Brookings: Topics - Balkans

Foreign Policy

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:23:32 GMT

The U.S. and the international community face great challenges in the 21st century—globalization offers more freedom and prosperity, but also new threats to our security. The Foreign Policy Studies scholars and research help policymakers and the public address these crucial issues.

The Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Since 2004 there have been encouraging trends related to internal displacement. Walter Kälin notes that the use of the Guiding Principles as the relevant framework for protecting IDPs and the development of national and regional laws and policies on internal displacement have been positive trends. However, despite such positive trends, the challenges presented by climate change, the disregard for civilian populations in conflict zones, a shrinking humanitarian space, and protracted displacement situations still remain unchanged.

Peace, Reconciliation, and Displacement

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Displacement is one of the tragic consequences of conflict. Elizabeth Ferris argues that once a conflict ends, resolving displacement and preventing future displacement is inextricably linked with achieving a lasting peace.

Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons in Serbia

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

It is positive, and a clear step forward, that Serbian authorities like the Serbian Commissioner for Refguees have started programs to help IDPs leave collective centers, move to their own houses, and regain their livelihoods. Yet, as Walter Kälin points out in an address to the Parliament of Serbia, bureaucratic obstacles continue to make it unnecessarily difficult for many IDPs to access public services.

Protracted Displacement in Europe

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Over the last few years, the internal displacement situation in Europe has remained stagnant. Europe continues to have more than 2.5 million IDPs, over 99% of whom find themselves in situations of protracted displacement. In order to improve the situation of IDPs in Europe, Walter Kälin argues that both the adoption of the Draft Resolution before the Parliamentary Assembly as well as a national laws and policies "would radically change the fate of these forgotten people."

Mass Displacement Caused by Conflicts and One-Sided Violence

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Massive displacement of people within and across borders has become a defining feature of the post-cold war world. It is also a major feature of human insecurity in which genocide, terrorism, egregious human rights violations and appalling human degradation wreak havoc on civilians. Though there has been a critical shift in thinking at the international level with regards to forced displacement, Cohen and Deng argue that concepts of sovereignty as responsibility and the responsibility to protect remain far ahead of international willingness and capacity to enforce them.

Guiding Principle 29 and the Right to Restitution

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The emergence of the right to post-displacement property restitution represents a significant development in human rights law in the ten years since the Guiding Principles were submitted. While Guiding Principle 29 has contributed to the development of this right, significant obstacles remain to its consistent application in displacement settings.

The Future of the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

In this article, Walter Kälin explains that while it is hard to take an objective view on an enterprise in which you have been closely involved, he thinks that it is fair to say that over the last ten years the Guiding Principles have demonstrated their utility and impact but also their limitations.

Frontiers of Europe

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 09:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

December 16, 2008, 9:00 AM to 6:00:00 PM
December 17, 2008, 9:00 AM to 1:45 PM

On December 16-17, 2008, the Brookings Center on the United States and Europe, Yalta European Strategy and the Victor Pinchuk Foundation hosted a high-level conference in Kyiv, Ukraine as part of the “Frontiers of Europe” project.

Protracted Displacement in Europe: Perspectives and Solutions

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

While Africa could be considered the continent of internal displacement because it has more than 12 of the roughly 25 million displaced by armed conflict worldwide, Europe, with its estimated 2.5 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), could be called the continent of protracted displacement, since 99% of Europe's remaining displaced fled their homes some 15-25 years ago. In recent years, some governments have taken important steps to improve their situation, but overall the situation of most IDPs remains a cause for concern.

Russia's Ominous New Doctrine?

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Strobe Talbott asks whether Russian policy has changed with regard to the permanence of borders. Because of its "rampage" through Georgia, the next U.S. administration will have to reexamine the underlying basis for the whole idea of partnership with Russia and its continuing integration into a rule-based international community.

Warning Light on Kosovo

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Over Serbia's strong opposition, the U.S. and other western nations recognized Kosovo's February 17, 2008 declaration of independence. Prior to that action, Peter Rodman, John Bolton and Lawrence Eagleburger had argued that this could provoke Serbia and be viewed as a direct challenge to the Russian Federation. The authors also called a re-examination of U.S. policy toward the region.

The Balkans: A New Crisis?

