DOCSLIB.ORG

Economic Challenges and Costs of Reintegrating the Donbas Region in Ukraine

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Economic Challenges and Costs of Reintegrating the Donbas Region in Ukraine A Service of Leibniz-Informationszentrum econstor Wirtschaft Leibniz Information Centre Make Your Publications Visible. zbw for Economics Havlik, Peter; Kochnev, Artem; Pindyuk, Olga Research Report Economic challenges and costs of reintegrating the Donbas region in Ukraine wiiw Research Report, No. 447 Provided in Cooperation with: The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (wiiw) - Wiener Institut für Internationale Wirtschaftsvergleiche (wiiw) Suggested Citation: Havlik, Peter; Kochnev, Artem; Pindyuk, Olga (2020) : Economic challenges and costs of reintegrating the Donbas region in Ukraine, wiiw Research Report, No. 447, The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (wiiw), Vienna This Version is available at: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/223097 Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen: Terms of use: Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Documents in EconStor may be saved and copied for your Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden. personal and scholarly purposes. Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle You are not to copy documents for public or commercial Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich purposes, to exhibit the documents publicly, to make them machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen. publicly available on the internet, or to distribute or otherwise use the documents in public. Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, If the documents have been made available under an Open gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort Content Licence (especially Creative Commons Licences), you genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. may exercise further usage rights as specified in the indicated licence. www.econstor.eu JUNE 2020 Research Report 447 Economic Challenges and Costs of Reintegrating the Donbas Region in Ukraine Peter Havlik, Artem Kochnev and Olga Pindyuk The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies Wiener Institut für Internationale Wirtschaftsvergleiche Economic Challenges and Costs of Reintegrating the Donbas Region in Ukraine PETER HAVLIK ARTEM KOCHNEV OLGA PINDYUK Peter Havlik is Senior Research Associate at The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (wiiw). Artem Kochnev is PhD student at Johannes Kepler University (JKU) Linz and at the University of Innsbruck (UIBK), Austria. Olga Pindyuk is Economist at wiiw. The conclusions and recommendations developed in this report represent a compromise formulation on which the research team could agree. As such, they should not be directly attributed to individual authors of the report. The authors wish to thank Richard Grieveson, wiiw Deputy Director, for valuable comments on an earlier draft and Alexandra Bykova, wiiw statistician, for excellent statistical assistance. Abstract This study provides a systematic assessment of the costs of the ongoing armed conflict in the Donbas region of Ukraine. By combining the pre-war geographical distribution of fixed capital with data on battle intensity, survey evidence on household damage in the conflict-affected areas and novel data on the macroeconomy of certain areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, the report estimates the minimum reconstruction costs of the region at USD 21.7 billion. On the basis of the composition of the costs, the study argues that the government’s main focus should be on restoring the basic institutions that are usually taken for granted in most economies: the markets and state capacity. The study proposes the key features of a reconstruction plan to help achieve this goal. This plan – assuming a lasting ceasefire is being observed – involves a continuation of the reform path in order to achieve sustainable and inclusive economic growth, to attract both foreign and domestic investments, improve the well-being of Ukrainian citizens and increase the opportunity costs of conflict. The systematic collection and dissemination of data on the Donbas region is essential. Ukraine should strive for balanced trade with the rest of the world. Last but not least, ensure that the peace settlement is durable. In the case of the Donbas this would mean an additional agreement that would not substitute the Minsk II Agreement but would both help to implement and complement it. Keywords: conflict economics, political economy, international conflict, Ukraine, restoration, Donbas JEL classification: F50, F51, H12, H56, O52, I38, Q34 CONTENTS The implications of COVID-19 for this study.................................................................................................. 1 References .................................................................................................................................................3 Executive summary .................................................................................................................................................. 4 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................. 6 Overview of the Donbas conflict .......................................................................................................................... 7 The war in Donbas: a long view ..................................................................................................................7 Current state ...............................................................................................................................................9 Policies of Ukraine around the conflict ......................................................................................................10 Mediation efforts .......................................................................................................................................11 Summary ..................................................................................................................................................13 The war in Donbas and the economy ............................................................................................................... 