From Disarmament to Sustainable Reintegration: DDR across the Humanitarian, Development, and Peacebuilding Continuum

Background

Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) is a process that supports combatants and individuals associated with armed forces and groups in laying down their weapons and/or transitioning to civilian life. Its overarching objective is the social, economic, and political reintegration of men, women, and youth formerly linked to armed groups, thereby contributing to sustainable peace and long-term recovery.

The operational environment in which the United Nations supports Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) has fundamentally changed. Traditional DDR programmes implemented following comprehensive peace agreements have become increasingly rare, while conflicts have become more protracted, fragmented and regionalized. At the same time, the United Nations has expanded the range of DDR-related tools available across the conflict cycle, allowing DDR support to be provided in both mission and non-mission settings.

Parallel to these developments, system-wide reforms have promoted greater coherence across humanitarian, development and peace actors through the Humanitarian-Development-Peace (HDP) Nexus. The revised Integrated DDR Standards (IDDRS) and subsequent policy work position DDR as an integrated contribution to sustaining peace, requiring closer collaboration between Resident Coordinators (RCs) and their Offices (RCOs), UN Country Teams (UNCTs), as well as International Financial Institutions (IFIs), and national partners.

While these policy developments have significantly expanded opportunities for engagement, many Resident Coordinator Offices and country-level advisers have had limited exposure to the new UN approach to DDR. In many settings where armed groups continue to affect peace and development outcomes, DDR remains insufficiently reflected within country analysis, Cooperation Frameworks, local development planning, financing discussions and joint programming.

About the Course

The Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Branch (DDR Branch) of the United Nations Peacebuilding and Peace Support Office (PBPSO), with the support of the Government of Switzerland, is organizing the course ‘From Disarmament to Sustainable Reintegration: DDR across the Humanitarian, Development, and Peacebuilding Continuum’, which will take place in Stans, Switzerland, from 14 to 18 September 2026.

This course seeks to address the gap described by introducing the foundational concepts underpinning the new UN approach to DDR while creating a platform for practitioners from across the humanitarian, development and peace communities to jointly identify practical opportunities for greater integration at country level. In addition, the course will aim to strengthen the capacity of Resident Coordinator Offices, as well as regional- and country-level advisers to understand, integrate and leverage contemporary DDR approaches within broader humanitarian, development and peace programming.

Rather than preparing participants to implement DDR programmes themselves, the workshop aims to enable them to recognize where DDR can strengthen existing UN strategies and where their own sectoral expertise can contribute to durable DDR outcomes.

Upon completion participants will be able to:
• Explain the evolution of DDR and the principles underpinning the revised Integrated DDR Standards.
• Understand how DDR contributes across the conflict continuum, including prevention, stabilization, peacebuilding and development.
• Identify opportunities for integrating DDR considerations into country analysis, planning processes and UN Cooperation Frameworks.
• Understand the comparative advantages of humanitarian, development, political and financial actors in supporting integrated DDR approaches.
• Explore how the HDP Nexus building blocks—joint analysis, joint planning, joint programming, coordination and blended financing—can strengthen DDR implementation.
• Examine innovative approaches to long-term reintegration, including links to local development planning, livelihoods, social cohesion, infrastructure investment, private sector engagement and partnerships with International Financial Institutions.
• Develop practical recommendations for strengthening DDR integration within participants’ own country contexts.

Methodology

This training course will take place in person and is designed to apply a participatory approach. Participants will be required to actively engage during the entirety of the course, including through sharing experiences and lessons learned, reflecting on different aspects of DDR, working in groups, and presenting on selected topics.

The first part of the workshop provides participants with a common understanding of the evolution of DDR policy, the revised IDDRS and the expanding role of DDR across mission and non-mission settings.

The second part shifts from learning about DDR to applying DDR through a nexus lens. Rather than treating participants as students, the workshop recognizes the significant thematic expertise already present in the room—including governance, livelihoods, financing, political analysis, humanitarian coordination and development planning—and uses structured discussions to identify opportunities for greater integration.

Participants will work collectively to identify practical “DDR Nexus Moments” where their respective mandates and comparative advantages can contribute to more integrated responses. These discussions will focus on:
• Joint conflict and armed group analysis
• Integrated planning
• Programming synergies between development activities and reinsertion of ex-combatants
• Coordination mechanisms
• Financing pathways for long term reintegration of ex-combatants
• Partnerships with development actors and IFIs

The training course will be conducted in English. No interpretation will be provided.

Target audience

The workshop is designed primarily for practitioners operating outside traditional peacekeeping settings and/or in transition settings, including:
• Country and Regional Peace and Development Advisors (PDAs) and Institutional Development Advisor (IDAs), in RCOs
• RCO staff supporting political analysis
• Peacebuilding Fund Secretariats
• HDP Nexus Advisers
• UN–IFI Partnership Advisers
• Durable Solutions Advisors in RCOs
• Selected representatives of UN agencies, funds and programmes
• Regional organizations and selected development partners where appropriate
• DDR practitioners

As per Security Council resolution 1325, which sets out a clear and practical agenda for measuring the advancement of women in all aspects of peacebuilding, including DDR, it is the responsibility of all DDR stakeholders to work with female practitioners and actively include women in the formulation and implementation of DDR processes. As such, nominations of women for this training are highly recommended and encouraged.

Logistics

The training course is free of charge. Selected participants will have to organize and pay for their flight to and from Zurich Airport (ZRH). The host nation Switzerland will ensure the transportation of participants from and to Zurich Airport (ZRH) based on availability and will offer meals and accommodation at the venue. No transportation from and to other airports than Zurich (ZRH) and no Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA) will be provided. All participants need to arrange their visa, where required, and provide proof of adequate health insurance coverage before entering the territory of Switzerland. UN Laissez-Passer holders do not need a visa to enter Switzerland for a stay of up to 90 days. A detailed Logistics Note will be shared with selected participants.

Application

Interested individuals can apply using the application form no later than 21 August 2026 to Mr. Marc Schibli (email: schibli@un.org). See the application form attached below.

All the information above can also be found in the course concept note: