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International organizations define armed conflict
as a political conflict that involves the armed forces of
at least one state or one or more armed factions seeking to
gain control of all or part of a state. Project Ploughshares,
an international NGO, adds cases to the annual list it publishes
of armed conflicts around the world once the death toll reaches
1,000.
The failures of state conflict management that
are reflected in internal wars are failures of human security;
that is, failures of states to create conditions conducive
to serving the social, political and economic welfare of their
populations. While threats to human security are shaped by
international conditions, the more direct and immediate threat
is posed by internal underdevelopment rather than external
enemies. According to Project Ploughshares, "security
is the product of mutuality, not competition; peace must be
nurtured rather than guarded; stability requires the reduction
of threat and elevation of trust; and sustainability depends
on participatory decision-making rather than on exclusion
and control."
One of the most tragic aspects of contemporary
armed conflict is the use of children as soldiers, primarily
by armed opposition groups. Children may also be killed or
maimed in the fighting or subjected to abuse and psychological
trauma. Amnesty International supports international efforts
to raise the minimum age of military recruitment to 18.
The United Nations Conflict Monitor unit promotes
the bilateral exchange of information to assist member states
and the UN in avoiding armed conflict. These services are
intended to establish precise understanding of member states'
available security forces and their state of readiness, should
they agree to contribute to a peacekeeping operation. Resources
may comprise military units, individual civilian and military
specialists, specialized services, equipment and other capabilities.
In the Western Hemisphere, the Organization of American States
(OAS) attempts to mediate and resolve disputes between states.
The 34 countries negotiating the Free Trade
of the Americas (FTAA) made a joint declaration on armed conflict
at the Quebec City Summit of the Americas. "We reaffirm
our commitment to maintain peace and security through the
effective use of hemispheric means for the peaceful resolution
of disputes and the adoption of confidence- and security-building
measures," the heads of state pledged. "In this
regard, we support and commend the efforts of the OAS. We
reiterate our full adherence to the principle that commits
states to refrain from the threat or use of force, in accordance
with international law. In conformity with the principles
of international humanitarian law, we strongly condemn attacks
on civilian populations. We will take all feasible measures
to ensure that the children of our countries do not participate
in armed conflict and we condemn the use of children by irregular
forces. We reaffirm that the constitutional subordination
of armed forces and security forces to the legally constituted
civilian authorities of our countries, as well as respect
for the rule of law on the part of all national institutions
and sectors of society, are fundamental to democracy. We will
strive to limit military expenditures while maintaining capabilities
commensurate with our legitimate security needs and will promote
greater transparency in the acquisition of arms."
An additional declaration pledged support
for the peace process in Colombia, the country experiencing
the most serious armed conflict in the hemisphere at the present
time. So far, the decades-long violence in Colombia has claimed
a toll of four presidential candidates, 1,200 police officers,
151 journalists and more than 300,00 civilians. The heads
of state at the Quebec City Summit declared their "firm
support for the efforts which, as state policy, the President
of the Republic of Colombia, Andrés Pastrana Arango,
is carrying out to achieve peace and reconciliation in his
country and to strengthen democratic values."
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