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 11:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

November 29, 2007, 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM

On November 29, the Brookings Institution welcomed David Cameron, the leader of the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom. Mr. Cameron discussed recent developments in the Balkans and the looming challenges to stability in the region.

European Mediators and Ukraine's Orange Revolution

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Steven Pifer retraces the events of November-December 2004, analyzes the role of the European mediators, and offers steps the European Union can take to ensure that it can rener equally effective assistance in future political crises.

A Faithful Case for Intervention: Our Common Responsibility to Protect Humanity and Prevent Atrocities

Sun, 30 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Article by Elizabeth Ferris on the responsibility to protect (September 2007)

When Displacement Ends: A Framework for Durable Solutions

Sat, 01 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

There are at least 24 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the world today. They do not have a special legal status that ends at a particular time and, as citizens of the countries where they are displaced, they have every right not to go home even once it is safe to do so. A Framework for Durable Solutions helps to define the situations when it can be said that displacement has ended and those formerly displaced no longer require the specific attention given to them as IDPs.

Post-Conflict Property Restitution in Bosnia: Balancing Reparations and Durable Solutions in the Aftermath of Displacement

Tue, 05 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Statement by Rhodri Williams (12/5/06)

Displaced and Disenfranchised: Internally Displaced Persons and Elections in the OSCE Region

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Displaced & Disenfranchised: IDPs & Elections, Mooney & Jarrah (March 2005)

What Remains to Be Done in the Balkans

Thu, 22 Dec 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Walter Kälin; International Herald Tribune (12/22/05)

IDPs in the Balkans -- The Challenges of Sustainable Return

Tue, 01 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT

In June 2005, Walter Kälin, the Representative of the UN Secretary-General on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons, visited Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Serbia and Montenegro including Kosovo. Throughout the region he found that, several years after the armed conflicts of the 1990s, much has been achieved in addressing the needs of the displaced population. However, more remains to be done to remove the remaining obstacles of IDPs to enjoying their rights.

The Voting Rights of Internally Displaced Persons

Fri, 22 Apr 2005 00:00:00 GMT

There are some 3 million people in 13 countries of the OSCE who have been forced from their homes by armed conflict and violations of human rights and who remain displaced within the borders of their own countries, often for protracted periods. In a number of cases, they have faced difficulties voting in elections and thereby having an influence over the decisions affecting their lives. In this statement, RSG Kälin discusses the role the OSCE can play in safeguarding the right of IDPs to vote and participate in the political process.

Voting Rights of Internally Displaced Persons

Fri, 16 Jul 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Statement by Erin Mooney (7/16/2004)

Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons

Fri, 10 Oct 2003 00:00:00 GMT

The United States has repeatedly urged the OSCE to address the issue of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs). However, as Cohen points out, OSCE commitments have been slow to develop wtih regard to IDPs.

Nowhere To Run, No Place To Hide

Fri, 01 Nov 2002 00:00:00 GMT

When conflicts start, some people are lucky enough or have the means to cross into another country, becoming part of the worldwide refugee population and receiving help from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. However, those who do not cross a border receive no such assistance and remain the responsibility of their national government. A government, that as Roberta Cohen points out, could be the cause of the displacement or ambivalent toward it.

Pivotal Deterrence and the Kosovo War: Why the Holbrooke Agreement Failed

Tue, 01 Jan 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Article by Timothy Crawford, John M. Olin Post-Doctoral Fellow, the Brookings Institution, in Political Science Quarterly, Winter 2001-2002

Bush and Powell Need to Remember the Lessons of Kosovo

Thu, 01 Nov 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Ivo H. Daalder and Michael O'Hanlon, Senior Fellows, the Brookings Institution, November 1, 2001

NATO in Macedonia: Giving Peacekeeping a Bad Name

Thu, 01 Nov 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Ivo H. Daalder, Senior Fellow, the Brookings Institution, in Vrede en Veiligheid, November 2001

More Time in Macedonia

Tue, 11 Sep 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Ivo Daalder, Senior Fellow, the Brookings Institution, in The Washington Post, September 11, 2001

Statement of the Representative of the Secretary-General on Internally Displaced Persons

Sat, 01 Sep 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Statement by Francis Deng, Representative of the Secretary-General on Internally Displaced Persons

The Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement: Their Reception Internationally

Sat, 01 Sep 2001 00:00:00 GMT

In the three years since their presentation to the UN Commission on Human Rights, the Guiding Principles have gained significant international recognition and standing. An increasing number of Governments, international organizations, regional bodies and NGOs are basing policies, programs, and legislation on the Guiding Principles. In this statement, Simon Bagshaw discusses why the Guiding Principles have been so well-received in the international community.

