BICC - Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies

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BICC - Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies

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Dedicated to research and policy advice on the conditions, dynamics and consequences of violent conflicts. 🌍 Worldwide. The Center is headed by a Director.

As an independent, non-profit organization, BICC (Internationales Konversionszentrum Bonn – Bonn International Center for Conversion) deals with a wide range of global topics in the field of peace and conflict research. Program Areas
The six following areas form the framework for BICC’s work
• Security—Stakeholders, systems, threats
• Arms—Global trends, exports, control
• Resources and conflict
• Migration, conflicts and security
• Base conversion
• Data and GIS (Geographic Information Systems)
These areas are mutually complementary and enable diverse thematic and methodological synergies. BICC’s Work
BICC’s portfolio includes applied research, advisory services and capacity development. Partners, donors and Clients
BICC receives institutional funding from the Land of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW). This funding enables the Center to perform research projects and research-based policy advice with funding from a variety of donors. Other partners, donors and clients are
International and German research institutes; international and German foundations; the United Nations and other international organizations; Federal Ministries such as the German Foreign Office (AA) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and institutions such as the Federal Agency for Civic Education (bpb); international and German NGOs; international and bilateral organizations in the field of development cooperation. BICC
BICC makes use of its research work to operate as a think tank, offer (policy) advisory services, and help develop capacity. BICC collects and publishes information, brings out expert reports and other publications, and thus offers its services to NGOs, governments, private organizations, research institutes and universities as well as to the interested public. BICC is co-editor of the annual “Friedensgutachten” (Peace Report) and of a series of international research publications (Sustainable Peace and Global Security Governance). BICC organizes regular exhibitions, conferences, workshops, and discussions with experts. The Center sets out to make more people aware of its central topics through its public relations work. BICC was founded as a non-profit limited company in 1994 with the support of the Land of NRW. Shareholders are the State of NRW and Brandenburg. The Center’s governing bodies are the Supervisory Board, the Board of Trustees and the International Board.

02/11/2026

Is it really deterrence OR arms control?

In his article, bicc senior researcher Max Mutschler argues that this is a false dichotomy. Deterrence makes sense given the uncertainty about Russia’s intentions, but the kind of deterrence matters. A defensive posture, especially in the Baltics, is less risky than threatening massive retaliation.

But even a smart defence isn’t enough on its own. Long-range weapons can hit critical infrastructure far behind the front line, and in a crisis, decisions have to be made fast, with nobody sure where the other side’s red lines are. That’s why Mutschler argues that deterrence alone is too risky and should be paired with efforts to limit these weapons in Europe.

Read the full article here ➡️ https://shorturl.at/6ydSN (in German)

(Original title: “Abschreckung vs. Rüstungskontrolle? Falsche Widersprüche in der Debatte um Aufrüstung und die neue Militärstrategie“)

28/10/2026

The US is reportedly considering using the ‘Mother of All Bombs’ against Iran. What military objectives could such a strike achieve? In this Tagesspiegel article, bicc researcher Max Mutschler questions the weapon’s military effectiveness.

Read the full article ➡️ https://shorturl.at/QCyCd

26/10/2026

On 28–29 October 2026, bicc, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto (UDUS) and the NCTC Regional Center of Excellence will hold a policy roundtable in Abuja to share new findings from the PAVE project on armed groups in Northwest and North-central Nigeria.

🌍Organised in close collaboration with the African Union and the UN Peacebuilding and Peace Support Office, the event will bring together federal and state officials, lawmakers, security agencies, traditional and religious leaders, women and youth groups, civil society and international partners.

💡The discussions will draw on lessons and good practices from Northeast Nigeria, including efforts to counter Boko Haram. Recommendations may also feed into the African Union’s work on a continental strategy on non-state armed groups.

🔗More information available here https://shorturl.at/xfk19

20/10/2026

How can Europe protect the Baltic states from a Russian invasion?

In this interview, bicc researcher Max Mutschler discusses the limits of air strikes, the risk of escalation, arms control and accountability for the use of artificial intelligence. He also explains why weapons procurement alone is no substitute for strategy.

Read the full interview ➡️ https://shorturl.at/xWPiF

19/10/2026

What role do women and youth play in (re)integration and social reconstruction in conflict-affected societies?

Rather than seeing them as vulnerable aid recipients or inherent peacebuilders, RECONNECT asks when, how and under what conditions their formal and informal practices rebuild trust and foster inclusive co-existence and which structural, political and socio-cultural barriers constrain them. Using comparative, multi-sited qualitative research in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, the Sahel and South-Eastern Europe, the project links sites of displacement, migration and return. Its findings will inform context-sensitive, gender-responsive and youth-inclusive development cooperation.

🔗 Find out more about the project here https://bicc.de/Projects/RECONNECT

15/10/2026

How much rearmament can internal peace tolerate? 🕊️

That question was at the heart of this year’s Netzwerk Friedens- und Konfliktforschung NRW annual conference in Bonn. Under the theme ‘NRW: Between Rearmament and Internal Peace’, around 100 participants discussed NRW’s role as a centre of the arms industry and how rearmament and polarisation affect society.

bicc is an active member of the network, with our Academic Director Prof Dr Conrad Schetter serving on the spokespersons’ council together with representatives from the Institute for Development and Peace (INEF), University of Duisburg-Essen and Bonn Center for Reconciliation Studies.

Read the full recap here 👉 https://shorturl.at/3m0f5

13/10/2026

Germany and other European governments have condemned the Taliban for their human rights record. Now they are working together with the Taliban to deport refugees back to Afghanistan. This in-depth article in The New York Times discusses how this came to be and the implications it could have. It includes quotes by BICC - Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies Academic Director Conrad Schetter, who has conducted research in and on Afghanistan for over 20 years.

Read the full article➡https://shorturl.at/AkCJU

08/10/2026

Algeria is stepping up its influence in the Sahara as instability reshapes the region and competition for power intensifies. In the Financial Times, BICC - Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies researcher Yvan Guichaoua offers insight into what is driving Algeria’s more assertive regional role — and what it means for the future of the Sahel.

Read the full article: https://shorturl.at/4FLaD

07/10/2026

Is it really "logical" that NATO received the 2026 Westphalian Peace Prize? According to BICC - Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies Academic Director Conrad Schetter, strengthening the NATO alliance could make sense if it's well thought out, but it will not secure peace on its own. What one side understands as defence, the other reads as a threat.

Peace researchers stress the importance of 'positive peace'—overcoming the causes of violence and conflict. This requires confidence-building, negotiation, nonviolent conflict resolution and compromise. Yes, that means high-ranking diplomats need to talk to each other.

Read the full comment here ➡ https://ow.ly/S5c450ZVCM7

07/10/2026

📅Sunday, 11 Oct: in-person event in Bonn, Germany. BICC - Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies researcher Katja Mielke will discuss the realities facing women in Afghanistan, drawing on insights from her recent visit to the country, where she visited humanitarian projects.

(Event in German, organised by Freundinnen und Freunde der Ev. Thomas-Kirchengemeinde Bad Godesberg.)

Adresse

Pfarrer-Byns-Straße 1
Bonn
53121

Telefon

+49228911960

Website

http://bicc.de/

Benachrichtigungen

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