14 The macroeconomy of Ukraine .................................................................................................................14 The economy of ‘Certain Areas of Donetsk and Luhansk Regions’ .........................................................19 Lessons from other conflict regions ............................................................................................................... 25 Conflict trends and conflict effects ............................................................................................................25 Paths to conflict resolution ........................................................................................................................26 Summary ..................................................................................................................................................30 Estimates of conflict and reconstruction costs ........................................................................................... 31 Existing estimates .....................................................................................................................................31 Effects of the armed conflict on capital stocks ..........................................................................................32 Effects of the armed conflict on human capital .........................................................................................35 Effects of the armed conflict on the environment......................................................................................37 Conclusions................................................................................................................................................................. 40 Policy recommendations ...................................................................................................................................... 42 Outline of the reconstruction plan .............................................................................................................43 Financing and coordination.......................................................................................................................44 General recommendations .......................................................................................................................45 Selected references .................................................................................................................................................. 47 Annexes ........................................................................................................................................................................ 56 Annex 1: Statistical data ........................................................................................................................... 56 Annex 2: Supporting graphs ..................................................................................................................... 60 Annex 3: International assistance ............................................................................................................ 63 Annex 4: Methodology of capital stock losses estimates ......................................................................... 64 Annex 5: Methodology
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Committed During the Armed Conflict in Eastern Ukraine Between 2014–2018
    VIOLENT CRIMES Committed During the Armed Conflict in Eastern Ukraine between 2014–2018 Kharkiv Human Rights Publisher 2018 УДК 355.012АТО(477)’’2014/2018’’(047)=111 Н31 THE List OF abbreviations This report was prepared with financial support of AI — Amnesty International; MTOT — Ministry of Temporarily Occupied Terri- tories and Internally Displaced Persons; ATO — Anti-Terrorist Operation; NGO — Non-Governmental Organization CC — Criminal Code of Ukraine; NPU — National Police of Ukraine; CMA — Civil-Military Administration; OTDLR — Occupied Territories of Donetsk and Lu- СMPO — Chief Military Prosecutor’s Office; hansk Regions; СP — Checkpoint; OSCE — Organization for Security and Coopera- CPC — Criminal Procedural Code; tion in Europe; EXCP — Entry-Exit Checkpoint; PLWHA — People Living with HIV/AIDS; DSA — District State Administration; RSA — Regional State Administration; RS — Rome Statute; ECHR — European Convention on Human Rights; Yuriy Aseev, Volodymyr Hlushchenko, Boris Knyrov, Natalia Okhotnikova, Anna Ovdiienko, LNR — the self-proclaimed “Luhansk People’s ECtHR — European Court of Human Rights; Olena Richko, Gennady Shcherbak, Pavlo Shvab, Yanina Smelyanska, Igor Sosonsky, Republic”; Gennadiy Tokarev, Martha Vovk, Anastasia Yegorova, Yevgeniy Zakharov GC — Geneva Convention(s) of 12 August 1949; DNR — the self-proclaimed “Donetsk People’s Н31 Violent Crimes Committed During the Armed Conflict in Eastern Ukraine between 2014–2018 / HRMM — UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission Republic”; compiler Yevgeniy Zakharov; CO “Kharkiv
    [Show full text]
  • War in Religious Dimension
    War in religious dimension Attacks on religion in Crimea and Donbas region Report submitted under Article 15 for the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Kyiv 2019 1 Table of content The Authors..........................................................................................................................................3 Truth Hounds...............................................................................................................................3 International Renaissance Foundation.......................................................................................3 Executive summary...............................................................................................................................3 Legal assessment..................................................................................................................................5 Methodology........................................................................................................................................7 Collecting data.............................................................................................................................7 Analyzing data.............................................................................................................................8 Background...........................................................................................................................................9 Prewar context............................................................................................................................9
