Research and Analysis

In the context of the “Developing Inclusive Oversight of Security” (DIOS) project in Armenia, an initiative running from December 2021 to June 2024, the Centre for European Security Studies (CESS) of The Netherlands, in collaboration with Peace Dialogue NGO in Armenia, has released a new policy brief. This brief carries the symbolic title: “Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Security Sector Oversight in Armenia.” It delves into the realm of democratic oversight of Armenia’s security sector, evaluating its capacity for effective oversight, interagency cooperation in holding the government accountable, and the prevailing culture of oversight.

This report aims to shed light on the international legal frameworks that should guide the establishment of national regulations regarding former POWs and the application of laws to safeguard the rights of former prisoners of war. Extensive research has been conducted to examine international experiences and mechanisms for protecting the rights of former POWs and implementing them effectively.

We are pleased to present the comprehensive report prepared by Peace Dialogue NGO, based on precise monitoring conducted from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2022. This undertaking was initiated at the outset of 2020, with the primary objective of highlighting the significant role of civil society in shaping and implementing state policies pertaining to the protection of human rights within the Armed Forces.

We are pleased to announce the release of our new methodological guide, “Eight Simple Tools for Dealing with Difficult Conflicts”. Developed by Peace Dialogue NGO, this manual is based on the methodology used in the series of “Alternative Mechanisms for Conflict Resolution” courses, which took place from October 13 to November 27, 2022. The aim of the course was to enhance conflict resolution skills among the youth in the northern regions of Armenia by fostering a constructive approach and developing their capacity to find realistic and rational solutions to conflict situations on a daily basis.

The research aims to reveal the servicemen’s attitude towards military service, military staff, and fellow servicemen, as well as find out the manifestations of the most common human rights violations in the armed forces, opinions about the law enforcement agencies in the military sector, the reasons for those, and the effectiveness of particular institutions inlaid in the army. The collection, systematization, and analysis of data on the listed phenomena are aimed at creating an informational basis for solving various problems in the armed forces or, at least, for assisting further, more targeted, and in-depth research in this direction (including those conducted by the government agencies of the defense sector).

In this publication we would like to reflect on the situation of peacebuilders in Armenia and Azerbaijan and to show the local voices on the ground. Finalizing this project, we did not find answers to all our doubts and questions, but by sharing our experience we hope to highlight some crucial points, that contribute to the efforts for peace building in the region. Throughout the text, the “CONTACT” initiatives will be introduced in small textboxes to provide some insight into the work “on the ground”.

The second Armenian-Azerbaijani large-scale military confrontation – the 44-day war of 2020, as well as the events preceding it and continuing to this day – not only irreversibly transformed the geopolitical picture of the South Caucasus, but also created favorable conditions and became an incentive for the rearrangement of extra-regional power centers and sometimes unpredictable developments. Does the EU intend to reconsider its actions or approaches related to the South Caucasus after the establishment of a new status quo following the 44-day armed confrontation?