Current number of searchable armed groups : 50
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The Project
Despite the increasing involvement of transnational and non-state armed groups in many armed conflicts around the world, comprehensive analyses of the characteristics of those groups are lacking. With the objective of filling this gap, the database hosted in this internet portal provides primers on the features of non-state armed groups operating in all regions of the world. Each primer analyses - among others - the origins, objectives, structure, leadership and funding of each non-state armed group studied, as well as the status of its armed operations. Additionally, the existence of possible external aid and more generally, the relationship with international community of the concerned non-state armed group is examined. This database has been developed under the umbrella of the joint project between the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva and the Programme on Humanitarian Policy and Conflict Research (HPCR) at Harvard University entitled “Transnational and Non-State Armed Groups: Legal and Policy Responses.” This joint research initiative seeks to develop new research into how the increasingly prominent role played by transnational and non-state armed groups is changing the nature of traditional warfare and challenging basic notions of the laws of war. Moreover, the project aims to develop innovative legal and policy responses to cope with these phenomena.
Objectives
Drawing on the strengths of the two major research universities hosting the project - Harvard University and the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies - the backbone of the project is ongoing research efforts aimed at outlining the nature of violent conflict between states and transnational non-state armed groups, and at exploring different facets of the body of international law that regulates that warfare. In both cases, the goal is to draw out the implications of (and strategies for) engaging transnational and non-state armed groups, in a diverse range of conflict contexts.
Web Resources
The purpose of the web resource is to share research internationally and stimulate new research into the impact of transnational and non-state armed groups on the nature of contemporary warfare and the traditional understandings of the laws of war, as well as conventional conflict management and resolution strategies.
Web Portal
The Internet portal offers analysis and information resources on transnational and non-state armed groups. From the Democratic Republic of Congo to Afghanistan, the portal examines legal and policy debates surrounding such actors in today’s violent conflicts. Featured resources combine news, in-depth expert reports, briefing papers, MP3 audio clips, policy statements, blogs, and original case studies to provide extensive context for researchers, academics, and professionals seeking a better understanding of armed groups. The portal has been launched in September 2007 and is accessible at: www.tagsproject.org
Searchable database
The database - available on this website - is designed to provide primers on the features of non-state armed groups operating in all regions of the world. The primers also feature books, articles, key documents and internet links relating to each armed group.