‘Post-conflict rehabilitation: stabilization, reconstruction and peacebuilding’ focus of OSCE workshop

The Lithuanian OSCE Chairmanship, with the support of the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre, is hosting a workshop in Vienna on the post-conflict rehabilitation capacity of the Organization. The event is the second in a series of expert meetings on early warning, conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict rehabilitation taking place under the “V[ienna] to V[ilnius] Dialogue”.

This workshop on 2 and 3 May brings together more than 150 experts from the OSCE region, other international and regional organizations, non-governmental organizations and think-tanks to exchange experiences and best practices in capacity building in the fields of stabilization, reconstruction and peacebuilding in post-conflict environments.

“The OSCE has gained significant experience in this area since the early 1990s, especially through its field activities,” said Ambassador Renatas Norkus of Lithuania, the Chairperson of the OSCE Permanent Council in his opening address to the participants.

“The Organization, with its comprehensive approach to security and an extensive network of institutions, thematic units and field operations, can effectively address a conflict or crisis situation in all its phases, thus providing the much-needed continuity of effort all the way through to the post-conflict stage. Learning from experiences of others is a way to improve this capacity even further, and I am encouraged by the interest demonstrated by representatives of the expert community to our initiative.”

In her keynote address, the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support, Judy Cheng-Hopkins, spoke on the UN's peacebuilding architecture, its lessons learned and its 2010 Review of the Peacebuilding Commission.  

The workshop participants discussed the role of regional and multilateral organizations in stabilization, reconstruction and peacebuilding; strengthening local ownership of non-military confidence building measures; and, they also took stock of recent peacebuilding initiatives of OSCE participating States.

For links to further information, please visit: //www.osce.org/event/postconflict_2011