil war will cost an average of $54 billion. For every year of civil war, economic growth – the jobs, the incomes that will help end poverty – is cut by over 2 per cent, year on year.

The UK, through DFID, the Foreign Office and the Ministry of Defence has been working to create a stable environment in states affected by conflict, where development can flourish. Working with other governments and international organisations the UK has:

helped secure agreement at the UN General Assembly for talks on the Arms Trade Treaty in 2006

helped ensure that the UN, AU, European Union (EU) and regional groups have the funds and personnel to prevent and respond to conflict, and

provided diplomatic support and a financial contribution of £30 million to the UN Peace Building Fund.

The UK created two Conflict Prevention Pools in 2001, that combine diplomatic, development and defence approaches to tackle conflict in African and non-African states respectively. In 2004 the Post Conflict Reconstruction Unit was set up to ensure that the UK co-ordinated its rebuilding efforts. So far it has helped provincial authorities in Basra in Iraq and Helmand in Afghanistan prioritise and deliver immediate improvements to water, irrigation and power supply projects.

Mr Benn announced a £500,000 boost over two years to support the new UN mediation unit that will develop a team of skilled and experienced staff that are easily deployed to support the process of peace around the world.

Conflict factsheet and what DFID is doing to resolve conflict

Estimates suggest that a civil war will cost an average of $54 billion. For every year of civil war, economic growth – the jobs, the incomes that will help end poverty – is cut by over 2%, year on year.

Studies have shown that £1 invested in preventing conflict saves the international community £4 on average.

By 2010, half of the world’s poorest people could be living in states that are experiencing, or at risk of, violent conflict.

During the 1990s, half of the countries where life expectancy, income and education went backwards had experienced violent conflict.

Of the 34 countries furthest from reaching the UN’s Millennium Development Goals aimed at cutting poverty, getting more children into school and improving healthcare, 22 are in the midst of – or emerging from – violent conflict.

The availability of conventional weapons, particularly small arms, can make it easier for conflict to turn violent. There are an estimated 650 million small arms already in circulation. Some of these are illegally held and can fuel a cycle of violent conflict and crime, particularly in poor countries and among poor communities.

Uganda

There has been violent conflict in northern Uganda between the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and the Government for 20 years.

The UK has contributed £3 million to work for peace, including the Acholi Religious Leaders’ Peace Initiative which fostered talks between communities, religious leaders and LRA commanders. As a direct result of these meetings, the Government of Uganda declared a ceasefire in a small area of northern Uganda. While this did not last, it resulted in the handover of several hundred abducted women and children by the LRA.

Indonesia

In Indonesia, DFID has worked with local communities and government to help bring to an end conflicts over access to land and natural resources.

Often, poor people were forcibly evicted from their land to make way for timber plantations or conservation areas. These land disputes often resulted in violent conflict. With support from DFID the rules were changed to give greater protection to the land rights of poor forest-dependent people.

As a result, the Head of a District Forest Department said “in the past, forest officials would never turn up in a village on their own for fear of being attacked. Now they are warmly welcomed and their relationship with local communities has been transformed from one of outright conflict to one of close co-operation”.

Brazil

In Brazil, more than 100 people die every day through armed violence. Most of the victims – and perpetrators – are young men from favelas (informal settlements) in cities like Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo.

The UK government, through the Global Conflict Prevention Pool, has provided support for a number of years to an organisation called Viva Rio, which works with young people from disadvantaged communities to prevent violence. Viva Rio advocates far stronger controls on guns, supports efforts to reform the city’s police force and works on social and economic projects that provide real alternatives to violence.

Viva Rio also runs the Fight for Peace project that combines professional boxing lessons with citizenship classes and group discussions with a social worker. Evidence suggests that Viva Rio’s work has helped reduce violence among disadvantaged young men – and young women – in Rio and beyond.

Notes to editors

1. DFID’s new publication, Preventing Violent Conflict(685 kb) is available.

2. Hilary Benn will be launching the paper at the Cabinet War Rooms in London on Wednesday 14 March.

For further information please contact pressoffice@dfid.gov.uk or call 020 7023 0600. If you are not a member of the media please contact our Public Enquiries Point on 0845 300 4100.

Links

UK Goverment's Conflict Prevention Pools