The Role of Regional Organizations in Responding to Internal Displacement and Applying the Guiding Principles

Sat, 01 Sep 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Over the past decade, regional organizations have been devoting increased attention to the probelm of internal displacement. They have engaged in preventive measures, have monitored and reported on situations of displacement, provided humanitarian assistance and have engaged in actual protection activities on the ground. This has been with good reason as conflict and displacement rarely remain confined within borders, threatening regional stability. In this statement, Roberta Cohen, discusses the role regional organizations can play in dealing with situations of internal displacement.

Internal Displacement: A Global Overview

Sat, 01 Sep 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Internal displacement is truly a global crisis, affecting an estimated 20-25 million people, of which 3-4 million are located in Europe. Though Europe has greater resources than other regions of the world, there is often considerable inconsistency in the extent to which internally displaced persons are provided with protection and assistance. In this statement, Francis Deng assesses the situation of IDPs in Europe and discusses solutions to their situation.

NATO's Macedonia Mission is No Picnic

Mon, 20 Aug 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Ivo Daalder, Senior Fellow, the Brookings Institution, in The Washington Post, August 20, 2001

It's Time for Germany to Start Pulling Its Weight in Europe

Fri, 10 Aug 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Ivo H. Daalder, Senior Fellow, and Karla J. Nieting, Research Analyst, The Brookings Institution, in The International Herald Tribune, August 10, 2001

Exodus Within Borders: The Growing Crisis of Internal Displacement

Thu, 31 May 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Since the early 1990s with the breakup of the former Yugoslavia, the Balkans region has experienced some of the worst conflict and displacement in Europe since the Second World War, with the total number of displaced estimated at around 1 million persons. Though internal displacement in the Balkans has some unique characteristics, Roberta Cohen argues that it is important to remember the global context in crafting solutions.

Balkans Lecture Series

Thu, 31 May 2001 09:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

May 31, 2001, 9:00 AM to 05:00 PM
June 04, 2001, 9:00 AM to 05:00 PM

In order to raise visibility to the worldwide problem of internal displacement and focus attention on the Balkans region, the Brookings-CUNY Project organized a lecture series, held in Macedonia, Albania and Bulgaria.

Stop a New War Before It Starts

Thu, 26 Apr 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Michael O'Hanlon, Senior Fellow, the Brookings Institution, in The Baltimore Sun, April 26, 2001

Balkans Still Fragile, Even After Milosevic Arrest

Sat, 07 Apr 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Balkans Still Fragile, Even After Milosevic Arrest, Opinion, NRC Handelsblad, April 7, 2001, by Ivo H. Daalder, foreign-policy, The Brookings Institution

Macedonia Crisis Part of Regional Problem

Sun, 01 Apr 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Macedonia Crisis Part of Regional Problem, Opinion, The San Jose Mercury News, April 1, 2001, by Ivo H. Daalder, foreign-policy, The Brookings Institution

Macedonia: The Next Balkans War?

Tue, 27 Mar 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

March 27, 2001 at 12:00 AM

Unilateral American Withdrawal from the Balkans Would Be a Bad Idea

Thu, 02 Nov 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Unilateral American Withdrawal from the Balkans Would be a Bad Idea, Opinion in Defense News, by Philip H. Gordon, foreign-policy, The Brookings Institution

Bush Plan Would Weaken Crucial Link to Allies

Sun, 29 Oct 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Bush Plan Would Weaken Crucial Link to Allies, Opinion in the Los Angeles Times, October 30, 2000, by Ivo H. Daalder, foreign-policy, The Brookings Institution

""He's Gone"" -- The End of the Milosevic Era

Sun, 15 Oct 2000 00:00:00 GMT

""He's Gone""--The End of the Milosevic Era, Opinion in the San Diego Union-Tribune, October 15, 2000, by Ivo H. Daalder, foreign-policy, The Brookings Institution

Don't Pull Out of the Balkans

Thu, 28 Sep 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Don't Pull Out of the Balkans Opinion in The Washington Post, September 28, 2000, by Ivo H. Daalder, foreign-policy, The Brookings Institution

Where to Cut U.S. Military Presence?

