Crisis Prevention and Recovery in Europe & CIS

Many human development concerns in the Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (ECIS) relate to crisis prevention and recovery, making the risk profile in the countries of the region extremely complex. Crisis factors are often closely related to political and economic legacies of communism and the Cold War, recent sub-regional conflicts and to the complex socio-economic and political problems stemming from post-communist transition.

Conflicts in the region

Nearly half of the region’s countries have experienced conflict during the past 15 years: 

• Territorial conflicts and independence movements: Chechnya (Russia); Cyprus; Kosovo; Nagorno Karabakh (Armenia, Azerbaijan); Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Adjaria (Georgia), Transdniestria (Moldova);Turkey
• Ethnic tensions: the Balkans (Albania, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo); Crimea; the Caucasus; Central Asia (Ferghana Valley); Cyprus
• Transboundary nationalism: the Balkans; the Caucasus
• Natural resource-based tension: the countries of Central Asia (esp. in the Ferghana Valley)

As many countries of the region move out of the immediate conflict and post-conflict phase, the development situation in these countries remains characterized by political, economical and social instabilities.  Imminent possibility of renewed conflict, aftermath of civil war, fragile power share between the elites and weak capacity of the countries of the region to cope with the large-scale political, economical and social transitions consequently constrain the prospects for successful political and economic reforms.

 

Natural disasters in the region

Development in the ECIS region is also threatened by natural disasters. Parts of the region are vulnerable to localized floods and landslides, drought and major earthquakes (the Caucasus, Central Asia and parts of Southern Balkans); these are often recurrent or seasonal. In addition, natural hazards and human-made hazards (such as mine tailings and nuclear plants) constantly interact, with the potential to undermine social and political stability and cause major emergencies including health crises. Inability to cope with significant natural disaster hazards can lead to large-scale crisis and the loss of development gains.

UNDP’s work to address CPR challenges in the region

UNDP’s Crisis Prevention and Recovery Practice in Europe and the CIS offers the latest approaches to Conflict Prevention and post-conflict recovery, Rule of Law, Small Arms and Mine Action, Disaster Risk Reduction, and Post-crises Early Recovery.

 

UNDP’s capacity in the region to promote crisis prevention and recovery is demonstrated through our portfolio of more then 181 ongoing initiatives in 28 countries with an annual turnover of over US$ 76 million.

 

We utilize the expertise of 190 UNDP professionals specialized in Crisis Prevention. We also rely on 45 external practitioners from NGOs, academia and think tanks who partner with us.

 

In addition to its own capacities, the regional practice can link to UNDP experience and expertise present in 147 countries with a portfolio of $685 million, and a network of more then 100 technical advisors.

  

Publications

Public Oversight of the Security Sector: A Handbook for Civil Society Organizations

A resource handbook for grassroots organizations to help them monitor governmental security agencies is now available from the United Nations Development Programme-Bratislava Regional Centre and the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces. As part of their ‘watchdog’ role, civil society organizations can help monitor government security agencies including the defence, police and intelligence services. Such monitoring activities are crucial for preventing malpractices by the security sector and ensuring that states provide security as a public good. The handbook, “Public Oversight of the Security Sector: A Handbook for Civil Society Organizations,” assists with those efforts by providing guidelines on planning, implementing and organizing civilian oversight. Additionally, the handbook also demonstrates how civic groups can use advocacy, training, monitoring and budget analysis to generate better accountability of governmental security. Other issues explored in the handbook include how CSOs ensure their organizational credibility, challenges civil society groups face during states of emergencies and other restrictive environments, and how to provide legal assistance to individuals whose human rights have been violated. Download the Handbook here.

Links and Resources

UNDP Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery (BCPR) Overview (pdf)

Terrorist violence on the decline, a report by a Simon Fraser University-based research team says terrorist violence around the world is on the decline.