The EU’s added value in Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration

On 18 March 2021, the EUISS and the EEAS organised a closed-door seminar on Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR), focusing on identifying the EU's added value. The workshop took place in anticipation of the planned revision of the EU concept for support to DDR of 2006 to take into account the EU’s growing role in the field of conflict prevention and management, as well as the changing nature of the security challenges that surround these actions.

The event brought together experts on DDR, conflict prevention and peacebuilding, as well as experts and officials from member states and EU institutions.

A first session examined the different environments in which DDR processes are conducted and the key role of mediation in the context of peace agreements, or when, in the absence of a negotiated framework, support of DDR is considered. A second session zoomed into a number of cross-cutting issues, exploring how DDR efforts interact with different policy tools that are integral part of conflict prevention, peacebuilding and security approaches.  

Florence Gaub, EUISS Deputy Director and Giovanni Faleg, EUISS Senior Analyst for sub-Saharan Africa moderated the event. Clara Portela, EUISS Senior Associate Analyst for arms control, non-proliferation and disarmament organised the event in co-operation with EEAS. Speakers included Katariina Mustasilta from the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, Claudia Breitung from Bonn International Centre for Conversion, Caty Clement from Interpeace, Veronique Dudouet from Berghof Foundation and Arthur Boutellis from International Peace Institute, among others.