    [Show full text]
  • World Bank Document
    PROJECT INFORMATION DOCUMENT (PID) CONCEPT STAGE Report No.: 39111 Project Name Alchevsk Steel Mill Revamping and Modernization Region EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA Public Disclosure Authorized Sector Other industry (100%) Project ID P101615 Borrower(s) OJSC ‘Alchevsk Iron and Steel Works’ Implementing Agency OJSC ‘Alchevsk Iron and Steel Works’ Shmidt str.4 Alchevsk Lugansk Region P.O.94202 Tel: +38-06442-9-33-01, +38-06442-9-32-10 Email: [email protected] Environment Category [ ] A [X] B [ ] C [ ] FI [ ] TBD (to be determined) Date PID Prepared January 30, 2007 Public Disclosure Authorized Estimated Date of Review April 10, 2007 of CFEM Estimated Date of ERPA June 29, 2007 Signing 1. Key development issues and rationale for Bank involvement After a decade of economic decline following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukraine entered a period of strong growth and macroeconomic stability showing the highest GDP growth rates in Europe – average of 8.4% per annum between 2000 and 2004. With inflation under control, Ukraine achieved significant poverty reduction reporting some of the lowest poverty levels in the region. Democratic transformation of the country initiated in 2004 opened new opportunities for Public Disclosure Authorized economic growth and foreign investment as new government declared Euro-Atlantic integration the main policy priority. However, economic slowdown started beginning 2005, with GDP growth declining to 2.6% in 2005. Inflation increased to over 10% per annum due to an expansive monetary policy and increased social payments. Ukraine is an export-driven economy with an export reaching nearly 52% of GDP. The main exporters are traditional energy and resource intensive heavy industries – steel, chemical and machine building.
    [Show full text]
  • Humanitarian Snapshot 20171205 EN V2
    UKRAINE: Humanitarian Snapshot (as of 15 May 2017) OVERVIEWOVERVIEW HRP 2017:PRIORITIES Daily hostilities continued to generate civilian casualties and humanitarian needs despite the ceasefire agreement reached at the end of March, which brought about a brief respite in early April. According to OHCHR, a slight STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES decrease of conflict-related civilian casualties was recorded in April, with 66 casualties (13 deaths and 53 injuries) reported compared to 71 in March. Since the beginning of 2017, the majority of the civilian casualties was caused by shelling (55 per cent), followed by mines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) at 35 per cent. Of particular concern is a recent sharp rise of civilian casualties as a result of the explosion of landmines and other Protection explosive devices at the start of farming season. Farmers and local population expose themselves to risks of such incidents as agriculture is among some of the limited sources of income. The real number of mine/ERW incidents is thought to be much higher in Non-Government controlled areas (NGCA), where humanitarian access is limited. While the conflict continues raging unabated, a risk of collapse of the inter-connected energy and water supply systems in both GCA and NGCA remains due to the unresolved issue of non-payment of debts despite multiple Access negotiations. The ongoing financial and bureaucratic bottlenecks could, in the immediate run, affect some 400,000 to 600,000 people on both sides of the ‘contact line’ in Luhanska Oblast, with people in Donetsk also at risk, according to the WASH Cluster. In late April, energy supplier Luhansk Energy Association (LEO) cut all electrical power supply to NGCA of Luhanska oblast, forcing the de facto authorities to take power from alternative sources, including Donetska oblast NGCA and the Russian Federation as a humanitarian action.
    [Show full text]
  • Kramatorsk, Ukraine 28 August 2019
    General Coordination Meeting – Kramatorsk, Ukraine 28 August 2019 Discussion Action points/Decisions OVERVIEW OF HUMANITARIAN SITUATION United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs provided the following update: • OCHA CMCoord informed about latest updates regarding security situation in the area. • RC/HC Ms. Osnat Lubrani held a visit to Donetsk and Luhansk oblast. She met with UN agencies and NGOs to discuss recent developments in humanitarian and HDN. Ms Lubrani also visited the village of Opytne in order to assess the humanitarian situation there and see humanitarian activities implemented by partners. • In commemoration of the World Humanitarian Day (WHD), UNOCHA, together with international and national organizations based in Kramatorsk and in close collaboration with the local authorities of Donetska oblast and the city of Kramatorsk, organized an open space event. The main objective of the event was to raise awareness about the humanitarian situation in eastern Ukraine and the response efforts of the international organizations through displaying different activities and engaging with the public in an interactive way. Event started in time and gathered 20 partners. Some 1000-2000 guests attended the place. RC/HC and Governor delivered their speeches and had a tour around the side with all the partners presenting themselves to RC/HC and Governor. Governor was very active in getting acquainted with partners and asked many questions. Partner were able to address some concerns during the discussion. Later, after short informal discussion, RC/HC introduced to the Governor her special advisor on HDN. After the departure of the Governor, RC/HC had few short informal discussions with partners and OSCE.
