Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies

Standards of performance set a baseline of excellence on complex issues. This is why bicc provided support to the United Nations (UN) over the past two years in revising and disseminating the latest version of its Integrated Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Standards (IDDRS), which it launched in November 2022.

The IDDRS, first published in 2006, set a baseline for policy and practice on the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) in post-conflict contexts. The aim was to harmonise the approach of some 25 UN agencies and improve the effectiveness and impact of UN-led DDR programmes.

To remain relevant in today’s world, the UN Interagency Working Group (IAWG) on DDR initiated a comprehensive review of the UN approach and requested that bicc play a key role in this process.

Working directly with the UN Interagency Working Group on DDR, bicc participated in the revision process by coordinating the revisions of modules, operationalising the revised modules and training staff on the revised versions. In the final year of this two-year project, bicc not only contributed to the validation of key IDDRS modules and the development of the IDDRS Operational Guide but also provided technical advice in a number of countries (e.g. Chad, South Sudan).