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Conflict prevention was high on the agendas of both the EU & the UN in 2001, resulting in the release of major reports & ensuing high-level debates. The reports document the efforts of the EU & the UN to practically implement their new commitment to conflict prevention. Both the EU & the UN have emphasized long-term preventive efforts focused on the root causes of armed conflicts. This calls for an integrated approach & improved coordination among actors. In practice, however, this is difficult as preventive efforts in West Africa & Zimbabwe illustrate. The annex lists figures for current multilateral peace operations in 2001. For the first time since 1996 no new UN peace operation was launched. The limited size & scope of the five new multilateral missions meanwhile illustrate the increasing caution of the international states & organizations toward new operations as the costs of such commitments are realized. 1 Figure, 1 Appendix. Adapted from the source document.

Akashi, Y.: Actors, tools and mechanisms for conflict prevention at the global level. - S. 1-4 Yeo Lay Hwee; Zaur, Ian; Ekeroth, M.: Conflict map of Southeast Asia. - S. 5-20 Kreuzer, P.: The Mindanao conflict : ripe for resolution? - S. 21-32 Pasch, P.: The North Korean nuclear crisis : last exit Beijing. - S. 33-42 Lebédel, E.; Fort, B.: The conflict map of Europe : from Mars to Venus? - S. 43-56 Vetschera, H.: Early warning in the Yugoslav crisis and the development of instruments : a European perspective. - S. 57-70 Schettini, R.: Migration from Africa to Europe. - S. 71-78 Berger, B.; Ekerroth, M.; Iglesias, S.: Report on proceedings of the 4th Asia-Europe Roundtable. - S. 79-87

AbstractBased on interviews conducted in Burundi with representatives of women's groups, and in light of existing knowledge on conflict prevention and peacebuilding in divided societies, the article critically examines national and international efforts to prevent a re‐emergence of the conflict. It argues that conflict prevention initiatives led by women's groups, though often overlooked and sidelined, could provide important insights for improving operational conflict prevention models. Through their multilevel, low‐key, inclusive, and versatile activities, Burundian women's organizations challenge and complement conventional operational conflict prevention practices that are often ill‐suited to the needs of intrastate conflicts.

Conflict is defined as a situation where actors are pursuing incompatible goals. It is assumed that the actors are acting if & only if they deem the value of the goal, weighed by the probability of attaining it, to be greater than the value of the means used, ie the value lost through the struggle. In terms of the variables of a conflict model, conditions of power balance are formulated, ie of a situation where both parties are determined to defend themselves if attacked, & neither attacks. A distinction is drawn between the pol'al burden of military aggression & the physical cost of warfare; similarly, it is distinguished between valuation of the goal from the point of view of expansion & from that of security. On the basis of these distinctions, the concepts of nonexpansive attitude & aggressiveness by fear are defined & their influence on the conditions of power balance is discussed. It is shown that in a situation where none of the actors is expansive & both perceive the other party's att as nonexpansive, peace is independent of military methods of conflict prevention, & thus the concept of power balance cannot be applied. Nonmilitary methods of conflict prevention are defined as measures aiming at influencing the actor's attitude in the direction of nonexpansiveness. Finally, it is attempted to formulate a survey of nonmilitary conflict prevention measures, based in part on how these measures influence the actor's expectations concerning warfare & internat'l cooperation, & in part on which of the value variables determining the actor's attitude they affect. IPSA.