DRAFT

Columbia University

School of International and Public Affairs

International Conflict Resolution Program

united nations studies program

international center for co-operation and conflict resolution - teachers College

in collaboration with

the carnegie council on ethics and international affairs

Parliamentarians for global action

PREVENTIVE DIPLOMACY & CONFLICT RESOLUTION

IN THE UNITED NATIONS: INTEGRATING THEORY AND PRACTICE

SPRING 2002 -COURSE U8556y

"For the United Nations there is no higher goal, no deeper commitment and no greater ambition than preventing armed conflict." Kofi Annan,

All classes will be held in the UN Secretariat Building, First Avenue and 46th Street, on Monday evenings, from 6:00-8:00p.m. If you do not have entrance permit for the UN buildings, contact a member of the coordination team at:

Coordinator:

Emilie Mbom - [email protected]

Room 1102 International Affairs Building

420 West 118th Street

Telephone: (212) 854-5623, Fax: (212) 854-6171

Instructors:

Andrea Bartoli - [email protected]

Room 1325 International Affairs Building

420 West 118th Street

Telephone: (212) 854-4449

Office hours: Monday 3:00-4:00 p.m., Monday 8:00-9:00 p.m. at UN

Ana Cutter - [email protected]

Carnegie Council on Ethics and International Affairs

170 East 64th Street

New York, NY 10021-7496

Telephone: (212) 838-4120

Syllabus (Draft)

(Please note that this document indicates the speakers who have been invited to address the class. It does not indicate acceptance from all the invitees. Names, dates and topics subject to change)

I. Background

In recent years, the United Nations has engaged in peace-related activities on an unprecedented scale. While military intervention, humanitarian relief and peacekeeping operations have received the most attention; the extensive peace-making efforts of the UN system have gone largely unanalyzed. Most recently, the emphasis of the UN and its agencies has been on coordination of prevention. In the past, the success of these efforts depended, to a large extent, on the skills and experience of the Special Representatives of the Secretary General (SRSGs), UN staff, and the SG's leadership. The debate has been further enhanced under Kofi Annan's tenure, including the release of the seminal Brahimi Report and numerous other important studies and position papers from within the UN system. In addition, UNDP, UNICEF and other agencies have begun developing policies and blueprints for action that look at their work through a "preventive" lens, reframing ongoing activity and creating new strategies to address deadly conflict.

Preventive Diplomacy & Conflict Resolution in the United Nations: Integrating Theory and Practice is a joint initiative of the International Conflict Resolution Program (ICRP), UN Studies Program of the School of International and Public Affairs (UNSPAC), and the International Center for Cooperation and Conflict Resolution (ICCCR) of Teachers College. It is planned and executed in close collaboration with the Strategic Planning Unit of the Office of the Secretary-General. The Carnegie Council on Ethics and International Affairs and Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA) offer further collaboration.

II. Objectives

The objective of the course is to integrate theory of conflict, negotiation, mediation and conflict prevention with the practice of the United Nations and thereby enhance the capacity of international and governmental officials and academics to understand when and how preventive diplomacy and peacemaking can prevent or stop deadly conflict. The intended result is to equip the learners with the necessary analytic tools and practical perspectives to enhance peacemaking in the types of situations the international community is likely to face in the coming decade.

The events of September 11, including the experience of terrorism on US soil, the magnitude of the events, the bombing campaign, war and regime change in Afghanistan, radically altered the prevention landscape and the priorities of national governments and international organizations. This year the course will look at four critical areas of impact of the events:

1) Existing knowledge -what do we know as scholars and practitioners regarding prevention and conflict resolution in the United Nations system?

2) Responses, critiques and evolving knowledge - what have been the responses from scholars and practitioners to the existing body of knowledge, both within the UN and elsewhere?

3) Challenges -how has the prevention regime been challenged by recent events and the use of military force?

4) Long-term prescriptions -what can be done to establish a regime for firmly rooted, dynamic prevention regimes to address even the most extreme experiences of conflict and violence?

III. Course Methodology

The course methodology is that of integrative learning combining a theoretical approach, to be taught by Columbia University faculty, with an experiential approach drawing on persons involved in ongoing prevention and conflict resolution efforts. The course assignments and structure are designed to produce a synergy between these two approaches.

The combination of UN professionals, selected diplomats and Columbia graduate students from the School of International and Public Affairs and School of Law also provides a unique opportunity for synergy. UN practitioners bring knowledge of institutional constraints and possibilities within the UN. Columbia graduate students are chosen on the basis of their theoretical understanding of conflict resolution, or their experience in the field with UN agencies, NGOs or governments. The participants from permanent missions bring the essential perspective of governments. It is expected that this combination will lead to a greater understanding on the part of all participants of the constraints to and importance of cooperation among institutions involved in peace-making activities in practice.

