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Abstract

Since the end of the Cold War there has been a dramatic decline in the number of armed conflicts, battle deaths, and the deadliness of individual conflicts; along with a dramatic increase in the number of conflicts resolved by active peacemaking. The best explanation is the increasing effectiveness, for all its shortcomings, of the United Nations security machinery. Five major lessons have been learned for better handling of each of the crucial stages of the conflict cycle –preventing the outbreak, continuation and recurrence of conflict. Violent extremism –or terrorism– remains a more intractable problem, but, here too, the strategies required to succeed are becoming clearer. The ideas, knowledge and experience are all there: what is needed is the political leadership to apply them. Gareth Evans, former Foreign Minister of Australia, has been since January 2000 President and Chief Executive of the Brussels-based International Crisis Group (ICG).