Office for Conflict, Stabilisation and Mediation

Government unit in the United Kingdom

The Office for Conflict, Stabilisation and Mediation (OCSM), formerly the Stabilisation Unit, is a cross-government unit of the UK government, governed through the National Security Council. It is part of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). It works cross-government to reduce the creation and intensity of conflicts abroad.

The Stabilisation Unit's history

The Stabilisation Unit aims to support fragile states and countries emerging from conflict, where close cooperation between international agencies, the military, and civilian personnel is essential.

The Stabilisation Unit, formed in 2007 from the Post-Conflict Reconstruction Unit, serves a similar function to and works closely with institutions such as the Stabilization and Reconstruction Task Force (Canada) and the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations (United States).

Since 2015 the unit has been funded through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund and governed through the National Security Council. Prior to 2015 it was it is jointly controlled by the FCO, the DFID, and the MOD. As of February 2022, the Stabilisation Unit was merged with former Department for International Development and Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) staff to form the OCSM.

Former SU Activities

The Stabilisation Unit's objectives were:

To prevent or contain violent conflict;
To protect people, key assets and institutions
To promote political processes which lead to greater stability.
Prepare for longer-term development and address the causes of conflict.

SU Locations

The Stabilisation Unit provided advice, or assistance, for various places in crisis, including:

Afghanistan: The SU has helped with a variety of problems in Helmand province.
Democratic Republic of Congo: A stabilisation advisor has been with MONUC since 2008.
Haiti: Assisting prisons in Haiti after the earthquake
Iraq: The SU assisted the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Basra, and helped rebuild police capabilities.
Sudan: Helping with civil society engagement. Four consultants are in Darfur.
Kosovo, Moldova, Somalia, Yemen, and Pakistan: The SU helped build strategies for assisting these countries.

SU People

The SU recruits civil servants into the Civil Service Stabilisation Cadre (CSSC).

The SU also recruits civilians; the UK Civilian Stabilisation Group (CSG) was launched in February 2010. The SU maintains a flexible and diverse pool of civilian experts who can be deployed to assist other countries to help build peace & security.

References

^ "Stabilisation Unit – About us". gov.uk. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
"Working for the Office for Conflict, Stabilisation and Mediation's Civilian Stabilisation Group (CSG)". gov.uk. Retrieved 5 July 2023. The Office for Conflict, Stabilisation and Mediation (OCSM) is part of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). The OCSM works in partnership with teams across the FCDO and wider UK government to minimise the frequency and intensity of conflicts abroad.
"Civilian Experts needed for the UK Government's Stabilisation Unit". Local Government Alliance for International Development. 20 July 2009. Retrieved 14 August 2011.
"About Us". Stabilisation Unit. 19 October 2010. Retrieved 14 August 2011.
"National security concerns continue to dictate Britain's government aid and development agendas". London School of Economics. 4 October 2010. Retrieved 14 August 2011.
Established in 2005 within Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (http://www.international.gc.ca/start-gtsr/index.aspx)
"Stabilisation Unit". Directgov. 18 October 2010. Retrieved 14 August 2011.
"Office for Conflict, Stabilisation and Mediation". questions-statements.parliament.uk/. UK Hansard. 12 December 2022. Retrieved 5 July 2023. OCSM was formed from the cross-Government Stabilisation Unit (SU) and departments from FCO and DFID and was formally launched in February 2022
"Stabilisation and the Stabilisation Unit" (PDF). Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 14 August 2011.
"Stabilisation and Stability Operations: A Literature Review" (PDF). 30 June 2009. Retrieved 14 August 2011.
"Afghanistan". Stabilisation Unit. Retrieved 14 August 2011.
Linklater, Magnus (2 July 2008). "Afghanistan: 'It was a battlefield last time I was here. The progress is remarkable'". The Times. London. Archived from the original on 7 September 2008. Retrieved 14 August 2011.
^ "Other Countries". Stabilisation Unit. Retrieved 14 August 2011.
"Haiti". Stabilisation Unit. Retrieved 14 August 2011.
"Iraq". Stabilisation Unit. Retrieved 14 August 2011.
"Developing Forensic Capability in Iraq". Stabilisation Unit. Retrieved 14 August 2011.
"Sudan". Stabilisation Unit. Retrieved 14 August 2011.
"Security Sector Reform in Moldova". Stabilisation Unit. Retrieved 14 August 2011.
^ "Pool of British civilian experts to help countries emerging from violence launched". Defense Professionals. 12 February 2010. Retrieved 14 August 2011.
"Stabilisation Unit: a unique opportunity for local government employees". November 2009. Retrieved 14 August 2011.
"Civil Service Stabilisation Cadre". 12 July 2011. Retrieved 14 August 2011.
"Launch of UK Civilian Stabilisation Group (CSG)". National Archives. 9 February 2010. Archived from the original on 7 April 2010. Retrieved 14 August 2011.

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