    [Show full text]
  • THE ANALYSIS of EXPORT TRADE BETWEEN UKRAINE and VISEGRAD COUNTRIES Ľudmila Nagyová, Monika Horáková, Serhiy Moroz, Elena Horská, Zuzana Poláková
    Marketing and Trade THE ANALYSIS OF EXPORT TRADE BETWEEN UKRAINE AND VISEGRAD COUNTRIES Ľudmila Nagyová, Monika Horáková, Serhiy Moroz, Elena Horská, Zuzana Poláková Introduction analyze the impact of EU-funds on small and The dynamic development of foreign trade medium-sized enterprises (SME) in Poland. On is important for the stable economic position the contrary, Vojtovič (2016) points out the use of each country. It can be considered as of Structural Funds for SMEs in Slovakia. a confi rmation of the actual effi ciency of Nevertheless, being part of a larger the national economy and its ability to be economic or political group does not always competitive in the global economic system. The mean a positive economic impact on a particular growth of this trade is particularly essential for country or region. Zdražil and Applová (2016) Ukraine, taking into account the crisis situation present in their study the disparity of benefi ts in the country. In this paper, we analyze main when individual V4 regions enter the EU. The tendencies of export trade of Ukraine with fi nal GDP indicator per capita refl ected the initial Visegrad countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, negative results in the areas of productivity Poland and Slovak Republic) and examine and employment. That is the reason why the whether there is a relationship between the Ukraine-EU Deep and Comprehensive Free level of GDP and the volume of export activities Trade Agreement (DCFTA) regulate many between these countries. aspects of business cooperation between the It should be noted that various agreements countries. SMEs in Ukraine even have access were concluded between Ukraine and each to the fi nancial support of € 200 million from country of the V4 group regarding economic EU grants thanks to this agreement (European and trade relations.
    [Show full text]
  • Socio-Economic Transformations in Ukraine Towards the Sustainable Development of Agriculture
    sustainability Article Socio-Economic Transformations in Ukraine towards the Sustainable Development of Agriculture Olha Kravchenko 1 , Anatolii Kucher 2 , Maria Hełdak 3,* , Lesia Kucher 4 and Joanna Wysmułek 3 1 Department of Economics and Marketing, Kharkiv Petro Vasylenko National Technical University of Agriculture, Alchevskih 44, 61002 Kharkiv, Ukraine; [email protected] 2 Department of Ecology and Neoecology, V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Svobody 6, 61022 Kharkiv, Ukraine; [email protected] 3 Institute of Spatial Economy, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Norwida 25, 50-375 Wrocław, Poland; [email protected] 4 Department of Applied Economics and International Economic Relations, Kharkiv National Agrarian University named after V. V. Dokuchayev, educ. campus KNAU, 62483 Kharkiv, Ukraine; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 5 June 2020; Accepted: 29 June 2020; Published: 6 July 2020 Abstract: The social and economic conditions of all market participants are incentives and constraining factors influencing the levels of food, social, economic and ecologic security. The purpose of the article lies in the presentation of the author’s concept of the social and economic conditions where the transformation of economic relations between agrofood market participants is happening—in particular, the livestock products market of Ukraine—and the assessment of the state of food security of the country, as well as a comparison, by the same criteria, of the conditions of agrofood market participants in Ukraine and in four European countries: Germany, France, Italy, and Poland. This research was based on the application of empirical knowledge methods: observation, comparison, description, measurement, statistic methods, etc.