The instructor is Dr. Andrea Bartoli. Dr. Peter Coleman and Dr. Naomi Weinberger are co-directors of the project as directors respectively of the International Center on Cooperation and Conflict Resolution (ICCCR), Teachers College, Columbia University and of the UN Studies Program (UNSPAC) at the School of International and Public Affairs. Ana Cutter is the Director of Study for this project and will be a regular commentator together with the co-directors.

Guest lecturers are from both academia and the United Nations system. They are selected to provide the highest possible exposure to the theory and practice of preventive diplomacy and conflict resolution in the United Nations. The session on the role of parliamentarians is organized in collaboration with Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA).

IV. Readings

The readings selected for each session should be read before the class. Most will be available in the reader. In addition, the participants are expected to acquire and review at least one (1) of the following five (5) books for the course:

All books are available for purchase at Columbia University's Bookstore (Barnes & Noble) on Broadway and 115th Street.

V. Requirements

In addition to the aforementioned book review, each student taking the course for credit will be required to write a 20-25-page paper on the topic of his or her choice. UN participants and diplomats who would like to receive a certificate for the course also will be required to complete this assignment. Paper outlines are due on 11 March 2002. Final papers are due on 6 May 2002. Any student wishing to receive feedback prior to this date should submit a draft.

The purpose of the paper is to enhance our understanding of prevention of international deadly conflict. It should, as much as possible, reflect the findings of theoretical literature as well as the analysis of actual cases. Further guidelines for both assignments will be forthcoming.


VI. Schedule of classes (Provisional)

The following schedule of class sessions is subject to change due to the availability and travel schedules of negotiators and faculty. All topics and readings will be further refined in consultation with the lecturers for each session.

EXISTING KNOWLEDGE (Sessions 1-3)

Session 1: Monday, January 28, 2002

Course Framework and Overview

Instructors: Andrea Bartoli and Ana Cutter

Guest Lecturer: Sir Kieran Prendergast, Under-Secretary General for Political Affairs

DPA

Session 2: Monday, February 4, 2002

Conflict Prevention and Conflict Resolution: A Theoretical Perspective

Instructors: Andrea Bartoli and Ana Cutter

Guest Lecturer: Peter Coleman, Co-director, ICCCR, Teachers College, Columbia University

Session 3: Monday, February 11, 2002

Conceptualizing Preventive Action

Instructors: Andrea Bartoli and Ana Cutter

RESPONSES, CRITIQUES AND EVOLVING KNOWLEDGE (Sessions 4-6)

Session 4: Monday, February 18, 2002

Operationalizing Preventive Actions

Instructors: Andrea Bartoli and Ana Cutter

Guest Lecturer: Barnett Rubin, Director of Study, Center for International Cooperation, NYU

Session 5: Monday, February 25, 2002

Epistemic Communities and Conflict Prevention

Instructors: Andrea Bartoli and Ana Cutter

Session 6: Monday, March 4, 2002

Peacekeeping Intervention as part of a Prevention Strategy

Instructors: Andrea Bartoli and Ana Cutter

Guest Lecturer: Michael Doyle, Assistant Secretary General, United Nations

Session 7: Monday, March 11, 2002

Human Security and Human Development in the 21st Century

Instructors: Andrea Bartoli and Ana Cutter

Guest Lecturer: Mark Malloch Brown, Administrator, UNDP

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[NOTE: No session on March 18, 2002 due to Spring Break]

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CHALLENGES (SESSIONS 8-9)

Session 8: Monday, March 25, 2002

Balance of Power, State Interest, and Conflict Prevention

Instructors: Andrea Bartoli and Ana Cutter

Guest Lecturer: Richard Betts, Director, Institute of War and Peace Studies, SIPA

Session 9: Monday, April 1, 2002

The Rule of Law, Transitional Justice and Prevention

Instructors: Andrea Bartoli and Ana Cutter

Guest Lecturer: Hans Correll, Under Secretary General, United Nations

LONG-TERM PRESCRIPTIONS (SESSIONS 10-12)

Session 10: Monday, April 8, 2002

Preventing Escalation: Northern Ireland, Balkans, Middle East

Instructors: Andrea Bartoli and Ana Cutter

Guest Lecturer: George J. Mitchell, Senator

Session 11: Monday, April 15, 2002

Interagency Coordination for Prevention: Lessons Learned through the Framework Team

Instructors: Andrea Bartoli and Ana Cutter

Guest Lecturer: Nils Kastberg, Director, UNICEF Office of Emergency

Session 12: Monday, April 22, 2002

Role of Parliamentarians in Preventive Actions

Instructors: Andrea Bartoli and Ana Cutter

Guest Lecturer: Kenneth Dzirasah, MP, member of the Parliamentarian for Global

Action Task-force on Africa

INTEGRATION & CONCLUSIONS (SESSIONS 13-14)

Session 13: Monday, April 29, 2002

Building Integrated Prevention Strategies: UN, NGOs and Academic Institutions

Instructors: Andrea Bartoli and Ana Cutter

Session 14: Monday, May 6, 2002

Conclusions

Instructors: Andrea Bartoli and Ana Cutter