FCO/DFID Conflict Prevention Pool (CPP)

The Conflict Prevention Pool (CPP) was set up on 1 April 2008 and is run jointly by the FCO, Ministry of Defence (MOD) and Department for International Development (DFID). The CPP was set up to enhance the effectiveness of the UK’s contribution to conflict prevention. It is a financial instrument to deliver long-term conflict prevention activity, through regional programmes focused where the UK can have its biggest impact, and through thematic programmes which deal with cross-cutting conflict prevention issues. The CPP budget for 2008-9 is £112m.

The Russia/CIS CPP programme supports efforts to prevent and resolve conflict in the Russian Federation and countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States. Programme work centres on the unresolved conflicts and instability in the North Caucasus and countries of the South Caucasus and Moldova. The Programme is guided by six thematic objectives:

to raise awareness and understanding of the economic costs of conflict and benefits of peace and promote micro and macro economic cooperation within and around conflict and post-conflict zones,

to build the capacity of and support civil society’s collective contribution to conflict prevention initiatives at the local and national level,

to promote a more constructive role played by local and regional media in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, including reducing the information isolation of communities divided by conflict,

to enhance the capacity of government institutions, including in the security sector, to manage, resolve and prevent conflict,

to enhance the international community’s role in the resolution of on-going conflicts and the prevention of renewed conflicts,

to reduce the number and severity of human rights violations where these represent a primary driver of conflict.

Specific areas of interest at this stage are North and South Caucasus. In the North Caucasus the programme supports a variety of organisations and activities, including international and local NGOs working with civil society and government, the UK Special Representative for the South Caucasus and MOD-led work on security sector reform. The emphasis of the work is on addressing the longer-term drivers of conflict and levers for conflict resolution.

Applicants are encouraged to longer-term project proposals of up to 3 years duration (to March 2011), joint bids from two or more implementing organisations and co-funded proposals. The Programme will only consider proposals with a project budget of minimum £10,000.

In the South Caucasus of particular interest are projects addressing the unresolved conflicts over Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Nagorno Karabakh, which will address the civil society, economic, international community and media objectives outlined above.

CPP encourages applicants to make contact with staff in the relevant British Embassy before submitting proposals, in order to discuss their ideas.

Funding available for work in the second half of financial year 2008-09 is more limited, but the Committee will accept project proposals which run from October 2008 into subsequent financial years (up to March 2011). The financial year runs from April - March.