DDR

1. DDR Support to
Mediation Processes
United Nations
Department of Peacekeeping Operations
Office of Rule of Law and Security Institutions
Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) Section

2. The UN Security Council is increasingly mandating peacekeeping operations and special political
missions to support Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) processes. To adapt
to the evolving contexts in which DDR programmes are sought, peacekeeping operations are
increasingly applying Second Generation practices, such as Community Violence Reduction
(CVR) efforts, in areas where conflict is ongoing and/or where no ceasefire or peace agreement
has been signed. This often makes DDR Officers the first UN staff deployed on the ground with
the mandate and expertise to engage directly with armed groups - an engagement that they will
maintain throughout the negotiation and implementation phases of a political agreement.
In these contexts, DDR Officers are called upon to provide advice on how to engage with armed
groups and ultimately contribute to the attainment of an agreement with them. As members of
mediation support teams or mission staff in an advisory role to the SRSG or DSRSGs, DDR Officers
are providing insights into the interests and positions of armed groups, drafting DDR provisions of
the ceasefire or political agreement and making proposals on the design and implementation of
DDRprogrammes.TheiradvicehasbeenidentifiedaskeytoUNSeniorMissionleadershipinmany
missions, as they are in a unique position to ensure that implementable and realistic provisions on
DDR-related issues are included in the agreement prior to its endorsement by the parties to the
conflict.
The role of DDR staff in peace
negotiations is a reflection of
the conceptual change that
the DDR field is undergoing
– from implementation to
more strategic interventions
that start before a peace
agreement is reached. New
approachestoDDRareaiming
at incentivizing members
of armed groups to cease
violent and illegal activities,
through different types of
programmes that go beyond
a “traditional” DDR approach,
including second generation
DDR practices, community
violencereductionandinterim
stabilization measures.
What role does DDR play in mediation processes?1
MINUSCA engages members of armed groups in discussions following a conflict between ex-Séléka factions in August 2014
(Photo: MINUSCA)
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3. 2
Over the past years, the demand for DDR staff in mediation processes, both at senior and
working levels has constantly increased.
Examples of operational DDR support to mediation processes
Mali
The Deputy Chief of the MINUSMA
DDR Section was part of the UN
mediation support team at the political
negotiationsinAlgiersfromJuly2014to
May 2015. In this role, he was providing
technical expertise in consultation
with the senior DDR management
team in Bamako to the thematic group
discussions on defence and security
issues, in particular on cantonment and
links to SSR.
Darfur
The Chief of the UNAMID DDR Section is
part of the UN/AU Joint Mediation Team
mandated to seek a peaceful settlement
to the conflict in Darfur. He participated in
theAbujapeacetalksthatledtotheDarfur
Peace Agreement (DPA) and the Doha
talks that yielded the Doha Document for
Peace in Darfur (DDPD). In both cases, he
advised the joint chief mediator on issues
regarding the cessation of hostilities,
ceasefire mechanisms and DDR, while
also providing technical assistance to
the parties such as capacity building and
negotiation support.
Joint Commission for the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (Photo: UNAMID)
MINUSMA organizing a workshop on DDR (Photo: MINUSMA)
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4. Central African Republic
The Chief of the MINUSCA DDR
Sectionwasoneofthekeyexpertson
the international mediation support
team at the Bangui Forum in May
2015, which ended with the signature
of a DDR agreement, a milestone in
the CAR peace process. The DDR
agreement is complemented by the
cessation of hostilities agreement
signed between the ex-Séléka and
anti-Balaka in Brazzaville in July 2014
and negotiated with support from a
DDR expert.
Yemen
A DDR expert was deployed to
support the UN-led ceasefire
negotiations between President
Abdurabu Hadi and the Houthi
movement’s political faction. The
negotiations resulted in the signature
ofthePeaceandNationalPartnership
Agreement in September 2014.
Colombia
DrawingfromlessonslearnedfromUN
supported DDR and peace processes,
the OROLSI DDR Section has briefed
Colombian Government officials,
including the Defence Minister and
the High Commissioner for Peace, on
DDR and related issues.
Leaders of armed groups in the Central African agree to end fighting (Photo: MINUSCA)
National Dialogue Conference in Yemen facilitated by the United Nations (Photo: O/SESG for Yemen)
UN representative at the peace talks in Havana (Photo: Mesa de Conversaciones)
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5. 3
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3.1. Direct support through the
deployment of experts, who can
provide on-site advice to the
mediators on strategic and operational
implications of modalities to be agreed
on with armed groups; secretarial
assistance, such as drafting of DDR-
related clauses of agreement; and
advice on how to negotiate with
armed groups in a certain context
basedonlessonslearnedfromprevious
engagements.
3.2. Substantive desk-based support
for the mediation process, through
mappings of armed groups and analyses
oftheirinternaldynamics,compositions,
as well as best practices from previous
agreements, DDR and community
violence reduction processes.
The DDR support to mediation processes comprises three types of activities that can be
undertaken before, during and after the mediation process:
3.3. Support activities for the parties, which
can include capacity building for negotiations
through regular meetings and workshops with
representativesofarmedgroupsbefore,during
and after the negotiations, to strengthen
their ability to clearly formulate positions and
interests. The goal is to increase the chances
for a successful outcome of the negotiations
by advising the parties how to articulate what
they hope to achieve in the negotiation, and
increasing their buy-in in the process.
Three key areas of DDR support to mediation processes

6. 4
As of 1 December 2014, 360 DDR Officers were deployed to peacekeeping and special political
missions, with diverse professional profiles and extensive experience negotiating with armed groups
in some of the most challenging contexts the United Nations is working in, such as Sudan, Haiti, Côte
d’Ivoire and Liberia. Their expertise is also open to missions and offices without a DDR mandate.
In missions with a DDR Section, a DDR Officer may be temporarily seconded to another section or
organization,leadingtheinternationalmediationefforts.ThismaybetheOfficeoftheSRSG,theOffice
of the DSRSG or the Political Affairs Section. In addition, DDR staff with specific mediation expertise
canbedeployedontemporarydutyfromanothermissionforthedurationofthemediationprocesses.
MissionsorofficeswithoutaDDRSectioncansendtheirrequesttotheDDRSectionintheDepartment
of Peacekeeping Operations, Office of Rule of Law and Security Institutions, which can assist in
identifying DDR staff to be deployed on a temporary or longer-term basis to assist in the mediation
process.
How to request DDR support to mediation efforts
Contact:
DDR Section, UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations, OROLSI, New York:
Simon Yazgi, Chief, DDR Section: yazgi@un.org
Silke Rusch, DDR Officer: rusch@un.org
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Photo: ONUCI

7. 5
• Dudouet, Veronique: Demobilisation and Disarmament in Peace Processes, Norwegian
Peacebuilding Resource Centre, 2012
• Haspeslagh, Sophie, Yousuf, Zahbia (ed.): Local Engagement with Armed Groups by
Conciliation Resources, Accord Insight 2, 2015
• Hottinger, Julian: Engaging Non-state Armed Groups in Disarmament, 2008
• Ong, Kelvin: Managing Fighting Forces, DDR in Peace Processes, USIP, 2012
• Whitfield, Theresa: Engaging with Armed Groups, Dilemmas & Options for Mediators, HD
Centre, 2010
• United Nations: Guidance for Effective Mediation, 2012
• United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations: Disarmament, Demobilization
and Reintegration
• United Nations Department of Political Affairs: Mediation Support
Resources
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