Mon, 11 Sep 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Ivo H. Daalder and Michael E. O'Hanlon in The Baltimore Sun (9/11/00)

How to Stop the Next Balkans War

Fri, 01 Sep 2000 00:00:00 GMT

How to Stop the Next Balkan War, Opinion in The Wall Street Journal Europe, September 1, 2000, by Ivo H. Daalder, foreign-policy, The Brookings Institution

The United States in the Balkans: There to Stay

Fri, 01 Sep 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Article by Ivo H. Daalder and Michael E. O'Hanlon; The Washington Quarterly (Autumn 2000)

Another Balkan War?

Tue, 22 Aug 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Another Balkan War? Opinion in The Washington Post, August 22, 2000, by Ivo H. Daalder, foreign-policy, The Brookings Institution

Winning Ugly: NATO'S War to Save Kosovo

Thu, 08 Jun 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

June 08, 2000 at 12:00 AM

Winning Ugly: NATO'S War to Save Kosovo

Thu, 08 Jun 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

June 08, 2000 at 12:00 AM

Winning Ugly: NATO's War to Save Kosovo

Thu, 08 Jun 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

June 08, 2000 at 12:00 AM

Winning Ugly : NATO's War to Save Kosovo

Tue, 06 Jun 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Drawing on interviews with many key U.S., NATO, and allied participants, the authors explore the causes, conduct, and consequences of the Kosovo conflict.

Staying the Course in Kosovo

Mon, 06 Mar 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Staying the Course in Kosovo, Opinion in the Christian Science Monitor by Michael O'Hanlon, Senior Fellow, foreign-policy, the Brookings Institution

Getting to Dayton : The Making of America's Bosnia Policy

Fri, 11 Feb 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Based on interviews with key participants in the decision-making process, Daalder examines how the policy to end the war in Bosnia took shape.

U.S. Diplomacy before the Kosovo War

Tue, 28 Sep 1999 00:00:00 GMT

U.S. Diplomacy before the Kosovo War, Statement by Ivo H. Daalder, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, before the Senate Subcommittee on European Affairs of the Committee on Foreign Relations, September 28, 1999

In the Shadow of Kosovo: President Clinton Goes to Europe

Fri, 11 Jun 1999 09:30:00 GMT

Event Information:

June 11, 1999 at 9:30 AM

Statement on the Global Crisis of Internal Displacement

Tue, 08 Jun 1999 00:00:00 GMT

Most people in the United States are unaware of the fact that there are millions of people in the world forcibly displaced within their own countries and in need of international attention. These internally displaced people can be found on all continents and number between 20 and 25 million. However, as Roberta Cohen points out, though the number of IDPs exceeds the number of refugees, there is no effective international system to protect and assist them.

Kosovo: How Real the Peace?

Fri, 04 Jun 1999 10:30:00 GMT

Event Information:

June 04, 1999 at 10:30 AM

Emerging Answers: Kosovo, NATO, and the Use of Force

Tue, 01 Jun 1999 00:00:00 GMT

Brookings Review, Summer 1999

A Stable Peace in Europe: Can the Continent Put War Behind It?

Tue, 01 Jun 1999 00:00:00 GMT

Brookings Review, Summer 1999

NATO at Year 50, Kosovo at Day 33: A Scorecard for the Summit

Mon, 26 Apr 1999 09:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

April 26, 1999 at 9:00 AM

NATO's Chances in Kosovo Depend Upon Washington's Leadership

Sun, 25 Apr 1999 00:00:00 GMT

NATO's chances in Kosovo depend upon Washington's leadership, Ivo H. Daalder, April 25, 1999

If No Ground Troops, NATO Should Cut Its Losses

Sun, 25 Apr 1999 00:00:00 GMT

If No Ground Troops, NATO Should Cut Its Losses, Charles A. Kupchan and Ivo H. Daalder, Los Angeles Times, April 25, 1999

The Kosovo War: Is There an Endgame?

Wed, 14 Apr 1999 09:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

April 14, 1999 at 9:00 AM

Uprooted Inside Kosovo Need Aid

Fri, 09 Apr 1999 00:00:00 GMT

Every night for more than a week, television has graphically brought home the suffering of over 400,000 men, women, and children streaming out of Kosovo and seeking refuge in Macedonia, Albania, and Montenegro. However, what is not shown are the hundreds of thousands of Kosovars who remain forcibly displaced within Kosovo, and whose fate, as Roberta Cohen reminds readers, may be far worse.