    [Show full text]
  • QUARTERLY REPORT for the Development Initiative for Advocating Local Governance in Ukraine (DIALOGUE) Project
    QUARTERLY REPORT for the Development Initiative for Advocating Local Governance in Ukraine (DIALOGUE) Project October – December, 2013 QUARTERLY REPORT October – December, 2013 TABLE OF CONTENTS RESUME 5 Chapter 1. KEY ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE REPORTING PERIOD 6 Chapter 2. PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION 9 2.1. Component 1: Legal Framework 9 Activity 2.1.1. Legislation drafting based on local governments legislative needs 9 Local government legislation need assessment 9 and work on local government technical profiles Legislation monitoring 11 Activity 2.1.2. Expert evaluation of conformity of draft legislation 15 to the European Charter of Local Self-Governance Activity 2.1.3. Introduction of institutional tools for local governments 15 to participate in legislation drafting Round table discussions in AUC Regional Offices and meetings of AUC Professional 15 Groups Setting up a network of lawyers to participate in legislation drafting 19 2.2. Component 2: Policy dialogue 20 Activity 2.2.1. Increasing the participation of the AUC member cities 20 in the policy dialogue established be the Association at the national level Dialogue Day: answers to the questions raised 20 Cooperation with central government authorities 20 Parliamentary local government support inter-faction group (local government caucus) 24 Participation in the work of parliamentary committees 26 Activity 2.2.2. Setting up advisory boards at the regional level with participation 31 of AUC Regional Offices and local State Executive agencies at the oblast level Working sessions of Local Government Regional Advisory Boards 31 Activity 2.2.3. Establishing formal and regular coordination 35 mechanisms with other USAID supported activities and other donor organizations Forum of Donor Organisations working in the local government sector 35 Cooperation with other USAID projects and projects supported by other donor 35 organisations 2.3.
    [Show full text]
  • The Pennsylvania State University Schreyer Honors College
    THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY SCHREYER HONORS COLLEGE DEPARTMENT OF GLOBAL AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES OLIGARCHIC PLURALISM IN THE 2014 EUROMAIDAN: HOW THE RISE OF OLIGARCHS IN GOVERNMENT SHAPED DEMOCRACY UN UKRAINE SIOBHAN FRANCES LEONARD SPRING 2020 A thesis Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a baccalaureate degree with honors in Comparative Literature and International Studies with honors in Global and International Studies Reviewed and approved* by the following: JOSEPH WRIGHT PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE Thesis Supervisor JONATHAN ABEL PROFESSOR OF COMPARATIVE LITERATURE AND JAPANESE Honors Adviser * Electronic approvals are on file. ABSTRACT During the 1990s, Ukraine experienced a change in its political system, becoming a nominal liberal democratic with contested multiparty elections in combination with post-Soviet oligarch community. These newly established dimensions impacted two major revolutionary periods in Ukraine, dating from 1992-2004 and 2005-2014, reaching a climax of violent civil unrest during the Ukrainian Revolution of 2014. The Ukrainian Revolution, also known as the Euromaidan and Revolution of Dignity, illustrates the stages of modernization in a post-Soviet society. The Euromaidan mobilized a variety of regional and ethno-linguistic groups to demand political and economic reform. Members of oligarch clans, consisting mostly of ethnically Russian economic elites, are often appointed in regional government positions largely in the East, and hold substantial power in Ukrainian politics. My research question poses: “How did oligarchic concentration of economic and media power influence government functions such as public service delivery, and shape corruption patterns preceding the protest uprising in 2014?” In my thesis, I seek to study the impact of oligarch clans as holding centralized power, and how this system may affect Ukrainian national politics as seen under the leadership of former democratically elected, Pro-Russian president, Viktor Yanukovych, during the Ukrainian Revolution of 2014.
