Following violent conflict or serious political and social crisis, a successful post-conflict transition is key in the peacebuilding and reconciliation process. Within this post-conflict transition, the disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration of former combatants (DDR) is instrumental, seeking to increase security levels locally and nationally, but also enabling those associated with armed groups to (re)join mainstream society following the end of conflict.
Contemporary challenges and developments within the field have challenged the traditional use of DDR as a post-conflict tool. Responding to these challenges, the United Nations Inter-Agency Working Group on DDR has initiated a revision of the Integrated DDR Standards (IDDRS) for the standards to better suit contemporary challenges of peacebuilding environments. Considering this revision, the Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA) revised its global course on DDR, which was relaunched in November 2019 in Stockholm. A third round of the course will be completed between the 7th and 18th of November 2022 in Barcelona, Spain, in collaboration with the Barcelona International Peace Center (BIPC).
This course is to a large extent based on the revised version of the UN Integrated DDR Standards (IDDRS) for guiding principles, preconditions, core strategies and approaches for undertaking integrated DDR. It outlines preconditions necessary for the success and sustainability of DDR programmes. It also provides guidance on key strategies and approaches to DDR programmes and operations such as community-based reintegration and security aspects. Furthermore, the course includes discussions on mandates as well as on the international legal framework within which integrated DDR programmes operate.
The course covers four general themes with underlying specifics:
- Concepts, Policy and Strategy of IDDRS
- Operations, Programmes and Support
- Structures and Processes
- Cross-cutting issues and linkages
The participants are expected to have a basic knowledge of Peace Support Operations and a need or strong interest to learn about DDR. Invited participants are civil servants, diplomats, police, military personnel, academics, and representatives from International and Non-Governmental Organisations. To fully contribute to the development of the course, participants are expected to actively engage with trainers, the course material, and with other participants.
As the course is taught fully in English, fluency is a requirement.
For more specific information on the course, see the Course Invitation.
How to register
Please send us your digital applications via the provided link no later than September 20th, 2022. Please follow the format of the digital form. We receive many applications and to better evaluate yours, please include a short motivation note as to why you wish to attend this course. In addition, please attach your CV.