Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict

The Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict, commonly known as GPPAC, is a member-led network of civil society organisations working on conflict prevention and peacebuilding. Rather than operating as a conventional commercial brand, GPPAC functions as an international platform that connects local and regional peacebuilding organisations with one another and with governments, intergovernmental bodies, the United Nations, media organisations and academic institutions. Its central objective is to encourage a shift from reacting to violent conflict toward preventing it before violence escalates. GPPAC emerged from extensive consultations held in 2003 and 2004 and was formally launched at a global conference at United Nations headquarters in New York in 2005. The network is organised through 15 regional structures, each with its own priorities, membership and agenda. These regional networks are represented in an International Steering Group, which helps establish shared global priorities and coordinate joint action. This structure is intended to combine local ownership with international cooperation rather than impose a single central programme on organisations working in very different political and social environments. The network's work covers preventive action, dialogue and mediation, peace education, human security, and gender-related peace and security priorities, including work connected with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. GPPAC supports exchanges among members, develops practical frameworks and tools, and helps regional organisations engage in policy discussions. Its approach emphasises the role of grassroots organisations in assessing risks, designing prevention strategies and monitoring implementation. GPPAC has supported or facilitated civil-society engagement with policy processes such as the Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development and the UN Peacebuilding Commission. It has also helped mobilise regional and international civil-society support during periods of crisis and political transition, including situations referenced in Kenya, Guinea-Conakry and Kyrgyzstan. Other areas of activity include track-two dialogue and mediation initiatives in the Caucasus, Latin America, South Asia and Northeast Asia, as well as cooperation with regional organisations including the Organization of American States, the Economic Community of West African States, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. A significant network-wide initiative was the Peace Portal, launched in January 2012. The online platform was designed to support information-sharing, learning and collaboration among people and organisations working in conflict prevention and peacebuilding. It also sought to improve the visibility of grassroots organisations whose work is often underrepresented in international policy and information systems. GPPAC's identity is therefore based on network coordination, knowledge exchange, local ownership and policy bridging rather than on consumer products or commercial services. Its principal value proposition is the ability to connect local experience with regional and global decision-making while helping civil-society actors collaborate on early action, dialogue, peace education and human-security issues.

GPPAC was created in response to growing interest among civil-society organisations in preventing armed conflict before it becomes violent. The network's development began with consultations in 2003 and 2004. These discussions helped shape an international structure designed to connect organisations working at local, national, regional and global levels while preserving the autonomy and distinct priorities of different regions. The organisation was officially launched in 2005 at a global conference held at United Nations headquarters in New York. From its beginning, GPPAC positioned itself as a network rather than a centrally managed international agency. Its regional model was intended to make local knowledge and civil-society participation central to conflict-prevention policy. Fifteen regional networks were established or recognised across Africa, the Americas, Asia-Pacific, Europe and the Middle East and North Africa. Each region develops its own agenda and is represented in an International Steering Group responsible for coordinating common priorities and activities. GPPAC's early and continuing work has focused on strengthening the capacity of civil-society organisations to identify conflict risks, participate in prevention efforts and influence public policy. The network developed a Preventive Action framework covering conflict assessment, strategy implementation and monitoring. It also promoted dialogue and mediation, including track-two diplomacy and regional dialogue processes in politically sensitive settings such as the Caucasus, Latin America, South Asia and Northeast Asia. The Ulaanbaatar Process is cited as an example of its support for dialogue in Northeast Asia. The network has sought to make local civil-society perspectives more influential in international policy. Its activities have included efforts to increase direct access for local organisations to initiatives such as the UN Peacebuilding Commission and the Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development. GPPAC has also connected members with regional organisations, including the OAS, ECOWAS, SAARC and ASEAN, on security-related issues. In crisis and political-transition contexts, the network has mobilised contacts, advice, political support and international civil-society delegations for local organisations. Examples referenced in the network's public description include the post-election crisis in Kenya, the political transition in Guinea-Conakry and clashes in Kyrgyzstan. Alongside policy and conflict-response work, GPPAC developed thematic programmes in peace education and human security. Peace-education activity aims to support formal and informal methods that encourage dialogue and non-violent approaches to conflict, including cooperation with governments and local authorities. The human-security agenda seeks to bring grassroots perspectives into security policy and practice, including areas such as disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration, security-sector reform, responses to violent extremism and civil-military interventions. Gender and implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security operate as cross-cutting priorities, with the network mapping relevant expertise and initiatives among its members. In January 2012, GPPAC launched the Peace Portal, an online platform for collaboration, learning and information-sharing in the conflict-prevention and peacebuilding field. The portal was designed to help convert online exchange into practical cooperation and to give grassroots organisations greater visibility. It complemented GPPAC's regional meetings, global exchanges, capacity-building work, media engagement and policy liaison functions. GPPAC's historical significance lies in its effort to bridge local peacebuilding practice and international policy. Its model relies on regional ownership, member collaboration and multi-actor engagement. Available reference material does not provide a complete account of its current governance, staffing, finances or present programme activity, so those details remain unspecified here.