    [Show full text]
  • Business Herald International Law&Business Business New S in T E R
    1 digest nationaL economic reLations Law&business business news internationaL ter n i s w e n s s e n i s u b s s e n i s u b & w a E L C STRY U ND I CHAMBER COMMER OF AND UKRAINIAN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS HERALD business news ing for the new markets, the Klei UKRAINE AND SAUDI ARABIA struction cost is estimated at 700-800 Adhesive Machinery implements the WILL JOINTLY CONSTRUCT AIR- mln dollars. international quality standards, ISO PLANES The Ukrlandfarming structure 9001 including, and develops pro- includes 111 horizontal grain storage duction. «Taqnia Aeronotics», a daughter facilities, 6 seed plants, 6 enimal feed entity of the Saudi company for de- plants, 6 sugar plants and 2 leather The main field of the company activity – supply of hi-tech equipment velopment and investments and «An- producing plants as well as an egg to glue various materials. The com- tonov» State company have signed products plant «Imperovo Foods», 19 pany designers develop machines the agreement on development and poultry-breeding plants, 9 hen farms, according to the client requirements production of the light transport plane 3 poultry farms, 3 selection breeding and their high-class specialists ma- An- 132 in Saudi Arabia. The main farms, 3 long-term storage facilities terialize their ideas in metal. That’s goal of the agreement is to fulfill a and 19 meat-processing plants. number of tasks in aviation construc- why the company machines meet tion and technology transfer to Saudi the world requirements. But they are Arabia as well as to train Saudi per- much cheaper.
    [Show full text]
  • European Business Club
    ASSOCIATION АССОЦИАЦИЯ OF EUROPEAN BUSINESSES ЕВРОПЕЙСКОГО БИЗНЕСА РОССИЙСКАЯ ФЕДЕРАЦИЯ, RUSSIAN FEDERATION 127473 Москва ул. Краснопролетарская, д. 16 стр. 3 Ulitsa Krasnoproletarskaya 16, bld. 3, Moscow, 127473 Тел. +7 495 234 2764 Факс +7 495 234 2807 Tel +7 495 234 2764 Fax +7 495 234 2807 [email protected] http://www.aebrus.ru [email protected] http://www.aebrus.ru 12th May, 2012 Moscow PRESS RELEASE The Year Continues Strong for New Cars and Light Commercial Vehicles in Russia • Sales of new passenger cars and LCVs in Russia increased by 14% in April, 2012 • Among the top ten bestselling models so far, ten are locally produced According to the AEB Automobile Manufacturers Committee (AEB AMC), April, 2012 saw the sales of new cars and light commercial vehicles in Russia increase by 14% in comparison to the same period in 2011. This April, 266,267 units were sold; this is 33,189 units more than in April, 2011. From January to April, 2012 the percentage sales of new cars and light commercial vehicles in Russia increased by 18% in comparison to the same period in 2011 or by 135,066 more sold units. David Thomas, Chairman of the AEB Automobile Manufacturers Committee commented: "The solid growth of the Russian automotive market continues into the second quarter. Although the pace of the year on year growth is stabilising to less than 15% in recent months, we still feel that the AEB full year forecast for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles should be increased by 50,000 units to 2.85 mln." -------------------------------------------------------------- Attachments: 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Hybrid Warfare and the Protection of Civilians in Ukraine
    ENTERING THE GREY-ZONE: Hybrid Warfare and the Protection of Civilians in Ukraine civiliansinconflict.org i RECOGNIZE. PREVENT. PROTECT. AMEND. PROTECT. PREVENT. RECOGNIZE. Cover: June 4, 2013, Spartak, Ukraine: June 2021 Unexploded ordnances in Eastern Ukraine continue to cause harm to civilians. T +1 202 558 6958 E [email protected] civiliansinconflict.org ORGANIZATIONAL MISSION AND VISION Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC) is an international organization dedicated to promoting the protection of civilians in conflict. CIVIC envisions a world in which no civilian is harmed in conflict. Our mission is to support communities affected by conflict in their quest for protection and strengthen the resolve and capacity of armed actors to prevent and respond to civilian harm. CIVIC was established in 2003 by Marla Ruzicka, a young humanitarian who advocated on behalf of civilians affected by the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Honoring Marla’s legacy, CIVIC has kept an unflinching focus on the protection of civilians in conflict. Today, CIVIC has a presence in conflict zones and key capitals throughout the world where it collaborates with civilians to bring their protection concerns directly to those in power, engages with armed actors to reduce the harm they cause to civilian populations, and advises governments and multinational bodies on how to make life-saving and lasting policy changes. CIVIC’s strength is its proven approach and record of improving protection outcomes for civilians by working directly with conflict-affected communities and armed actors. At CIVIC, we believe civilians are not “collateral damage” and civilian harm is not an unavoidable consequence of conflict—civilian harm can and must be prevented.
    [Show full text]