The Kosovo Crisis: NATO Strikes Serbia

Mon, 29 Mar 1999 09:30:00 GMT

Event Information:

March 29, 1999 at 9:30 AM

The Consequences of Kosovo

Mon, 01 Mar 1999 00:00:00 GMT

Report by John Steinbruner (March 1999)

Avoiding Another Cyprus or Israel: A Debate about the Future of Bosnia

Tue, 01 Dec 1998 00:00:00 GMT

Brookings Review article by Susan Woodward (Winter 1998)

Decision to Intervene: How the War in Bosnia Ended

Tue, 01 Dec 1998 00:00:00 GMT

Article in the Foreign Service Journal, December 1998 by Ivo Daalder, Visiting Fellow, The Brookings Institution, Foreign Policy Studies,

The Global Crisis of Internal Displacement

Wed, 11 Nov 1998 00:00:00 GMT

Forcible displacement can be found on all continents. Over all there are 20 to 25 million internally displaced persons (IDPs). Over the past decade these numbers have been climbing. However, as Roberta Cohen argues, unlike refugees who benefit from an established international protection system, IDPs have no guaranteed international protection and generally receive little or no help from their own governments.

Slouching toward a breakaway Kosovo

Wed, 04 Nov 1998 00:00:00 GMT

Slouching toward a breakaway Kosovo, Washington Times, November 4, 1998, by Ivo H. Daalder. NATO's threat of air strikes against Serbia appears to have worked. Yet NATO's intervention offers no lasting solution for Kosovo.

Peace at any price? Kosovo deal costs Milosevic little, is unlikely to resolve crisis

Sun, 18 Oct 1998 00:00:00 GMT

Peace at any price? Kosovo deal costs Milosevic little, is unlikely to resolve crisis, San Diego Union-Tribune, October 18, 1998, by Ivo H. Daalder. After more than nine days and fifty hours of intense discussions, U.S. special envoy Richard Holbrook

Kosovo: U.S. Policy at Crossroads

Fri, 09 Oct 1998 09:30:00 GMT

Event Information:

October 09, 1998 at 9:30 AM

NATO move may widen war - Letter to the Editor

Fri, 09 Oct 1998 00:00:00 GMT

NATO move may widen war, USA Today, October 9-11, 1998, by Alan J. Kuperman. Those calling on NATO to launch a humanitarian military intervention in Kosovo should consider that such action inadvertently could amplify the rate of killing.

Kosovo Option: Conditional Surrender

Fri, 25 Sep 1998 00:00:00 GMT

Kosovo Option: Conditional Surrender, The Washington Post, September 25, 1998, by Alan J. Kuperman. While Bob Dole is justifiably outraged and saddened by the plight of ethnic Albanians in Kosovo [""We Must Stop the Kosovo Terror,"" Opinion, Sept. 14], h

The Protection of Persons Under Threat in Kosovo

Mon, 21 Sep 1998 10:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

September 21, 1998, 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Serious and protracted violations of international humanitarian and human rights law has left internally displaced persons in Kosovo in desperate need of protection.

Global Hot Spots: Kosovo, Congo (DRC), the Sudan, Afghanistan, Bosnia ...

Mon, 21 Sep 1998 09:30:00 GMT

Event Information:

September 21, 1998, 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM

The Displaced Fall Through the World's Safety Net

Thu, 06 Feb 1997 00:00:00 GMT

Since the end of the Cold War, internal displacement has taken on epidemic proportions, mainly because of the proliferation of civil conflicts. Some 25 to 30 million persons worldwide are estimated currently to be internally displaced. Despite the fact that major international humanitarian, development, and human rights agencies have put internal displacement on their agendas, Roberta Cohen argues that the response has been largely ad hoc and inadequate.

Balkan Tragedy : Chaos and Dissolution after the Cold War

Tue, 25 Apr 1995 00:00:00 GMT

In this book, Susan Woodward explains what happened to Yugoslavia, from the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 to the country's disintegration in 1992, and what can be learned from the response of outsiders to the crisis. The real origin of the Yugoslav