Post-conflict Institution Building: Beating Corruption
December 10 - 13, 2006
Best Western Monterey Beach Resort
Monterey, California

Click here for the workshop report.

Workshop Description:

The Center for Stabilization and Reconstruction Studies (CSRS) at the Naval Postgraduate School, hosted a workshop entitled “Post-Conflict Institution Building: Beating Corruption” December 10-13, 2006 at the Best Western Beach Resort, in Monterey, California. The event brought together approximately 25 expert participants from four key communities involved in post-conflict reconstruction and institution building: non-governmental organizations (NGOs), government civilian agencies, the armed forces, and intergovernmental organizations (IGOs).

With this inaugural event, CSRS initiated a two-year program delving into education and training requirements for those involved in building institutions resistant to corruption in post-conflict settings.

This workshop was a scoping event and had four main objectives:

1. Diagnose the problem: The workshop reviewed countries emerging from conflict to understand how corruption operates during and immediately after strife. Discussions focused on whether corrupt government officials act as “spoilers” and explored how illicit power structures (e.g., criminal networks, terrorists, insurgents) affect corruption in post-war settings.

2. Review current approaches: The workshop focused on contemporary innovations and practices to establish a baseline of anti-corruption knowledge in post-conflict settings. Participants assessed which anti-corruption initiatives contribute to the multiple goals of those organizations combating corruption, and their priority. Special attention was paid to how these organizations reconstruct and support legitimate state authority at local and regional levels and are affected by, or affect, corruption within emerging institutions.

3. Identify gaps and potential remedies: Participants identified“lessons learned” for building corruption-resistant institutions in post-conflict settings and analyze remaining gaps. These findings will be shared with the broader community and will provide the basis for future CSRS workshops, short courses, and gaming exercises designed to redress the gaps.

4. Establish networks: CSRS programs are designed to be of value to the diverse set of governmental and non-governmental actors involved in post-conflict reconstruction. The notion is that greater cross-community learning, collective problem-solving and developing professional networks will equip individuals to be agents of change within their own communities.