• 2012

  Peace Portal launched

  [1]Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflicten.wikipedia.org

  GPPAC launches the Peace Portal as an online space for learning, information-sharing and collaboration in conflict prevention and peacebuilding.

• 2005

  Official launch at the United Nations

  [1]Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflicten.wikipedia.org

  GPPAC is formally launched at a global conference held at United Nations headquarters in New York.

• 2004

  Global network model developed

  [1]Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflicten.wikipedia.org

  Consultations continue and help establish the regional and international coordination model later adopted by GPPAC.

• 2003

  Consultation process begins

  [1]Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflicten.wikipedia.org

  Extensive consultations begin on creating a global civil-society network dedicated to preventing armed conflict.

A global civil-society network that links locally led peacebuilding practice with regional and international policy processes, prioritising prevention, dialogue, collaboration and locally owned responses to violent conflict.

• Online peacebuilding collaboration platform · 2012

  Peace Portal

  The Peace Portal is an online platform launched by GPPAC in January 2012 to support learning, information-sharing and cooperation among organisations and individuals working in conflict prevention and peacebuilding. It was designed to increase the visibility of grassroots civil-society work and help participants turn online interaction into practical joint activity.

• Conflict-prevention methodology

  Preventive Action framework

  GPPAC's Preventive Action framework is intended to help civil-society organisations contribute across the prevention cycle, from assessing conflict risks to implementing and monitoring prevention strategies. It reflects the network's effort to provide practical structure for cooperation between local organisations and other relevant stakeholders.

• Preventive Action

  Global

  A network-wide programme focused on developing tools and operational capacity so civil-society organisations can identify risks, mobilise early action and work with other stakeholders to prevent violent conflict.

  Outcome. The programme produced a Preventive Action framework and supported greater coordination between local organisations and policy actors.

  Source
• Dialogue and Mediation

  Global · Caucasus · Latin America · South Asia · Northeast Asia

  GPPAC connects expertise within its network to support dialogue, mediation and track-two diplomacy in conflict-affected or politically sensitive settings.

  Outcome. The network supported dialogue initiatives and promoted exchanges among civil-society actors in several regions, including the Caucasus and Northeast Asia.

  Source
• Peace Education

  Global

  A thematic programme promoting formal and informal education methods that foster dialogue and peaceful approaches to conflict.

  Outcome. GPPAC has worked to strengthen peace-education methods and encourage cooperation with governments and local authorities.

  Source
• Human Security

  Global

  A bottom-up security programme designed to bring grassroots civil-society perspectives into security strategies and implementation.

  Outcome. The programme addresses issues including disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration, security-sector reform, violent extremism and civil-military interventions.

  Source

• 2012

  Launch of the Peace PortalProduct launch

  Background

  GPPAC sought to improve online collaboration and the visibility of grassroots organisations working in peacebuilding and conflict prevention.

  Action taken

  It launched the Peace Portal as an open online platform for sharing information, learning and coordinating activity.

  Aftermath

  The platform became a digital complement to GPPAC's regional and global exchanges, although the available reference material does not document its current operating status.

  Source

• 2005

  Adoption of a regional, member-led network structureStrategy

  Background

  GPPAC was established to connect local civil-society organisations across different regions while retaining regional priorities and local ownership.

  Action taken

  The organisation launched a model based on 15 regional networks represented through an International Steering Group.

  Aftermath

  The structure became the foundation for coordinating global priorities, regional exchanges and joint policy engagement.

  Source

1. 1Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflicten.wikipedia.org
2. 2GPPAC official websitegppac.net