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This third Annual Conference seeks to connect the dots between past and ongoing activities of the Platform. With forward-looking speakers, representatives of the research consortia implementing the NWO-WOTRO funded research, and a range of experts, the conference is an opportunity to take stock and build on previous work by engaging in creative thinking and development of ideas for future activities on the intersections of our thematic program. Participants will leave the conference with new networking connections and the energy and support to take their ideas forward.

Confirmed speakers

• Dr. Rachel Kleinfeld, Senior Associate, Democracy and Rule of Law Program of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace 
• Mr. Jan de Vries, Deputy Director, Netherlands Helsinki Committee
• Dr. Marco Lankhorst, Senior Research and Learning Officer, International Development Law Organization

Moderator

• Petra Stienen is an author and independent advisor. She worked as a human rights diplomat at the Netherlands Embassies in Egypt and Syria from 1995-2004. After she left the Foreign Ministry in 2009 she has established her own business as an independent advisor for various clients in the field of democracy, diversity and diplomacy to the government, ngo's and companies.

Program 

Welcome and registration (09:00 - 09:30)

Morning plenary session (09:30-13:00)

The morning plenary session will deal with the relevance of current security and rule of law policies and interventions in the face of new threats and challenges to peace, security and development. Speakers will explore current trends in the changing nature of violent conflict (e.g. the proliferation of non-state actors and nexus of crime, politics and business), the development of the fragile and conflict-affected states agenda, linking this to the future of the development agenda. What are roles for different stakeholders in these issues, including a Platform such as ours?

Conversation with the Platform’s Steering Group

Last year’s Annual Conference has been agenda setting: what has been done with this agenda; how has it informed the activities of the Platform; what has been developed; what have been the outputs and outcomes of all these different activities? How successful has the Platform been so far, what are the lessons learned for the future? This is an interactive conversation between the participants and the members of the Steering Group, on the work and progress of the Platform, including ideas for the future.

Deconstructing the reconstruction tender

In this session special attention will be given to a critical review of the proposals for the reconstruction tender, and drawing general lessons for the network of the Platform to increase the effectiveness of policy and programming.

Lunch (13:00-14:30)

Change of venues 

Afternoon breakout sessions (14:30-16:30)

Our afternoon breakout sessions are designed to draw lessons from the Platform’s past and ongoing activities, with the aim of harnessing new insights to chart innovative future directions in our various projects.  The breakouts sessions are organized around three headers.

1. Innovative solutions for security and justice

• Citizens seeking justice and security in fragile contexts

This session brings together knowledge about the provision of justice and security in fragile contexts, and how citizens seek access to justice and security. How do these two sectors interact? What lessons can be drawn from contrasting the experiences in both sectors, and what are the implications for programming? This topic strongly challenges conventional Rule of Law programming, with its state-centric focus on service delivery. What are implications for state-building and peacebuilding approaches? What would development interventions look like, and how can international actors usefully engage?

• Avoiding political entanglement, or embedding justice in politics?

Interventions often seek to steer clear of politics, as this often raises difficult questions regarding legitimacy and elite involvement. Security and Rule of Law programming is, therefore, often presented and undertaken as a purely technical endeavor. However, is this realistically possible? What are the first findings about the political economy of justice provision in fragile and conflict-affected contexts? How should on deal with politics, and what is the appropriate level and scope for engagement?

2. Testing assumptions: development and (in)stability

• Testing assumptions: the private sector’s contribution to peacebuilding and stability

An important focus of the Platform has been the role of the private sector in building and promoting peace and stability in fragile and conflict-affected contexts.  The private sector is seen to contribute to broad economic recovery, along with trust and reconciliation, a stronger political framework, and security. An important aim has been to investigate the assumptions underlying these claims. Where do we stand now? What is the evidence? What questions remain, and what are the new  challenges?

3. New crises? Dealing with transnational dimensions

• The current crisis in Burundi: the effectiveness of international engagement

The recent turmoil in Burundi raises questions about the effectiveness of international engagement in the country. Has the Dutch strategy to focus on security sector reform, but also economic development and access to justice, been the right approach? Has it been executed in the best possible way? Was the approach comprehensive or did we miss specific actors and sectors? What is the way forward, and what lessons do we need to take up to further work on peace and security at local, national, regional and international levels?

• Migration: exploring the potential of the comprehensive approach

Comprehensive approaches were developed to involve and align a wide range of actors and programs to deal with complex, multi-faceted crises. The current situation in the Mediterranean, where unprecedented flows of migrants have resulted in the deaths of thousands of people, represents a nexus of issues. Can we draw lessons from our experiences with comprehensive approaches to deal with this new crisis? How do we use current policy instruments? How can we deal with root causes, and take into account local perspectives and ownership of solutions? Should we attempt to develop a comprehensive (European?) approach? What are the alternatives?