The Necessity of Conflict Prevention
Until recently, the conflicts faced by the international community have been inter-state conflicts. However, the regional conflicts that have been breaking out in the sphere of chaos are intra-state rather than inter-state conflicts and tend to be fought by civilian militia rather than regular armies. Unfortunately, international rules of engagement for intra-state conflicts do not exist. As a result, brutalities multiply, civilians become victims of violence and serious human rights infringements cause refugee flight. Ethnic conflicts may even involve ethnic cleansing. Once an intra-state conflict has broken out it becomes complex, and sacrifices, as well as a great deal of time and expense, are required to resolve it. Because of this, conflict prevention, which takes steps to prevent conflict breaking out, has received much attention recently.
The activities of conflict prevention encompass a number of goals, techniques and actors. We may think about conflict in terms of four stages. The first stage is peacetime, when the threat of conflict is not imminent. The second stage is the state of emergency when the outbreak of conflict is imminent. The third stage is when the conflict has already broken out and there is a fear of its expansion, and the fourth stage is when the conflict has been resolved, but there is a fear of its reoccurrence.
The goals of conflict prevention are to maintain the peace during the first stage, prevent the outbreak of conflict during the second stage, prevent the expansion of conflict during the third stage and prevent the reoccurrence of conflict during the fourth stage. The most appropriate techniques for each stage are selected from the following five fields: diplomacy, economic policy, humanitarian efforts, military action and democratization. The actors involved in conflict prevention span the U.N., governments, NGOs, the media, the private sector and individuals: in fact, every level of society from the government level to the grass-roots level. In recent years, the idea of a “comprehensive approach” in conflict prevention has received much attention. It is this comprehensive approach that is required of the techniques and actors described above.
Conditions and Issues for Successful Conflict Prevention
There are certain conditions for the success of conflict prevention. All parties must have the will to prevent the outbreak of conflict and be receptive to the international community`s preventive measures. On the other hand, the international community must present measures that are acceptable to the parties in question and must be neutral.
To make progress in conflict prevention it is necessary, first, to conceptually clarify terms used and the stage of the conflict applied, and, subsequently, to construct a theoretical framework. In addition, it is essential to co-ordinate the co-operation and division of labor between those involved in conflict prevention. Through exhaustive, organic and co-operative actions from government level to the grass-roots level, effective conflict prevention is attainable. It is also vital to have an early warning system for the imminent outbreak of conflict, but this system must be one that facilitates the collection, standardization, analysis and dissemination of information. It must also be one that facilitates co-ordination between different warning systems. This is a field in which the active participation of NGOs with strong local roots is desirable. We must also consider whether early warning ought to be linked to early action.
Women and children are often the main victims of conflict
Furthermore, foreign intervention in the prevention of intra-state conflicts raises issues of national sovereignty and territorial integrity. If the international community is to deal with an intrastate conflict, it is crucial for it to secure the consent of the parties involved beforehand. The numbers of civilian casualties and refugees in intrastate conflicts are increasing, and, as we have seen in Somalia and the former Yugoslavia, the members of international relief operations are also not immune from risk. It is important to consider the issue of the security of international relief activities.
The post-conflict response to former combatants is also important. If disarmament, the removal of arms and the reintegration into society of the former combatants are not achieved, it is possible that conflict will reoccur. The problem of child soldiers is also a concern. Concerning ways and means of conflict prevention, there are still many unresolved issues related to the methods and targets of development assistance and economic sanctions, including their respective evaluation and enforcement.
