UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations (UN) on Tuesday launched its revised guidelines to help former combatants return to peaceful civilian life and remain "fit-for-purpose" for years to come.
The guidelines, namely the Integrated Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Standards (IDDRS), were launched against the backdrop that in recent years, practitioners of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) have faced increasing challenges, particularly in places where armed conflict is ongoing and where multiple and diverse armed groups continue to thrive.
"The new IDDRS recognize the highly political nature of DDR and the need to firmly anchor it in overall political processes," said Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, chef de cabinet to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, on his behalf, when attending the launching event.
The IDDRS also acknowledges the important role that the DDR plays across the peace continuum, including by recognizing that practitioners make invaluable contributions to sustaining peace, support mediation efforts, prevent recruitment in ongoing conflict, and provide reintegration assistance to voluntary armed group defectors.
Since 1990, the DDR has been a key component in the UN efforts to build peace in the aftermath of war, and for more than a decade, DDR practitioners both within and outside the UN system have been guided under the 2006 version of IDDRS.
Currently, the United Nations provides DDR support to more than 200,000 people in five peacekeeping missions, 10 special political missions and eight non-mission settings.
However, as challenges arise, the revision of DDR Standards has become "even more essential," said the chef de cabinet.
