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The Center for Preventive Action (CPA) was established by the Council on Foreign Relations in 1994 to help prevent, defuse, or resolve deadly conflicts around the world and to expand the body of knowledge on conflict prevention.
July/August 2008
Council Special Report No. 36
This report outlines the nature of the challenges in Pakistan's tribal areas, formulates strategies for addressing those challenges, and distills the strategies into realistic policy proposals worthy of consideration by the incoming administration.
June 2008
Council Special Report No. 33
In this Council Special Report, Mona Yacoubian and Scott Lasensky make a strong case that the Bush administration’s policy of diplomatic isolation of Syria is not serving U.S. interests, and offer informed history and thoughtful analysis of the country and its external behavior.
May 13, 2008
In response to the devastating typhoon that has ravaged Burma, Ivo Daalder and Paul Stares argue that the UN must invoke its “responsibility to protect” clause and intervene.
March 28, 2008
Concerns are increasing about the consequences of global climate change, rising consumption rates, and population growth on the availability of natural resources, including water, land, forests, oil, gas, and a variety of minerals. In the face of scarcity, are we likely to see a rise in violent conflict over valuable resources? Or is the probability of 'resource wars' much less than feared? Speakers discuss these issues at a meeting cosponsored with the Council’s Center for Preventive Action.
March 31, 2008
Michelle Gavin explains the 2008 presidential and parliamentary elections in Zimbabwe and the tallying process.
December 5, 2007
Richard C. Holbrooke, the architect of the Dayton Accords that ended the Bosnia war, says Russia’s uncooperative attitude in Kosovo combined with western inaction could spark renewed conflict.
October 2007
Council Special Report No. 31
Since 2000, President Robert Mugabe’s refusal to tolerate challenges to his power has led him to systematically dismantle the workings of Zimbabwe’s economic and political systems, replacing them with structures of corruption, intimidation, and repression. Michelle D. Gavin surveys the current situation in Zimbabwe, identifying current structural and legal impediments to economic and political recovery.
May 2007
This report argues that Angola deserves priority attention in the formulation of U.S. foreign, national security, and economic policies, particularly in the design of policy toward Africa.
April 2007
Council Special Report No. 27
This report describes what steps might be taken by Nigerians and the international community to avoid a breakdown of democracy, and possibly stability, in the wake of Nigeria’s April 2007 electoral contest and to tackle Nigeria’s fundamental challenges of governance, security, and development in the longer term.
February 2007
Council Special Report No. 24
This report encourages the U.S. government to redirect its policy toward Bolivia from “wait and see” to one with an emphasis on conflict prevention and preserving the democratic process in order to address the nation’s many challenges. This report is also available in Spanish.
December 2006
Council Special Report No. 21
This report presents a full picture of what is going on in the Horn of Africa and suggests what the United States needs to do to address the multiple challenges to stability.
November 2006
Council Special Report No. 20
With polls showing Chávez strongly in the lead in the December 3, 2006, Venezuelan presidential election, the United States needs to prepare for another six-year term with the controversial leader. This report proposes a new strategic framework for U.S. policy toward Venezuela. This report is also available in Spanish.
March 2006
Council Special Report No. 14
This report urges the Indonesia Government to follow through with its commitments to achieve a comprehensive solution to the conflict in Papua by engaging with legitimate representatives of Papuan society, fully implementing special autonomy, improving local governance, and reforming security arrangements.
March 2006
Council Special Report No. 12
This Council Special Report argues that Afghanistan is still far from stability and that the United States should take the lead in ensuring full funding and implementation of the Afghanistan Compact, and develop a coherent strategy toward the Afghanistan-Pakistan relationship. This report is also available in Spanish.
This Council Special Report, authored by Daniel Markey and sponsored by the Center for Preventive Action, outlines the nature of the challenges in Pakistan's tribal areas, formulates strategies for addressing those challenges, and distills the strategies into realistic policy proposals worthy of consideration by the incoming administration.
This Council Special Report, authored by Mona Yacoubian and Scott Lasensky
and sponsored by the Center for Preventive Action, makes a strong case that
the Bush administration’s policy of diplomatic isolation of Syria is not
serving U.S. interests, and offers informed history and thoughtful analysis
of the country and its external behavior.
For more information on the CPA, contact:
Paul Stares
General John W. Vessey Senior Fellow for Conflict Prevention
and Director, Center for Preventive Action
+1.202.509.8461
Jamie Ekern
Assistant Director
+1.202.509.8463
Alex Noyes
Research Associate
+1.212.434.9744
Copyright 2008 by the Council on Foreign Relations. All Rights Reserved.
